PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF BIODEGRADABLE GREASE (BIOGREASE) FROM Balanites aegyptiaca (DESERT DATE) SEED OIL

📄 Project Abstract

This work focused on the production and testing of biodegradable grease from Balanites aegyptiaca seed kernel oil. This was carried out by extracting the oil from the seeds using solvent n-Hexane extraction and reacting a given quantity of the extracted oil with a lithium soap to produce a lithium based biogrease. Consistency tests, drop point as well as gear wear tests were conducted on the developed biogrease samples and the results compared against that of a commercially available petroleum-based lithium grease -OANDO Crown grease EP2. The results showed that the oil combines with lithium stearate on a percentage weight basis of between 70% to 80%. Worked penetration values of the grease samples indicated a grease of consistency classification NLGI "0. Dropping point values for the biogrease ranged from 65C to 161C with increasing dropping point value as percentage concentration of base oil increases, peaking at 161C for 80% base oil. The cost of productionfor the bio grease was als...