Notes on used oil re refining aug 2017 with api prsnt attached
6 likes2,646 views
Used oil can be re-refined through various processes to remove contaminants and produce re-refined base oils. Re-refining involves distillation processes like wiped film evaporation and vacuum distillation to separate base oils from other materials in used oil. The resulting re-refined base oils can be of similar or even better quality than virgin base oils and are capable of meeting industry specifications when used to formulate engine oils. Re-refined base oils offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to disposal of used oils.
Notes on used oil re refining aug 2017 with api prsnt attached
- 1. Notes on Used Oil re refining A Lubricant Industry compilation https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamadeni/ https://twitter.com/hussamadeni hussam_adeni@yahoo.com Lubricant Specialist & Tribologist hussam.adeni@gmail.com What’s App: +966542017250 Notes on Used Oil Re refining (With an extract from an API presentation Recycling Used Engine Oil by Re-refining) A Lubricant Industry compilation M Hussam Adeni Chemical Engineer by education Lubricant Specialist by Certification - MLA 1 – www.icml.com, Lube Council Experience – Castrol, BPCastrol Membership – www.stle.org GHG mitigation and Fuel Conservation Evangelist by Philosophy
- 2. Notes on Used re refined Oil Re-refining is a process used to refurbish used oil and return it to a high-quality base oil. In the United States, approximately 40 percent of used oil is captured and recycled in some manner, while 60 percent is lost. Nearly 14 percent of the captured and recycled oil is re-refined. An expression commonly used to explain the gradual process of oil contamination, additive depletion and viscosity increase (thickening) is that the oil is "breaking down" and may no longer be able to maintain its lubricating qualities. Even though the additive package has been depleted, much of the base oil is still in relatively good condition. The re-refining of used oils is a process of repeating some or all of the five basic refinery processes to return the base oil to a usable condition or state. Re-refiners use various processes to remove contaminants, water, spent additives and any of the original remaining additives from the used oil. The result is the reclamation of approximately 75 to 80 percent of the original base stock. A further process of refining and blending is then carried out to produce finished products. Some re-refined oil is proving to be as good as, if not better than, virgin base oil. It is very dependent upon the re-refining technology and the source of the used oil Keep in mind that used oils that have been "reclaimed," "reprocessed" or "recycled" are likely of inferior quality and may have only passed through a settling and/or filtering process. There are broadly two methods to recover base oil from used lubricating oils. 1. Re claimation - Acid clay treatment followed by distillation. Due to environmental concerns (disposal of acid sludge) this is banned, in many countries 2. Re refining - Physical separation followed by distillation a. A popular process is called – Wiped Film Evaporator (WFI) this is followed by Vacuum Distillation
- 3. Acid Clay Treatment In the acid clay process, used oil is typically filtered and then heated to remove debris, solid particles and water. It is then mixed with Sulphuric acid which extracts metal salts, acids, aromatics, asphaltenes and other impurities. This forms a by-product of acidic sludge that settles out of the oil. The remaining slightly acidic oil is mixed with active fuller’s earth (clay) to remove mercaptans and other contaminants and to improve colour. This process requires approximately 0.4 lb of clay per gallon of oil. After clay is filtered from the oil, the final steps are neutralization and distillation of the oil. Acid clay treatment was the predominant technology in the past. Today, in many countries and states, the acid clay process is banned due to the hazardous waste of the acidic clay from the process; the disposal of this acid sludge is a nightmare. Process comparison A comparison of the various technologies available for Used Oil re refining is given below: Factors for evaluation Thin film evaporation process Vacuum distillation with clay treatment process Acid clay process Direct clay treatment process Distillation followed by solvent extraction Lube yield 65 - 75% 65 - 75% 60 - 62% 54 - 60% 65 - 75% Utilities consumption High High Low Low High Energy consumption Low Low Low Low Low Process Semi-continuous / continuous Batch / continuous Batch Batch Continuous Hazardous chemicals None None Acid None None Waste streams Residue 10 - 12% 10 - 12% None None 12 - 15% Acid sludge None None High None None Spent clay 2.5 - 6% 2.5 - 6% 8 - 10% 2.5 - 306% None Heating Indirect Indirect Direct Direct Indirect
- 4. Re refining process Source: Sequela Rerefining project Used Oil pick up – Sourcing This is most critical step, if the collection is from used oil segregated at the user level the end result is a good source and yields a good product. Typically all Used oils are categorised and stored separately. Used Engine Oils is stored separately and the used Gear and Transmission Oils, Hydraulic Oils and other grades are stored separately. Other oils like Metal working Oils and Emulsions are also stored separately. Over the past, in India, used oils have been treated as thrash. As a result it was stored in old (top cut away) oil barrels/drums and dumped in the open yard, allowing access to dirt, rain water and invariably, other waste is also dumped in the same oil barrels/drums. Units having automobile workshops often use Diesel or other solvents for cleaning and degreasing, this too is dumped in the same oils barrels/drums. While pre-screening / pre treatment, at the Used Oil re-refining plant can deal with most of the contaminants and even free water, it is the emulsified oils that generally cause some difficulty. The net result of all this is, a lower of yield re-refined oil, per se.
- 5. Analytical Testing to ensure Quality Oil from a wide variety of sources may contain chemical or physical contaminants that are hazardous or prevent that oil from being used in the re-refining process. Constant testing ensures that our feed stocks are capable of producing the highest quality end products. Result: premium products and environmentally correct recycling. Dehydration to remove water Water finds its way into many used oil storage areas, so it’s the first thing we remove, using a process of evaporation. The water is collected, treated to be chemically and biologically safe and then discharged. Distillation 1 – Light end recovery Lightweight chemicals are extracted for reuse. With the water removed, the used oil goes to tall recovery towers where glycol and light fuels are separated and collected. By products: glycol is eventually reprocessed as a finished automotive grade product. Distillation 2 – Fuel stripping and recovery Heavier fuels are removed for industrial use. The used oil is now subjected to heat and vacuum processes which extract middle weight oils. By products: fuel for industrial heating. Distillation – Vacuum Distillation - Wiped Film Evaporator Heavy materials are reclaimed for multiple uses. The heaviest impurities are removed in a complex series of processes. The used oil is actually vaporized in an extreme vacuum and then condensed. Different materials are then separated from the oil. By products: heavy oil for industrial use, such as asphalt extenders, which are made from the heaviest residual material. Hydro treatment The remaining oil is treated with hydrogen to remove sulphur, nitrogen, chlorine, heavy metals and other impurities. This step also corrects any issues with odour, colour and corrosion performance. The purified oil is then separated by weight – cleaner than the day it was first refined and ready to return to the marketplace. Used re refined Plant Manufacturers There are a number of Used Oil Re fining Plant manufacturers with units set up and operating in India, the Middle East and Africa. Information on the same can be provided on request.
- 6. Extract from an API presentation Recycling Used Engine Oil by Re-refining
- 7. Recycling Used Engine Oil by Re-refining Presented at California 2005 Used Oil/HHW Conference “Building Hope for Healthy Communities, One Action at a Time” Bahia Resort Hotel San Diego, California April 28, 2005 - Dennis L Bachelder
- 8. What is a Re-refined Base Oil? It is used motor oil that undergoes an extensive refining process to remove contaminants, distill the used oil and reform the oil molecules to produce new base oils that have the same performance characteristics as virgin base oils made from crude oil. 6/9/2005 2
- 9. Re-refined vs. Recycled Base Oils Recycled base oils using the acid-clay and the clay filtration processes are not the same as re- refined base oils. Typical concerns: Do not get typical base oil viscosity fractions/grades Recycled base oils may not have the same performance and oxidation stability Quality may be very variable depending on feedstock 6/9/2005 3
- 10. Typical Re-refining Process 6/9/2005 4Courtesy Safety Kleen Used Engine Oil
- 11. Typical Distillation Recycling & Re-refining Used Lubricating Oils; May 1993 6/9/2005 5
- 12. Re-refined Base Oil Quality Used Oil Feedstock Vacuum Distillation Feedstock Hydrotreat Feedstock Light Hydrotreat Feedstock Heavy Final Base Oil Light Final Base Oil Heavy Water (% Vol) 20 <1 <1 <1 -- -- Flash Point (°C) >100 215 154 193 182 210 Vis. @ 100°F N/A 375 85 230 90 240 Acid No. (mg/KOH) 2.4 4.0 1.5 0.5 0.01 0.01 Chlorine, ppm 2800 2700 1150 800 <50 <50 Sulfur, ppm 4000 4000 3000 3000 600 600 Zinc, ppm 550 550 <1 <1 <1 <1 Lead, ppm 70 70 <1 <1 <1 <1 6/9/2005 6 Recycling & Re-refining Used Lubricating Oils; May 1993
- 13. Product Quality Paraffinic base oils which meet or exceed customer, industry and government standards Meets API Group I and Group II Specifications Capable of being formulated to provide lubricating oils meeting newest standards API SM / ILSAC GF-4 API CI-4 Plus GM Dexron IIIG Automatic Transmission Fluid Military Specification (e.g. Mil-PRF-2104G) 6/9/2005 7
- 14. Re-refined base oil Relative Cost Re-refined base oils are typically comparable in cost to virgin base oils When there is a surplus of used oil there may be a slight cost advantage for re-refined base oils due to lower feedstock costs relative to crude oil When higher VI used oils are available as feedstock it is possible to make high quality API Group II base oils 6/9/2005 8
- 15. Re-refined Base Oil Cost Pressures Competition for used oil feedstock Used as a Marine Fuel increases the price of the feedstock Collection Logistics Must have a source of used oil from Quick Lubes and Industrial Accounts within a reasonable distance Used oil must be relatively good and free of excessive contamination (e.g. solvents, coolant, etc) 6/9/2005 9
- 16. API Service Category Certification Re-refined Base oils,when formulated into an engine oil, are capable of being Certified and Licensed by the API Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System (EOLCS). All API Licensed products meet the performance requirements set by the manufacturer for their engines. 6/9/2005 10
- 17. API EOLCS Quality Trademarks Re-refined Base oils, when formulated into an engine oil, are capable of being Certified and Licensed by the API Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System (EOLCS). Only Licensed Engine Oils Carry the API Quality Trademarks for easy consumer identification. All API Licensed products meet the performance requirements set by the engine manufacturers. API Donut Gasoline Service Category API Donut Diesel Service Category ILSAC Starburst® ® ® 6/9/2005 11
- 18. Re-refined Engine Oil Availability Engine Oils formulated with Re-refined base oils are in marketplace Primarily Drum and Small Package Some Engine Oils Indicate that re-refined base oils are used Safety-Kleen America’s Choice Chevron ECO Evergreen Motor Oil 76 Firebird Rosemead SOAR DLX Lyondell Enviroil Hick’s Oil Natural Choice Others Do Not Indicate they use Re-refined oil Concerned about public perceptions Blend re-refined base oil with virgin base oil Distribution Most distribution through Commercial and Retail Distributors Some Distribution through retail outlets (e.g. Auto Zone, Pep Boys, etc.) 6/9/2005 12
- 19. Summary Re-refined Base Oils have comparable performance to Virgin Base Oils API Licenses Engine Oils formulated with re- refined base oils carrying the Newest Engine Oil Service Categories Re-refined base oil can meet the performance requirements of the OEMs and the Lubrication Industry. 6/9/2005 13