Valorization of Cynara Cardunculus L. Oil as the Basis of a Biorefinery for Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production

The production of sustainable and biodegradable products, for energy or material use, is becoming important for local economies. Thus, biorefineries can play an important role in sustainable development at regional levels and therefore the search for feedstocks with multiple uses is vital. The goal of this research was to assess the implementation of Cynara Cardunculus L. oil as the basis of a biorefinery for biodiesel and biolubricant production, proposing the main steps for this purpose. The chemical reaction selected for biodiesel and biolubricant production was transesterification, using methanol and other more complex alcohols. The optimization of each step was carried out, assessing the yield by gas chromatography. Once the optimum conditions were selected, the main characteristics of the biofuel or biolubricant were measured, paying attention to viscosity and oxidative stability. As a result, Cynara Cardunculus L. oil could be a suitable feedstock for a biorefinery, as long as some antioxidants are added in final products, especially to increase its oxidative stability in biodiesel (whose value was 1.35 h). Concerning biolubricant production, the yields were acceptable (exceeding 92%) and the products showed variable viscosity values (from 8.6 to 18.85 cSt), implying a desirable diversification of production depending on demand.