Environmentally-friendly kelp-based energy saving lubricants, biofuels, and other industrial products

Abstract

A natural algae-based synthetic lubricant derived from harvesting kelp from the ocean, recovering sieve sap from the kelp, drying the sieve sap, and removing salts and oxides to leave a composition having a concentration of polyols (Mannitol about 70% and Mannose about 0.4%) and about 28% by weight of a high molecular weight polymer. The synthetic lubricant may be used as a drag reducing agent and additive for existing lubricants and also further reacted with fatty esters to form a hybrid lubricant that may serve as a total replacement for existing lubricants.

1 . A lubricant and drag reducing composition comprising:
 a polyol component comprising Mannitol derived from marine macroalgae; and   a polymer component comprising a high molecular weight polymer derived from marine macroalgae, said high molecular weight polymer having a molecular weight greater than about 100,000.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polyol component is present in an amount of about 65-75% by weight and said polymer component is present in an amount of about 25-35% by weight. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polyol component further comprises Mannose in an amount less than 1% by weight and glucose and galactose in an amount less than 0.1% by weight. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , further comprising a glucose polymer, a galacose polymer and an arabinose polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said high molecular weight polymer has a molecular weight above 200,000. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said high molecular weight polymer has a molecular weight above 300,000. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polyol component and said polymer component are derived from brown macroalgae. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said polyol component and polymer component are derived from the sap of brown macroalgae. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein said brown macroalgae is  Macrosystis pyrifera.    
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising fatty acid esters. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein said fatty acid esters have carbon lengths varying from about 2 to 30. 
     
     
         12 . A lubricant composition comprising:
 a base fluid selected from the group consisting of automotive lubricants, industrial lubricants, marine oils and process oils; and   a natural algae-based synthetic lubricant composition comprising a mixture of Mannitol derived from marine macroalgae and a high molecular weight polymer derived from marine macroalgae having a molecular weight greater than about 100,000.   
     
     
         13 . The lubricant composition of  claim 12 , wherein said natural algae synthetic lubricant composition is present in a concentration of 0.01% by weight to 30% by weight. 
     
     
         14 . The lubricant composition of  claim 12 , wherein said high molecular weight polymer has a molecular weight greater than 300,000. 
     
     
         15 . A natural algae synthetic lubricant composition made by the process comprising of:
 harvesting marine macroalgae from the ocean;   collecting at least a portion of sieve sap from said macroalgae; and   drying said sieve sap to remove a substantial amount of moisture therefrom; and   
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein said collecting step comprises draining kelp into a collection vessel. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said drying step comprises removing water from said sieve sap. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein said removing salt step comprises dialysis. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein said harvesting step involves harvesting kelp. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein said kelp is  Macrosystis pyrifera.