Lube-Tech PUBLISHED BY LUBE: THE EUROPEAN LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
lower purity of the PE-C7 batch, that had a slightly higher acid value and water content. It could also be further analysed by including PE-C8 in the testing to investigate the variation of even/odd chain molecules.
Volatility (ASTM D 972)
Figure 6: Volatility of PE-C5, PE-C6 and PE-C7
Pour point (ISO 3016) and Flash point (ISO 2719/A)
No.157 page 4
such conditions, and PE-C6 reached a pour point of -36°C, as shown in Table 2 and . In order to further reduce the pour point, using pour point depressants or incorporating shorter or branched fatty acids into the molecular structure could be considered. Unfortunately, in this study, the pour point of PE-C5 could not be assessed with certainty.
Table 2: Physicochemical properties of PE-C5, PE-C6 and PE-C7.
After evaluating the general properties of the synthesised POEs, we further explored some indicative application-specific properties such as thermal and dielectric properties of the three molecules.
Permittivity (C EI 60247)
Figure 7: Pour point and Flash point of PE-C5, PE-C6 and PE-C7
Flash point is another important parameter for applications where temperatures reach elevated levels and fire safety is important, such as transformer oils and hydraulic fluids. All three molecules achieved a flash point above 200°C, as shown in Table 2 and Figure 7. While an increase in flash points with longer fatty acid chains was anticipated, PE-C5 showed a slightly higher flash point than both PE-C6 and PE-C7. It is hypothesised that this is due to the higher purity of PE-C5 compared to the other batches.
The performance of the base oil at low temperatures plays a crucial role in applications such as aviation and industrial lubricants. POEs usually perform well in
36 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.186 APRIL 2025
Figure 8: Permittivity of PE-C5, PE-C6 and PE-C7
Thermal conductivity (internal method)
Figure 9: Thermal conductivity of PE-C5, PE-C6 and PE-C7
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