Biolubricants: Synthesis, Properties, Applications and Future Prospects

Dear Colleagues,

With the continuous promotion of green, low-carbon, and circular-development economic systems, energy conservation, environmental protection, low carbon usage, and efficiency have become new requirements that various industries must meet in the development process, and the lubricant industry is no exception. At present, the main formula for lubricants is still dominated by mineral oil, and a very large amount of mineral oil is leaked or discharged into the environment. However, the biodegradability of mineral oil lubricants is poor. When they scatter to the ground or enter water, they will gradually accumulate and form non-degradable hydrocarbons, directly polluting soil and water. Moreover, waste mineral oil contains volatile organic pollutants, such as benzene series and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as a small amount of heavy metals, which pose great harm to the ecological environment and to human health.

Biolubricants offer new hope in terms of the sustainable development of human society. Biolubricants are generally considered to be lubricants made from base oils derived from vegetable oils or derivatives of vegetable oils. To protect the environment and develop their economy, many countries have put "Lubricants and Environmental Issues" on the agenda, formulated environmental protection regulations, put forward clear protection requirements, and committed to pursuing developments in, and research on, biolubricants. Biolubricants can meet the requirements of various industries for lubricant use without causing harm to human health or the environment. However, the synthesis and preparation mechanisms, anti-wear and friction reduction mechanisms, and tribological properties of biological lubricants, as well as the impacts of the actual application conditions on lubrication performance, are still unclear, resulting in a lack of scientific theoretical support for the application of biolubricants. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to introduce the latest developments in biolubricants and reveal the mechanism by which biolubricants improve anti-friction and wear reduction performance.

Dr. Min Yang
Guest Editor

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