Preparation and physicochemical properties evaluation of epoxidized neem oil-based bio-lubricant

Development of bio-lubricants is a major requirement today due to increased environmental pollution. Despite several advantages of bio-lubricants, very limited studies are reported due to challenges in their preparation and performance as a lubricant. In this article, the preparation of bio-lubricant based on Neem oil and evaluation of its physicochemical properties is reported. Using Neem seeds and through the process of pre-treatment, extraction, and recovery Neem oil is extracted. Later, the obtained Neem oil is epoxidized using hydrogen peroxide and formic acid. A comparative analysis of physicochemical properties of different bio-lubricants and lubricants is performed. It is found that the viscosity of these bio-lubricants and lubricants significantly decreased with increase in temperature from 40 degrees C to 100 degrees C. Relatively, Neem oil has lowest viscosity, synthetic oil highest, epoxidized Neem oil medium and the blended lubricants have reduced viscosity compared to Neem oil.

Automated summary

The development of bio-lubricants is crucial in addressing environmental pollution. This article focuses on the preparation and evaluation of a bio-lubricant based on Neem oil. The study shows that Neem oil has the lowest viscosity, while blended lubricants have reduced viscosity compared to Neem oil.