A sustainable methanol-based solvent exchange method to produce nanocellulose-based ecofriendly lubricants

A prospective methodology aimed to develop totally sustainable oleogels with potential application in lubrication is reported. Oleogels were prepared cellulose nanofibrils from elm pulps castor oil. Even at a concentration as low 1.4 wt%, the showed rheological behaviors similar traditional lithium grease used reference. In that sense, high thickening power of nanofibers was remarked. Never-dried bleached and unbleached mechanically treated PFI mill refiner microfluidizer. Moreover, an alternative way producing nanofibrils, never-dried pulp chemically oxidized using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO). The three types characterized production oleogels. great challenge remove amount water retained by during nanofibrillation treatment before it incorporated into vegetable oil-based lubricant. Alternative strategies such liophilization or drying failed because nanofibers, very specific surface strong capacity interact among them hydrogen bonding, underwent severe aggregation. Instead, proposed methanol-based solvent exchange method enabled transfer origin hydrogel oil no detriment both their aspect ratio capacity. Chemical considerations are provided regard solvent-mediated method, which yielded homogeneous storage-stable This work may attract interest lubricant manufacturers produce nanocellulose-based eco-lubricating greases for industrial applications.