A study of the oxidation and wear properties of vegetable oils: Soybean oil without additives

Abstract

Abstract The use of biodegradable lubricants in diverse applications continues to increase. Vegetable oils (e.g., soybean oil) are the main biodegradable lubricant base stocks used world‐wide. However, there are concerns about their oxidative stability and low‐temperature performance. Improvements in oxidative stability can be made through chemical or genetic modifications. This work compared the effects of oils with different chemical compositions. Soybean oil, high‐oleic soybean oil, and epoxidized soybean oil were compared in laboratory bench tests. The tests conducted include the Penn State sequential four‐ball wear test and the Penn State micro‐oxidation test. Oxidation products from the micro‐oxidation test were analyzed by FTIR and gel permeation chromatography. In this paper, all oils were evaluated neat, without additives.