what are the limiting factors to creating vegetable based motor oils and transmission fluids. Is this even possible?

4/19/2006 12:49:25 PM

thermal breakdown

4/19/2006 12:57:00 PM

even with some sort of refinement or additives?

4/19/2006 1:09:56 PM

thermal breakdown

4/19/2006 1:42:09 PM

Well, petroleum based oils are derived from organic compunds, what is specific about their chemical composition that they are not as succeptible to thermal breakdown?

4/19/2006 1:44:47 PM

it would probably be cheaper just to make synthetic oils

4/19/2006 6:00:25 PM

^^More saturated bonds.

Think about it: petroleum-based oils are manufactured from crude oil, which has spent many thousands of years under extreme heat and pressure. The resulting hydrocarbons are much harder to break down than simpler vegetable oils.

If I recall correctly, thermal instability is the very reason that they are not used for lubrication.

One exception is castor oil, which actually forms different molecular structures with more saturated bonds when subjected to extreme heat. Its film strength actually gets stronger. The downsize is that its viscosity rises as a result. Castor oil can actually leave a serious varnish and/or gum under extreme-heat conditions.

4/19/2006 7:50:04 PM

I remember Stacy David talking about some soy motor oil a while back, think it was like soyal (sp?)

Quote :

"http://www.unitedsoybean.org/feedstocks_pdf/fs9807.pdf"

here's an article from 98

4/20/2006 7:55:30 AM