Used oil is any petroleum-based synthetic that has been used or any oil that has been refined from synthetic or crude oil. During normal use, the oil can get contaminated by chemical or physical impurities in which the oil cannot perform well. In this time, the oil is replaced or re-refined to do its purpose.
Used oil can be recycled and used many times. In fact, there is an estimated 380 million gallons used oils that are recycled annually. Recycled used oil can be used for the same task or for another different task. Refining used oil again only takes about one-third of the energy used in refining crude oil to lubricant.
Here are some of the ways to recycle used oil:
• Reconditioned on site – This involves the removal of impurities from the used oil to be used it again. This prolongs the life of the used oil although it does not restore the oil from its original condition.
• Inserted into a petroleum refinery –This means introducing used oil as a feedstock into the coker to produce gasoline and coke or the front end of the process.
• Processed and burned- This method is done for energy recovery that involves water and particulates removal for the used oil to be burned as fuel. This is to generate hear or power industrial activities.
• Re-refined –This process involves treating oil to get rid of impurities to be used as a base stock for new lubricating oil. This process prolongs the life of the oil in an indefinite time.
Among these ways, the re-refining is the most preferred since it closes the recycling loop through reusing the oil. This makes the same product that it used to be when it started out. Hence, it uses less energy and virgin oil. Meanwhile, the processed and burned method isn’t as favored as the methods that recycle the material since this method only allows the used oil to be reused once. Anyway, valuable energy is still provided almost the same as the energy provided by normal heating oil.
Apart from learning how to recycle used oil, companies should also have effective oil management systems to properly handle and dispose used oil. After all, dealing with used oil is one a tedious and frustrating task considering the potential risks that it can inflict in the environment. Besides the associated risks, managing oil can also be costly when not done right.
Hamburg Trading House is an authorized Shell Marine lubricants distributor in the UAE. In addition to Shell Marine Products, they are representing Tribomar in the United Arab Emirates for their Oil Management Systems and Tribomar Test Equipment. Hamburg Trading House is focusing on Marine business only offering its customers outstanding services at competitive prices.
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