| abstract |
Castor oil was hydrolysed to castor fatty acids and self condensed to get a ricinoleic acid-based estolide of about acid value. The carboxylic group of the estolide on subsequent esterification with linear or branched chain alcohols and also on acetylation of free hydroxy group yielded castor oil fatty acids based estolide esters and their acetates. All the products were evaluated for total acid number (TAN), viscosity, viscosity index, pour point, flash point, and copper strip corrosion and found to be potential lubricant basestocks. |