MERCER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES, DR. DAVIS E.LEE Saving the world one oil change at a time. Used oil New oil

What can you do? Do-it-yourself (DIY) oil changer: a person who changes his own oil DIYers produce about 150 million gallons used motor oil per year Do not improperly dispose of used motor oil. Improper disposal is pouring used motor oil on the ground, storm drain, or throwing it in the trash. When changing oil drain the used oil into a drip pan large enough to accommodate all of the oil in the vehicle. Make sure not to spill oil anywhere because this can wash into storm drains and contaminate freshwater. Pour the used oil into a recycling container from the drip pan; take this container to a local motor oil collection center to be recycled.

Pre-Treatment/Dewatering Filtering & Demineralization What happens to the oil after I recycle it? ( continued ) The first recycling step is the removal of free water in the used oil. This is done by relying on the separation of aqueous and oil phases over time, sometimes this process is sped up by heating and stirring the oil tank. Removes inorganic materials and additives (A) reaction tank-mixed with acid and heated (B) Oil is filtered-removes solid waste Oilrecycling.gov.au

What happens to the oil after I recycle it? ( continued ) Propane De-asphalting(PDA): Removes heavier bituminous portions to produces re-refined base oil. Used oil is pumped to extraction column (A) where oil is pumped in bottom; since oil is heavier than propane is flows down, and more soluble components are dissolved and rise with propane. (B) is the de-asphalted lube-oil stream and (C) the waste stream where they then head to the appropriate storage tanks Oilrecycling.gov.au

Atmospheric Distillation Vacuum Distillation What happens to the oil after I recycle it ? ( continued ) Distillation Oilrecycling.gov.au Pre-treatment step for vacuum distillation. Separates lower boiling point liquids at normal atmospheric pressure. (A)Used oil is heated (B) lower boiling point: hydrocarbons & water collected at top of tower Sent to vacuum distillation Key process in used oil re-refining. Controls viscosity, flash point, and carbon residue. (A)Furnace that heats used oil feedstock (B) heated vacuum distillation column: vapor rises and liquid falls (C) trays are drawn to produce different base stocks.

But wait, there’s more than one method! This method has a process of regenerating used oils based on separation by ultra filtration membranes. Due to the consistency of used oils supercritical CO 2 (SCCO 2 ) is used to improve membrane permeability and energetic consumption of processing.  Generates less dilution  Use of low temperatures-reduction of costs  Does not require additional separation stage  Does not present risk of ignition or explosion-reduction of costs related to safety This process may not be suitable for the treatment of large quantities

Well then what is it used for once it’s recycled? Used as an industrial burner oil. Helps release products from the moulds by being turned into mould oil. Hydraulic oil Bitumen based products Used in manufactured products as an additive Can be used as a lubricant, hydraulic or a transformer oil.

How’s that effect me? Oil is a valuable resource – it comes from fossil fuels.  Conserves a natural resource Helps keep the environment clean and prevents damage to help guarantee a quality environment for future generations. Good for the economy of raw materials, the nation will not have to import as much from other countries. Saves energy Saves money

So What? Over 40% of the nation’s oil pollution comes from improper disposal by DIYers according to the U.S. EPA. So don’t improperly dispose of used oil. One gallon of motor oil can contaminate one million gallons of freshwater! Two gallons of used motor oil can produce enough electricity to vacuum a house for 15 months or watch television for 7.5 days straight. 67 liters of raw crude oil produces one liter of new motor oil; 1.6 liters of used motor oil makes one liter of recycled oil.

References Gourgouillon, D., Schrive, L., Sarrade, S., & Rios, G. M. (2000). An environmentally friendly process for the regeneration of used oils. Environmental Science & Technology, 34. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from Academic Search Complete. ( ). Handle your used motor oil like a pro. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from -motor-oil- like-a-pro/. Menzies, D. (2004). Lube job. Canadian Business, 77. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from Academic Search Complete. ( ). The importance of used motor oil recycling. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from -used- motor-oil-recycling/. (2004). What happens to your recycled used oil. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from