Even a simple kitchen waste can contribute to the sustainable revolution of the automotive sector. This is demonstrated by the scientific poster presented by Maria Michela Dell’Anna of the Polytechnic University of Bari during the III National Conference of the SCI Division of Chemistry for Technologies and the XIV AICIng Conference—a key event for the scientific community working in chemistry for industry and the environment.
The work, titled “Waste cooking oil valorization in the field of sustainable mobility”, represents yet another step in the broader vision of the CO-SMART project, promoted by the National Centre for Sustainable Mobility (MOST) and funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The research falls within Spokes 11 and 14, dedicated respectively to innovation in recycled materials and green chemistry for the automotive industry.
Five pathways to turn waste oil into biolubricants
The research had a clear goal: to valorise waste cooking oil (WCO) through chemical transformation into biolubricants for automotive applications. This approach tackles two environmental challenges at once: the need to safely and usefully dispose of a hazardous waste, and the urgency to reduce the use of fossil-based lubricants in mechanical systems.
Five types of WCO-based biolubricants were prepared and tested:
- Filtered and dried waste oil
- Transesterified in methanol and partially hydrogenated (H-FAMEs)
- Partially hydrogenated without transesterification
- Selectively hydrogenated to favour C18:1 chains
- Estolide, a high-viscosity compound derived from unsaturated fatty acids
These products were assessed for stability, viscosity, and potential application as lubricants for bolts and threaded joints in the automotive sector, where tribological performance is critical.
Biolubricants: more sustainability, no compromise
Using waste oil doesn’t mean compromising performance. On the contrary, tests showed that these biolubricants can match or even outperform key parameters of petroleum-based products, with the added advantage of being low-impact and sourced from an existing waste stream.
Their production relies on green chemistry techniques, minimising the use of toxic substances and reducing energy consumption, making the process both scalable and replicable in an industrial context.
Mobility that starts at the dinner table
In conclusion, the work presented in Milazzo demonstrates that even what we throw away every day can become a valuable resource for the future of mobility. Thanks to scientific research and the support of strategic programmes like the PNRR, waste cooking oil can return to circulation—not to our plates, but to our engines—safely, sustainably and smartly.
