Sustainable Cellulosic Base-Oils

Accidentally released lubricants into water bodies from marine applications, off-shore turbines, hydropower production turbines and other non-commercial marine applications challenge safe water recycling and management, and has invited a number of lawsuits. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 16 million gallons of lubricants per year  equating to 1.5 times the size of the Exxon Valdez spill  are washed off into water streams, which poses a threat to water resources, aquatic ecosystems and create other health related issues. Thus, Vessel General Permit regulations in USA and Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals regulation in Europe require environmentally sustainable lubricants for marine and other regulated applications. To mitigate the challenges, this small business is commercializing proprietary technologies to produce sustainable cellulosic base oils with unique molecular architecture, desired stability, and properties for high performance lubrication. Our bio-preferred products, containing up to 100% bio-based carbon, will bring significant economic, societal, and educational benefits:(1) It will meet a wide range of lubrication needs. (2) It will bring new base oils to meet several extreme low temperature lubrication needs, because of branched carbon chains with competitive viscosity and freezing point profiles. (3) This technology will bring feedstock flexibility for base oils by utilizing inexpensive and sustainable carbon neutral materials; thus, addresses environmental sustainability by producing “green” alternatives to materials that are currently sourced from petroleum. (4) It will improve cellulosic biorefinery sustainability and profitability by utilizing and valorizing currently produced low carbon number bio-products into high value performance materials. (5) It will mitigate carbon emissions by at least 70% relative to petroleum-derived products, and (6) improve rural economy by utilizing biomass feedstock and employing local resources. The innovation of this technology entails (1) catalytic coupling of biorefinery raw materials, produced from waste biomass, such as corn cob, corn stover, and natural oils, to build high carbon number precursors with branched carbon chains and (2) catalytic hydrodeoxygenation or hydrogenation of the precursors to cellulosic base oils, suitable for a wide range of marine and industrial lubrication. Key technical objectives of Phase I are: (1) Study cellulosic base oil’s precursor production using heterogeneous catalysts, (2) develop a manufacturing process for high carbon ketone,12-tricosanone, from lauric acid, (3) produce cellulosic base oil in quantity for full specification measurements, (4) perform selective hydrogenation of the precursor to cellulosic base oil with hydrophilic property, and (5) complete techno-economic and life-cycle assessment. The goal of this project is to assess value proposition and market competitiveness of the technology and products with reference to commercial premium base oils, understand key efficacy of the products, and evaluate broad applicability of the technology. RiKarbon anticipates commercialization of this technology by the end of the Phase II performance period through direct sales and licensing. Initially, cellulosic base oils will be used for marine lubricants/greases and then for other regulated applications.