Author

Piash Bhowmik

Date of Award

August 2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Yachao D. Wang

Abstract

Depletion of mineral oil leads the researchers to look for renewable oils recently. Soybean, which is one of the most produced crops globally, has been identified as a potential source for such oil. The problem with vegetable oils is, they consist of unsaturated fatty acids which leads to oxidation of the oils. With proper modification and the use of suitable additives, these oils can be adapted for use in various sectors. High oleic oils are becoming increasingly popular due to their high oleic acid content, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid. These oils are gaining attention for their improved stability compared to regular oils. This thesis compared the tribological behavior of high oleic soybean oil with regular soybean after the chemical modification process (Isopropylation) and addition of select additives. Physico-chemical behavior of the sample oils was also analyzed in this study. The findings indicate that in its natural state, high oleic soybean oil outperforms regular soybean oil. However, after chemical modification and the addition of additives, regular soybean oil demonstrates superior performance compared to high oleic soybean oil.

Available for download on Saturday, August 23, 2025

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