Renewable fuels and lubricants from Lunaria annua L.

A non-edible fatty oil coming from Lunaria annua plant (honesty plant) was investigated as a starting material for the sequential production of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters-FAME) and biolubricants (trimethylolpropane esters). Lunaria oil constitutes an attractive feedstock because of its unusual fatty acid profile comprising mainly of erucic (22:1) and nervonic (24:1) acid. For the production of the desired biobased products, the following transesterification methodology was applied. At first, Lunaria oil was converted to the corresponding methyl esters via methanolysis reaction and the produced FAME was assessed as automotive fuel according to the specified requirements and test methods included in the European Standard EN14214. In order to synthesize the environmentally adapted lubricants, part of the previously prepared methylesters was converted to trimethylolpropane (TMP) esters via alkaline transesterification reaction. Lunaria TMP esters were evaluated as potential lubricant basestock regarding their physicochemical properties and their lubricating performance. Concerning fuel properties, Lunaria methyl esters appear to satisfy the majority of the EN14214 requirements with the exception of kinematic viscosity due to the high content of long chain fatty acids. However, the later could be counterbalanced though blending with other types of low quality feedstock. On the other hand, the high monounsaturated content is beneficial to other properties such as oxidation stability. The synthesized TMP esters demonstrate very good lubricating properties as well as oxidation stability, and thus, they could be utilized as lubricant basestock in the formulation of high added value biolubricants for special and environmentally sensitive applications. As a whole, Lunaria oil appears to be an interesting feedstock for the production of biodiesel and especially biobased lubricant basestock. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.