Sustainable Cellulosic Base-Oils

The global lubricant market size is ~$166 billion. Base-oils constitute the major component in formulated lubricants, which have uses in automotive, process oils, metal-working, marine, mining, locomotive, chainsaw, golf cart, hydraulic fluids, grease and other consumer and industrial sectors. Over 97% of current commercial base oils are petroleum derived. Their accidental release to the environment poses a significant monetary and regulatory concern to the users, regulatory bodies, and environmental advocates. Environmental regulations and the growing demand for sustainable lubricants to mitigate regulatory challenges and improve carbon footprint have driven development of bio-based base-oils. Current bio-based triglycerides/fatty acids derived ester-linked base-oils have poor oxidation stability and high hydrolytic susceptibility, resulting in their narrow applications. Thus, development of bio-based base-oils with the necessary stability for a wide range of industrial applications is desirable. RiKarbon Inc. is commercializing this technology to produce 100% bio-based and upcycled cellulosic base-oils (CBO) that are structurally-mimic to commercial petroleum-derived poly-a-olefin base-oils and have high stability. The technology entails: (1) lauric acid ketonization to 12-tricosanone; (2) catalytic C-C coupling of 12-tricosanone with lignocellulosic biomass derived furfural to produce CBO precursors; and, (3) catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of the precursors to branched chain cellulosic base oils (CBO). It will: (1) mitigate regularity challenges; (2) utilize waste feedstock to produce base oils for existing applications; (3) enable a sustainable cellulosic biorefinery; (4) reduce carbon emissions; and, (5) promote economic diversity by utilizing feedstock grown in rural areas. Our current phase accomplishments exceeded the proposed technical milestones. We studied and developed inexpensive commercial catalysts for CBO production, optimized the process to produce CBO in process-intensified reactor systems at pre-pilot scale, measured specifications, developed applications, validated applications through commercial partners, and completed cost and environmental impact analyses. In Phase IIA, we will advance the manufacturing process by mitigating challenges encountered in the current phase and demonstrating the production at a pilot scale. Other key technical milestones are: (1) in-situ regeneration of catalyst for 12-tricosanone manufacturing, (2) develop membrane technology to separate impurities from CBO precursors/solvent to mitigate catalyst poisoning challenge, (3) study HDO chemistry of CBO precursor in a larger reactor to improve CBO specifications, (4) determine eco-toxicity, biodegradability and specifications of CBO, (5) demonstrate production at pilot scale for manufacturing regulatory compliance and the productĺs market entry, (7) update cost and environmental impact using the results from this phase.