ABSTRACT
Fully biobased lubricants are those formulated using all biobased ingredients, that is, biobased base oils and biobased additives. Such formulations provide the maximum environmental, safety, and economic benefits expected from a biobased product. Currently, there are a number of biobased base oils that are commercially available or will be available in a very short time. However, there are no commercial biobased additives to be used for obtaining fully biobased formulations. As a result, formulators are forced to use petroleum-based additives with the biobased base oils to produce partially biobased products. In an effort to remedy this situation, a number of research groups are engaged in the development of biobased additives. In this chapter, the authors summarize their effort at developing the following biobased additives: friction modifiers, biosurfactants, antiwear, viscosity index improvers (VIIs), antioxidants, and extreme pressure (EP). The effort involves the synthesis, identification/characterization, and evaluation of physical and tribological properties relative to commercial petroleum-based products. Based on the work to date, the current status of biobased additive development can be summarized as follows: (1) some biobased additives are ready for commercialization in the very near future; (2) several others will require more effort before they are competitive in performance to petroleum-based products; and (3) development work has yet to begin on a large number of biobased additives.
