Natural oils and fats have been extensively used as lighting fuel or as lubricating oils and greases until the middle of 19th century. After that, mineral oil takes over. At present, about 90% of the lubricants use mineral oil as their base fluid. In the recent years, due to the pressure of environmental legislation and the demand for sustainable energy, has led to the growing interest for bio-based lubricants. It is estimated that the bio-based lubricant will grow 10% to 15% in the next five years in the European Union. Vegetable oil itself is an excellent lubricant. It has good load-carrying ability, a low coefficient of friction, a low evaporation rate, less flammable than mineral oil and the viscosity does not change much with temperature. Above all, it is inherently non-toxic and biodegradable. The disadvantages of vegetable oils are poor thermal, oxidation and hydrolytic stability. For these reasons, these oils may only be used in the less severe applications.

Main Research: Dr Yeong Shoot Kian