Tribology of green lubricants

Abstract

Increased demand to protect the environment from mineral oil based lubricants has necessitated replacing them with products derived from natural resources. In addition to this a combination of environmental, health, and economic challenges has also renewed interest in the development and use of green lubricants over the last two decades. This chapter gives an overview of green lubricants beginning from their ancient use to the challenges prospective of the lubricant industry. The review includes structural and chemical properties of important vegetable oils and chemical modification of vegetable oils. Tribological behavior of products based on vegetable oils, green additives, and ionic liquids under varied testing conditions is also presented. This study also gives an insight into the testing procedures and sustainability aspects of green lubricants and additives.