Materials science: Bringing biolubricants to industry.

摘要

Up to 50% of lubricants used around the world are lost to the environment through evaporation, spills, leaks, and improper disposal, and contaminate soil and groundwater. "It's an underappreciated source of pollution," says Brajendra K. Sharma, a visiting research chemist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. Now vegetable-based biolubricants offer an alternative to petroleum-based lubricants in a range of machinery, from elevators to ski lifts to chainsaws.