Facile Synthesis of Lignin-Castor Oil-Based Oleogels as Green Lubricating Greases with Excellent Lubricating and Antioxidation Properties

A novel, eco-friendly lignin-castor oiloleogel with superiorlubricating and antioxidant properties for sustainable applications. In this study, a facile synthesis method was employedto createlignin-castor oil-based oleogels by modifying organic lignin withtwo silane coupling agents. The resulting oleogels demonstrated outstandinglubricating and antioxidation properties, establishing them as promisinggreen lubricating greases. Compared with the pure castor oil, theoxidation induction time (OIT) value of the synthesized oleogels wassignificantly increased from 20 s (pure castor oil) to 1959 s (oleogelwith 20 wt % lignin), indicating an effective improvement of the oxidationresistance. The steel contacts lubricated by the synthesized oleogelalso had lower wear than those lubricated by pure castor oil, signifyingthe better lubricating properties of oleogels. The oleogel with 20wt % lignin showed the lowest wear, which was around 64% lower thanthat of pure castor oil. The exceptional performance and environmentallysustainable composition of these oleogels, with the biomass contentexceeding 80%, allow them to be used as green lubricating greasesfor industrial applications. Overall, this study provides valuableinsights into the development of high-performance, eco-friendly lubricants.

Automated summary

A novel, eco-friendly lignin-castor oil oleogel with superior lubricating and antioxidant properties was synthesized in this study. The oleogels exhibited remarkable performance in terms of oxidation resistance and lubricating properties compared to pure castor oil. The oleogel with 20wt % lignin had the lowest wear, which was approximately 64% lower than that of pure castor oil. With over 80% biomass content, these oleogels can serve as green lubricating greases for industrial applications. Overall, this study contributes valuable insights into the development of high-performance, eco-friendly lubricants.