Lubricants basestock oil obtained from residual fatty acids: Evaluation of tribological properties and thermo-oxidative stability

Organic waste is traditionally used in applications of low economic value, such as incineration and animal supplementation. Since a large part of this waste has the potential to be transformed into products with greater added value, finding novel applications is crucial to convert it into more valuable products. In response to this gap, this study evaluates the feasibility of synthesizing biolubricants from residual fatty acids underutilized resource for this application. The physicochemical, thermal and tribological characteristics of biolubricant samples synthesized from a residual fatty acid sample, mainly composed of palmitic acid (~ 43% wt.) and oleic acid (~ 35% wt.), were evaluated. In the thermal stability analysis, the final sample (coined as BIOLUB) showed the best performance when compared to the other samples, with the following temperatures for mass loss of 50%, in an inert (341.68 °C) and oxidative (285.33 °C) atmosphere. For the tribological properties, BIOLUB presented a friction coefficient (FC) approximately 54% lower than that of commercial mineral oil (CMO). The results in general suggest that the synthesized product has the potential to be used as a basestock oil for biolubricants, adding value to this industrial waste and offering a viable pathway to transform it into a higher-value product. This could contribute to sustainable and economic development by reducing dependence on petroleum-based lubricants and enhancing the potential utilization of residual fatty acids.