Development, properties and applications of high-performance biolubricants

This chapter provides the fundamental understanding of how the inherent structural features of fatty acid ester derivatives make them suitable for lubrication applications. It provides sources of new triacylglycerol oils, their fatty acid composition, markets and performance compared to regular oils. Also discussed are the general functional requirements of lubricants and how the new functional fluids produced by various chemical modifications of fatty acid esters overcome the shortcomings of oxidative stability and low temperature fluidity. The cost effectiveness and high performance of biobased esters make them useful as base stocks and functional additives. A number of new technologies developed in the last two decades that have potential for commercial applications, their salient features and advantages along with future trends are presented.