PREMISE II: Comparative Life Cycle Impacts of Bio- and Petro-based Lubricants

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The principal goal of this Product Realization Environmental Manufacturing Innovative Systems for Eco-Efficiency (PREMISE) Phase II research is to perform a holistic evaluation of the substitution of bio-based lubricants for traditional petroleum-based lubricants (mineral oils) in industrial applications, addressing the technical, economic, societal, and workplace complexities of this issue. It will provide a comprehensive analysis of the steps involved in bringing bio-based lubricants into the marketplace, relying on a comprehensive life cycle approach in which the materials, energy, and costs involved with bio-based lubricants are compared with those of petroleum-based lubricants currently in use. It contains five parts: evaluation of the performance of bio-based lubricants, including pollutant emissions, at large scale (aluminum rolling), life cycle economic analysis, assessment of the effects of regulatory factors on differential pricing, an analysis of the factors involved in the decision-making process regarding bio-based lubricants, and the potential for changes in agricultural markets as a result of the widespread adoption of bio-lubricants. This project involves researchers from academia, government, and the private sector.The industrial lubricant market in the US (not including automotive applications) is approximately 100 million gallons per year. If successful, this research will provide several benefits to society. First, bio-based lubricants, in most applications, are inherently less polluting and their manufacture uses less energy than petroleum-based alternatives. Second, bio-based products in general emit fewer greenhouse gases during their manufacture and life cycle than products made from fossil fuels. Third, soy-based lubricants have superior lubricity properties in comparison with petroleum-based lubricants, thereby offering the possibility of improved industrial throughput. Fourth, to the extent that bio-based lubricants displace petroleum-based lubricants in the marketplace, the US reliance on imported oil is lowered. Finally, although focused soybean oil, both because of its availability in US markets and past experience in adapting soy-based products to new uses, the results from this proposal will also provide an evaluative framework that can be used for other vegetable bases.