Desenvolvimento e caracterização de lubrificantes biodegradáveis a partir do óleo de milho.

Abstract

In recent years, the environmental problems generated by oil and the possibility of its depletion have led to numerous research projects in search of viable alternatives to replace it and its derivatives, such as mineral lubricating oils. As a result, biodegradable lubricants have been gaining more and more prominence in relation to petroleum-based lubricants, as they are highly biodegradable and less ecotoxic. One of the methods used to produce them is transesterification followed by epoxidation of corn oil, with the aim of improving its lubricating characteristics. Corn is the most widely produced crop on the planet and is also grown on a large scale in all regions of Brazil. In view of the above, the aim of this work was to synthesize and characterize biolubricants using commercial corn oil as a raw material. The transesterification reaction used two different alcohols and potassium hydroxide as a catalyst. The transesterification products were then epoxidized with 15% commercial peracetic acid. The materials obtained in the process were characterized through their physical and chemical properties. Based on the results, it was observed that the methyl (96%) and ethyl (84%) esters obtained good conversion percentages, as did the methyl (93%) and ethyl (97%) epoxides. Furthermore, the epoxidized products showed a reduction in iodine levels and kinematic viscosity at 40 oC, highlighting the efficiency of the process used. Based on the results obtained, corn oil has the potential to be used in the production of biodegradable lubricants, thus helping to reduce the use of fossil materials in the production of lubricants.