Preparation and physicochemical properties evaluation of epoxidized neem oil-based bio-lubricant
Mohammed Kareemullah, Asif Afzal, Kashif Rehman, K. Vishwanath, Hurmathulla Khan, Manzoore Elahi M. Soudagar, Abdul Razak Kaladgi
Abstract
Development of bio-lubricants is a major requirement today due to increased environmental pollution. Despite several advantages of bio-lubricants, very limited studies are reported due to challenges in their preparation and performance as a lubricant. In this article, the preparation of bio-lubricant based on Neem oil and evaluation of its physicochemical properties is reported. Using Neem seeds and through the process of pre-treatment, extraction, and recovery Neem oil is extracted. Later, the obtained Neem oil is epoxidized using hydrogen peroxide and formic acid. A comparative analysis of physicochemical properties of different bio-lubricants and lubricants is performed. It is found that the viscosity of these bio-lubricants and lubricants significantly decreased with increase in temperature from 40°C to 100°C. Relatively, Neem oil has lowest viscosity, synthetic oil highest, epoxidized Neem oil medium and the blended lubricants have reduced viscosity compared to Neem oil.