Bio-based automotive and industrial lubricants by the optimal hydroisomerization of free fatty acids

植物油可以加工成长链烃，用来替代传统的化石燃料。Altransex开发了一种生产高质量烃链的工艺，可用作润滑剂。理想的烃类润滑剂具有大部分的支链分子，以改善粘度和凝固点特性。增加碳氢化合物中支链分子比例的过程称为加氢异构化，即氢与直链在选择性催化剂上反应形成侧链的过程。其结果是一种材料具有较低的粘度和更好的流动特性一般.虽然该工艺通常用于加工石油产品，但要适应生物衍生燃料，还需要进一步优化。该研究项目的成果将是优化生物润滑油生产的加氢异构化工艺，并将导致来自农产品的可持续、低碳足迹的汽车和工业润滑油的商业化。在该项目的过程中，一名博士生，两名硕士生和四名本科生将获得生物产品开发的第一手知识，并与Altransex公司的科学人员互动。Altransex公司，总部设在安大略省金斯顿，有一个坚实的计划，以商业化他们的产品，这一合作项目的结果将提供有价值的信息，将使他们的润滑油产品在寒冷的气候市场地区

Plant-based oils can be processed to produce long-chain hydrocarbons that can be used to replace conventionalfossil fuels. Altranex has developed a process that produces very high quality hydrocarbon chains that can beused as lubricants. Ideally hydrocarbon lubricants have a large fraction of branched chain molecules in order toimprove viscosity and freezing point characteristics. The process for increasing the fraction of branched-chainmolecules in the hydrocarbon is called hydroisomerization, a process in which hydrogen is reacted with thelinear chains over a selective catalyst to form side chains. The result is a a material with lower viscosity andbetter flow characteristics in general. Although the process is commonly used for processing petroleumproducts, the adaptation for bio-derived fuels requires additional optimization. The outcome of this researchproject will be the optimization of the hydroisomerization process for bio-lubricant production and will lead tothe commercialization of sustainable, low carbon footprint automotive and industrial lubricants that are derivedfrom agricultural products. During the course of the project a PhD student, two MASc students and fourUndergraduate student will will gain first hand knowledge of bio-product development and interact with thescientific staff of Altranex.Altranex Corporation, based in Kingston, Ontario, has a solid plan to commercialize their products and theresults of this collaborative project will provide valuable information that will enable their lubricant products tobe marketable in colder climate regions.