Treatment of Some Vegetable Oils with Maleic Anhydride, a Route to Synthetic Lubricants

Abstract

In this investigation, four vegetable oils (castor, linseed, sunflower, and jatropha) were treated with maleic anhydride in the presence of benzoyl peroxide as a radical initiator. The suitability of the adducts obtained as synthetic lubricants was tested by determining their physico-chemical properties applying the international standard methods. The oily adducts obtained proved to be promising as synthetic lubricants, especially their good thermal and oxidative stabilities.

Keywords:

• radical initiator
• synthetic lubricants
• thermal and oxidation stabilities
• vegetable oils