Cellulose Pulp- and Castor Oil-Based Polyurethanes for Lubricating Applications: Influence of Streptomyces Action on Barley and Wheat Straws

The replacement of mineral oils and non-renewable gelling agents is an imperative requirement for the lubricant industry in the near future. In this framework, cellulose pulp and castor oil are proposed as sustainable substitutes for these components. Biological treatment has been explored and evalu...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Borrero López, Antonio María, Valencia Barragán, Concepción, Blánquez, Alba, Franco Gómez, José María
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
Repositorio:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/19136
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10272/19136
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Cellulose pulp
Lubricating grease
Oleogel
Polyurethane
Rheology
Solid-state fermentation
Streptomyces
Tribology
Descripción
Sumario:The replacement of mineral oils and non-renewable gelling agents is an imperative requirement for the lubricant industry in the near future. In this framework, cellulose pulp and castor oil are proposed as sustainable substitutes for these components. Biological treatment has been explored and evaluated to enhance the dispersing and thickening properties of cellulose pulp in oil media. Streptomyces sp. MDG147 and MDG301 strains were employed to modify agricultural wheat and barley straw residues from which cellulose pulp was obtained afterwards. In addition, an environmentally friendly process for the production of cellulose-pulp-/castor-oil-based polyurethanes was applied, in which neither catalysts nor harmful solvents were used, resulting in chemical oleogels. These oleogels were rheologically and tribologically characterized to evaluate their performance as lubricating greases. The enzymatic activity pattern developed was dependent on the raw material, the strain type, and the temperature, influencing the cellulose pulp’s composition, polymerization degree, and crystallinity. These modified characteristics tuned the rheological behavior of the different oleogels, providing a beneficial range of viscoelastic responses and viscosity values that were generally favored by the Streptomyces action. Furthermore, the friction coefficient and dimensions of wear scars measured in a tribological contact were comparable to, or even lower than, those found with commercial and other bio-based lubricating greases that have previously been studied.