ALTERNATIVE DIRECTION OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE LUBRICANT MATERIALS INDUSTRY: INNOVATIONS REGARDING RAW MATERIALS, CHEMICAL-TECHNOLOGICAL, AND TRIBOLOGICAL ASPECTS

The justified relevance of the stated problem is highlighted. A set of questions has been formed, investigated with the aim of developing innovative methods and technologies for processing technical oils into alternative bio-ester-based oils for the lubricant materials industry. Significant attention is given to the tribological aspects of the problem, particularly the development of a predictive model for bio-ester-based oils. Emphasis is placed on tribological requirements for the development of functionally qualitative oils, namely: special molecular structures with high levels of polarity and surface-energetic activity; the effectiveness of chemical-physical interactions on friction surfaces; the implementation of the leading tribochemical phenomenon — the effect of plastic deformation of surfaces with the formation of interfacial, special structure lubricating nano-films of high-level wear resistance and tribosystem efficiency. The development of a complex of chemical-technological issues of the problem is based on directions and positions identified through the analysis of its tribological aspects. An innovative concept for obtaining oil raw materials of a new type — composite (compols), oriented towards the production of high-quality bio-ester-based oils, has been developed. The mechanism of compols’ influence on achieving high levels of polarity and surface-energetic activity of oil molecules is argued and proven. New single-stage (direct) methods for processing compols into functionally qualitative, highly biodegradable bio-ester-based oils, namely alcoholysis with their glycols and esterolysis with the acetate esters of the same glycols, have been developed. The selected range of corresponding industrial raw materials is shown to have a favorable effect on the quality of oils and the possibility of obtaining not only bio-ester-based oils but also other types of bio-ester products. It is proven that single-stage methods are imperfect, characterized by moderate levels of efficiency and profitability, which is due to a number of reasons, including the contamination of oils with by-products — glycerides, which are quite harmful to their quality. The reasons and consequences of the harmful effects of glycerides on the quality of bio-ester-based oils and the efficiency of processes are shown. In order to overcome the shortcomings of single-stage processing methods, two significantly more advanced two-stage processing methods for compols have been proposed and developed, namely: the method of glycerolysis-2 — glycolysis or esterolysis of the intermediate product of glycerolysis, as well as the method of acetolysis of them — acylation of glycols with acid chlorides as intermediates. Material balances of both variants of two-stage methods, as well as techno-economic analysis of their efficiency, profitability, and quality of bio-ester-based oils “Lub2-2k” and “Lub3-2k” obtained by these methods, are presented. Data on a series of chemical-physical and functional properties of new oils obtained by these methods, as well as the results of their tribotechnical tests according to leading indicators, are presented. Bibl. 20, Fig. 1, Tab. 7.