Use of Lagenaria Siceraria Seed Oil for the Production of Environmentally Friendly Biolubricant

The needs for environmentally friendly energy sources, coupled with the depleted fossil oil reserves, have generated interests in the search for world’s alternative energy sources, and vegetable oils seem to be the best options. This study assesses the use of Lagenaria siceraria seed oil (LSSO) as a potential source of environmentally friendly biolubricant. The LSSO was extracted from the Lagenaria siceraria seed (LSS) using Soxhlet apparatus, and a yield of 41.70% was obtained, with n-hexane as the extracting solvent. The physicochemical parameters of LSSO were assayed to confirm its potential for the production of environmentally friendly biolubricant. The result showed that the kinematic viscosities of 6.24±0.10cSt (at 100°C) and 21.74±0.02 cSt (at 40°C) were obtained, while the viscosity index (266±0.00) was also obtained. An experiment was designed (Mixture Design Method using Minitab 17) to obtain the proportion of LSSO (47.50%), SN 500 (47.50%), and additives (5.00%) that gave the mixture with the optimum physicochemical parameters of the produced biolubricant. The produced LSSO biolubricant had kinematic viscosities 9.59±0.02 cSt (at 100°C) and 49.62±0.14 cSt (at 40°C), a viscosity index of 181±0.01, flash point of 230±1.20°C, pour point of -30±0.03°C, acid value of 2.72±1.03 mg KOH g-1, and iodine value of 1.28±1.40 mg I2 g-1. The LSSO biolubricant has physicochemical parameters that are within the standard for engine oils and could compete favourably with the synthesised environmentally acceptable lubricating oils