Scientists will develop innovative biocarbon lubricants. Their main advantages are the replacement of non-renewable fossil raw materials with new ones, produced by pyrolysis of plant biomass waste. Such a solution will translate into a lower carbon footprint of the final product. The project received funding from the Foundation for Polish Science.
The research will be conducted as an effective entrepreneurial collaboration. This means that at least two independent parties cooperate by exchanging knowledge or technology. This leads to a common goal, based on the division of labour within the project, while sharing the risk.
The project on which our researchers will be working involves the development of formulations and principles for the composition of a new lubricant with enhanced environmental and performance characteristics. The product is expected to achieve parameters comparable to commercial graphite lubricants used primarily in the automotive sector.
- It may seem that nothing innovative can be done in the field of lubricants. Nothing could be further from the truth. The challenge, for example, is to replace graphite as a critical raw material with other products of similar microstructure, but obtained from waste plant biomass. This problem is to be addressed by our development of the technology for the production of biocarbon lubricants. This is a breakthrough, because so far, no one has used carbonizates from lignocellulosic waste as a substitute for fossil graphite used as a component of plastic lubricates.
dr hab. inż. Jarosław Molenda, główny wykonawca projektu
The project, which is being developed by a team from the Łukasiewicz Centre for Bioeconomy and Eco-Innovation – ITEE, responds to specific market needs. This is guaranteed by cooperation with the leading lubricant supplier in Europe, FUCHS OIL CORPORATION Sp. z o.o. It is also a chance that, in the event of positive results, the solution will be implemented.
The topic of converting various types of biomass, including but not limited to algae and plant processing waste, into green carbon materials has been developed at the institute for several years. The high level of the work carried out is evidenced, among other things, by two recent publications in prestigious TOP10 journals according to the Scopus database: Environmental Technology & Innovation and Scientific Reports.
Only 28 Selected Projects
The project named “The use of carbonisate from waste lignocellulosic biomass as a substitute for non-renewable raw materials for the production of innovative biocarbon lubricants”, prepared by dr hab. inż. Jarosław Molenda and dr inż. Monika Makowska, was on the list of qualified Proof of Concept FENG applications. The recommended amount of funding is PLN 655,872.00.
The Foundation for Polish Science selected 28 projects for funding out of 236 that applied for support. Two of these were submitted by scientists from the Łukasiewicz Research Network. In addition to the scientists from Łukasiewicz – ITEE, the employees of Łukasiewicz – ICSO “Blachownia” can also boast of success.