Fossil fuel resource is on the draining stage which leads to an increment in the cost of the petroleum products. Nowadays, research is focused on the development of environment-friendly lubricants which are derivatives of renewable sources. Bio-lubricants based on non-edible oil sources are environmentally friendly because they are non-hazardous and biodegradable and no emission of toxic gases were detected when they are used. This study involves the characterizations and advantages, as well as utilization of inedible plant oil-driven bio-lubricants as an alternative for tribological applications. This report also presents the status of the global lubricant market as well as the potential outlook of the bio-lubricants for their future usage. Non-edible plant oil-driven bio-lubricants bear high viscosity, high lubricity, and high viscosity index which can enhance the equipment service life and deserve the ability to carry the high load and results in a minimum amount of metal traces during combustion while applied to engines. Beside their advantages, some of the disadvantages are also there which can be addressed by the employment of certain additives available according to the applications. The detailed study about the different additives utilized during their use in the internal combustion engine is also described in detail during this study. This study provides a detailed description of the possibilities associated with bio-lubricant based on non-edible oil feedstocks to the automotive sector applications.
Keywords: Additives; Bio-lubricant; Biodegradable; Mineral oil; Non-edible vegetable oil; Non-toxic; Viscosity.