ABSTRACT
Modern industry relies heavily on a wide range of products currently produced from petrochemicals. These products include greases and other lubricants, fuel oils, heating oils, printing inks, polymers and resins, plastics, paints and additives, and slip agents. As the cost of petroleum rises, many industries are looking for alternatives to these products but economics is not the only important motivator. Petroleum-based products are not renewable and can be harmful to the environment, owing to their toxicity to organisms, their poor biodegradability, and the damage caused by their extraction, processing, and rening. When burned, they actively contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and are carbon-positive. Many petroleum-based lubricants are released directly into the environment, a particular concern for aquatic systems, forestry, and farming, but also an important source of contamination on construction sites (Perez, 2005).
