The Economic and Environmental Significance of Sustainable Lubricants
Many industrial processes are dependent on the proper application of modern tribological knowledge for the purposes of maintaining equipment integrity and minimizing total energy losses. Consequently, the development of modern lubricants is vital for satisfying growing performance standards and incr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Lubricants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4442/9/2/21 |
| _version_ | 1827588593958256640 |
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| author | Raj Shah Mathias Woydt Stanley Zhang |
| author_facet | Raj Shah Mathias Woydt Stanley Zhang |
| author_sort | Raj Shah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many industrial processes are dependent on the proper application of modern tribological knowledge for the purposes of maintaining equipment integrity and minimizing total energy losses. Consequently, the development of modern lubricants is vital for satisfying growing performance standards and increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Industrial lubricants are regulated based on demanding technical requirements and characteristics, such as high viscosity index, hydraulic stability, corrosion prevention, thermal stability, wide operating temperature ranges, demulsibility, and oxidative stability. Escalating environmental and sustainability concerns have shifted significance towards non-technical criteria for the evaluation of lubricants. Biodegradability and renewability are two influential factors in the discussion regarding the long-term sustainability of future tribological applications. Emphasis is placed on the development of environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable lubricants that would minimize industrial pollution associated with oil-related spills and leakages. Bio-based lubricants, manufactured from renewable, organic resources, present themselves as viable alternatives to traditional petroleum-based lubricants. A major section of this review paper will provide a comparative analysis of renewable resource-based lubricants and mineral oil-based lubricants in terms of their chemical properties and respective advantages. Further discussion concerning biolubricants and use of non-edible plant feedstocks will highlight the clear economic and environmental incentives of implementing modern tribological knowledge. This review paper will conclude with the examination of the obstacles that modern day biolubricants must overcome and the future expectations of green tribology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:38:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8de4e37016f545f7b3f97c73d2538308 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4442 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:38:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Lubricants |
| spelling | doaj.art-8de4e37016f545f7b3f97c73d25383082023-12-11T18:01:14ZengMDPI AGLubricants2075-44422021-02-01922110.3390/lubricants9020021The Economic and Environmental Significance of Sustainable LubricantsRaj Shah0Mathias Woydt1Stanley Zhang2Koehler Instrument Company, Inc., 85 Corporate Drive, Holtsville, NY 11742, USAMATRILUB, D-12203 Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USAMany industrial processes are dependent on the proper application of modern tribological knowledge for the purposes of maintaining equipment integrity and minimizing total energy losses. Consequently, the development of modern lubricants is vital for satisfying growing performance standards and increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Industrial lubricants are regulated based on demanding technical requirements and characteristics, such as high viscosity index, hydraulic stability, corrosion prevention, thermal stability, wide operating temperature ranges, demulsibility, and oxidative stability. Escalating environmental and sustainability concerns have shifted significance towards non-technical criteria for the evaluation of lubricants. Biodegradability and renewability are two influential factors in the discussion regarding the long-term sustainability of future tribological applications. Emphasis is placed on the development of environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable lubricants that would minimize industrial pollution associated with oil-related spills and leakages. Bio-based lubricants, manufactured from renewable, organic resources, present themselves as viable alternatives to traditional petroleum-based lubricants. A major section of this review paper will provide a comparative analysis of renewable resource-based lubricants and mineral oil-based lubricants in terms of their chemical properties and respective advantages. Further discussion concerning biolubricants and use of non-edible plant feedstocks will highlight the clear economic and environmental incentives of implementing modern tribological knowledge. This review paper will conclude with the examination of the obstacles that modern day biolubricants must overcome and the future expectations of green tribology.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4442/9/2/21green tribologybiolubricantsbiodegradabilitysustainabilityecotoxicologyrenewability |
| spellingShingle | Raj Shah Mathias Woydt Stanley Zhang The Economic and Environmental Significance of Sustainable Lubricants Lubricants green tribology biolubricants biodegradability sustainability ecotoxicology renewability |
| title | The Economic and Environmental Significance of Sustainable Lubricants |
| title_full | The Economic and Environmental Significance of Sustainable Lubricants |
| title_fullStr | The Economic and Environmental Significance of Sustainable Lubricants |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Economic and Environmental Significance of Sustainable Lubricants |
| title_short | The Economic and Environmental Significance of Sustainable Lubricants |
| title_sort | economic and environmental significance of sustainable lubricants |
| topic | green tribology biolubricants biodegradability sustainability ecotoxicology renewability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4442/9/2/21 |
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