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DISPOSAL & RE-REFINING
OF
USED LUBRICATING OIL
G.S.Dang & M.O. Garg
Indian Institute of Petroleum
Dehradun 248005
23rd August-2003
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Presentation Outline
Introduction
Used oil contaminants/ composition
Disposal practices
Re-refining of used lubricating oils
Economics of re-refining
Observations/Recommendations
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Introduction
Lube oil - Highest value component of crudeoils.
Applications in automotives & industries.
Prolonged use causes degradation/contaminants of lube oils.
Degraded oils, not fit for intended use, are
discarded - referred as used oils.
Used oils usually contain toxic substancesmaking them hazardous products.
Contd..
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Negative environmental impacts/publichealth hazards are associated with theimproper storage, handling, transportation,
treatment and disposal of used lubricatingoils.
Adverse impact on human health &environment demands effective managementof used lubricating oils.
Introduction (contd.)
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Used lubricating oil being a resource, effectivemanagement of it encourages:
- Conservation of resources
- Minimization of waste
One gallon of used oil can pollute more than onemillion gallons of drinking water Recycling/ Re-refining it into reusable products can prevent
damage to land, air, water and health.
Recycling used oil(s), rather than letting it enter thewaste stream , is the best way to handle/ manage it.
Introduction (contd.)
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Used Oil Contaminants/Composition
USED OIL includes:
- Engine Oil: Typically crankcase oils
from automobiles, trucks etc.
- Transmission fluid &
- Spent industrial oils, removed from
equipments or machines.
Contd..
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Contaminants in used lubricating oils(Automotive & Industrial)
- Heavy metals e.g. lead, arsenic, cadmium,
chromium, nickel, copper, zinc etc.
- Halogenated solvents
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
including benzene.
- Fuel components, sediments and water.Contd..
Used Oil Contaminants/Composition (contd..)
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Used Oil Contaminants & their hazards
Contaminant Source Hazards
Lead Gasoline, Metal fatigueBearings
PNAs/PAHs Combustion Carcinogenic
products
Metals Additives & Toxic
( Zn, Cd, Cr, Engine Wear
Ni, etc)
Halogenated Cleaning Flammable
solvents solvents
PCBs Insulating Oils Toxic
Particulates Combustion Breathingproducts & Problem
sediments
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Typical Composition Of Used Oil
Components Wt% (approx)
Water 5-9Light ends 2-4
Gas oil 4-7
Base oil 75-64
Residue 13-17
Used Oil Contaminants/Composition (contd..)
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Disposal Practices
Unacceptable practices
Acceptable practices
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Dumping to ground, watercourses, sewers,
drainage system etc.
Burial
Use for dust control, weed abatement,
timber preservation by painting, pestcontrol etc.
Contd..
Unacceptable practices
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Placing used oil in garbage bins.
Open air burning, incomplete combustion( short residence low temperature burning) of
used lubricating oil.
Any other processing of used lubricating oilcausing pollution exceeding statutoryrequirements.
Any discharge of residues generated fromprocessing of used lubricating oils.
Other practices in which the used oil maycause or have impact on humans, plants,
animals, or other organisms.
Unacceptable practices (contd..)
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Acceptable practices
Reconditioning of used oils by removingimpurities. This form of recycling might notrestore the oil to its original condition but itprolongs its life.
Reconditioned oil can be delivered topetroleum refinery and introduced as afeed stock into the front end of refineryprocess.
Contd..
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Re-refining used lubricating oils torecover base oil or other petroleumfractions as long as the processes andtheir products are environmentally sound
Used oil processing to remove water andparticulates so that it can be burned as
fuel to generate heat or to powerindustrial operations. Not a preferredform of recycling because it enables the
oil to be reused only once.
Acceptable practices (contd..)
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Recycling through Re-refining- A preferredoption since the oil is used number of times.The key is base oil does not wear out; itcan be recycled over and over again-
Resource Conservation.Other benefits includes:
- Reduces pollution threat.
- Reduce dependence on imported oil.
- Re-refining is energy efficient.
- Provides direct and indirect employment.
Acceptable practices (contd..)
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Re-refining of used lubricating oils
Countries all over the world includingUnited States, UK, France, Italy, Canada,India, South Africa, Israel, Australia and
New Zealand etc. re-refine used oils intolubricating oil base stocks.
Regulations/Rules to handle and processused oil(s) exist in each of these countries.
Contd
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MoEF, New Delhi has categorized usedlubricating oil as hazardous product andto be handled/disposed off as per HW
Rules. Specifications for used oils suitable for
Re-refining/Recycling in India are listed
as below [Notified in hazardous waste(Management and Handling)Amendment Rules 2003, Schedule 5 & 6]
Re-refining of used lubricating oils (contd..)
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Specifications for used oil suitable for
Re-refining (Schedule-5)
Sr. No. Parameters Maximumpermissible limit
1. Colour 8 hazen units
2. Water 15%
3. Density 0.85-0.95
4. Kin. Viscosity 1.0-32.0
(cSt @ 1000
C)5. Diluents 15% vol
6. Neutralization No. 3.5
(mg KOH/g)
Contd..
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Sr. No. Parameters Maximumpermissible limit
7. Saponification value 18
(mg KOH/g)
8. Total halogens, ppm 4000
9. PCBs ND
10. Lead, ppm 100
11. Arsenic, ppm 5
12. (Cd + Cr + Ni), ppm 500
13. Polyaromatic 6% (v/v)
Hydrocarbons (PAH)
Specifications for used oil suitable for
Re-refining (Schedule-5, contd..)
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Specifications for waste oil suitable for
Recycling (Schedule-6)
Sr. No. Parameters Maximumpermissible limit
1. Sediment 5%
2. Heavy metals, ppm 605
( Cd + Cr + Ni + As +Pb)
3. Polyaromatic 6% (v/v)
Hydrocarbons (PAH)
4. Total Halogens 40005. Polychlorinated ND
biphenyls (PCBs)
*Waste oil: Unsuitable for re-refining , but can be used as fuel in
furnaces, if meets specifications laid down in Schedule-6
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Re-refining of Used Oils
Motor/Automotive Oils
Industrial Oils
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Re-Refining of Motor oils
Modern lubricating oils are based upon oilsrefined from crude oil/petroleum, synthetic
oils or mixture of two.
Blended with additives to extend range ofoperating temperatures, to keep solids in
suspension & to discourage formation ofdeposits.
Contd
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Regardless of the base oil and additives, all
lubricating oils eventually becomecontaminated through use with substancesthat are threat to the environment.
Contaminants arise out of various reactions
occurring in lube oils during use e.g.oxidation, cracking, decomposition ofpolymeric materials, organo-metalliccompounds and polymerisation of
hydrocarbons, etc. Diluents like fuel, waterand antifreeze also accumulate while metalcontent of used oil is also important besidespolynuclear aromatics.
Contd
Re-Refining ofMotor oils (contd..)
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The degraded oil is drained out of
equipment / engine replaced with fresh
stock.
With advancement in engine design andimprovement in quality of lube oils, the
drains intervals have been prolonged
substantially.
Re-Refining ofMotor oils (contd..)
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Re-refining of Motor Oils (contd..)
Used Motor Oils include:-Vehicle Crankcase Oil
- Engine Lubricating Oil
-
Transmission Fluids- Gearbox Oils
Motor oils undergo an extensive rerefining
process to remove contaminants such as dirt,fuel, water, and degraded additives toproduce a good as new base oil.
Contd
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No compromise in quality of re-refinedoil.
Base oil blended with addive packages to
produce lubricants such as- Motor oil
- Transmission fluid
- Greases
Contd..
Re-refining of Motor Oils (contd..)
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Re-Refining of Industrial Oils
Used Industrial oils include:
- Hydraulic oils
- Compressor oils
- Turbine oils
- Bearing oils
- Gear oils
- Transformer (electrical)oils
Contd
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- Refrigeration oils
- Metal working oils
- Rail road oils
Used Industrial oils generally haveminimal contamination and hence can becleaned up with simple process steps(Reclaiming) for example used oils such
as Hydraulic oils , transformer oils areheated to evaporate moisture followed bysimple filtration to get relatively clean
products to be re-used. Contd
Re-Refining of Industrial Oils(contd..)
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Used Oil Re-refining Technologies
PROCESS PRETREAT REFINING FINISHING
ACID-CLAY
(Being phased out
SETTLING,
DECANTATION &
DEHYDRATION
ACID
TREATMENT
AND SLUDGE
SEPARATION
CLAY
TREATMENT
AND FUEL
REMOVAL
IFP DEHYDRATION AND
DEFUELING
PROPANE
EXTRACTIONAND ACID
TREATING
CLAY
CONTACTING
IFP- SNAM
PROGRETTI
DEHYDRATION AND
DEFUELING
PROPANE
EXTRACTION
AND VACUUMDISTILLATION
HYDROTREA-
TING
INTERLINE DEHYDRATION AND
DEFUELING
PROPANE
EXTRACTION
AND VACUUM
DISTILLATION
CLAY
TREATING
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Used Oil Re-refining Technologies (contd.)PROCESS PRETREAT REFINING FINISHING
KTI
DEHYDRATION
AND DEFUELING
VACUUM
DISTILLATION/
THIN FILM
EVAPORATION
HYDROFINISHING
SAFETYKLEENMOHWAK
CHEMICAL
TREATMENT/DITILLATION
VACUUM
DISTILLATION/THIN FILM
EVAPORATION
HYDROFINISHING
VISCOLUBE IFPDYHYDRATION
AND FUEL
REMOVAL
THERMAL
DEASPHALTIN
G/ VACUUM
DISTILLATION
HYDROTREAT
CEPDYHYDRATION
AND FUEL
REMOVAL
THIN FILM
EVAPORATION
WITH
INTERNAL
CONDENSOR
HYDROFINISHING
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MoEF , New Delhi, India has approved onlythe following re-refining technologies beingmore environment friendly:
- Vacuum distillation followed by Claytreatment.
- Vacuum distillation followed by Hydro-
treating.
- Thin film evaporation process or
- Any other technology approved by MoEF.
Used Oil Re-refining Technologies (contd.)
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General Re-refining Scheme
Used oil
Dehydration Fuel Stripping
Finishing Clay/
Hydro finishing
Lube oilbase Stock
Vacuum distillation
or
Solvent extraction
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Economics of Re-refining
Re-refined oil prices comparable toequivalent virgin oil product pricing.
Re-refined oil prices are affected byfollowing variables:
- Used oil feed stock cost
- Availability- Transportation cost
- Re-refining process usedContd
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- Regulatory compliance to dispose off residues.- Scale of operation
Other points which also affect economics are:
- Crude oil prices- Residue/bottom disposal cost and
- Clean up liability
Re-refining processes are economically viableonly with larger capacities
Contd..
Economics of Re-refining (contd..)
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Barriers to profitable environment
friendly used oil re-refining :
- High capital cost of equipment
- High operating cost
- Environment treatment problems
- Large collection costs
- Hydrotreating re-refined oil
Economics of Re-refining (contd..)
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Collection/Storage of Used Oils
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Collection/Storage of Used Oils
For used oils to be re-refinedproperly/economically it is essential thatdifferent types of oils are collected/stored
separately
Used oil is usually stored in above ground
containers.
No contamination of used oils with other
wastes such as halogenated solvents etc.
Contd
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Label all containers and tanks as UsedOil & keep them in good condition.
Rusting of tanks, leakage deterioration
not to be allowed. Store used oil in areas with oil
impervious flooring and secondarycontaminant.
Tanks and/or containers of used oilshould be placed in weather proof areaand should be kept away from
incompatible materials
Collection/Storage of Used Oils (contd..)
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Availability of Used Oil
200-300 TMT/ year of used lubricatingoil is estimated to be generated in India.
Bulk of used lubricating oil is generated
by:
- State Road Transport Corporation
- Railways
- Large fleet operators
- Defence establishments
- Steel plants
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Observations/ Recommendations
Used oil is the valuable resource need tobe managed properly.
Re-refining is the most appropriate way torecover quality lube oil base stock.
Acid- clay re-refining process is being
phased out and more environmentalfriendly re-refining technologies aretaking its place.
Contd..
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Lubricating oil base stocks produced from
modern re-refining technologies haveperformance parameters equivalent to virginbase stock for use in engine oils, hydraulicfluids, gear lubes and other lubricant
applications
The quality of used oil plays important role inprocess economics so proper collection of
used oil is to be ensured. Also special attemptsare required to collect at least 50% of theconsumption of fresh lube oils (Collection atpresent is just 20%).
Contd..
Observations/ Recommendations(contd..)
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Since PCBs and PNAs/PAHs presence make used
oil unsuitable for re-refining. Therefore careshould be taken during used oil collection/ storageto avoid mixing of these.
There seems to be good prospect for usingre-refining processes based on vacuum / Thin filmdistillation followed by clay/ hydrofinishing.However with hydrofinishing economical viablecapacity of re-refining unit is generally higher-
around 10,000 tonnes per annum
Incentives to be given to used oilgenerators/collectors and processors for makingre-refining industry a progressing one.
Observations/ Recommendations(contd..)
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Thank You
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