Hydrotreat used lube oil
Mild hydrotreating is the key to successful re-refining of used lubricating oils. Coupled with pre-distillation and metals removal, the process produces oil of superior color and clarity with acceptable viscosity and heteroatom content. Furthermore, the entire process provides operational simplicity, economic feasibility and environmental attractiveness. Re-refining preserves a valuable resource while solving a potential environmental problem. Increased sensitivity to disposal of hazardous material once again makes re-refining almost a necessity. Various technologies developed to re-refine used lubricating oils range from simple acid/clay contacting to complex solvent extraction. Most technologies require similar capital investment; however, operating costs vary substantially. Current technology seems to converge on a two-step procedure: distillation of dehydrated used oil in a thin-film evaporator, and subsequent hydrotreating of distilled stocks. Filtered used oil is first dehydrated in a flash tower, which also removes some light hydrocarbons. It is then distilled in a thin-film evaporator, which allows feed fractionation with minimal thermal degradation. Hydrotreating of distilled lubes is conducted in two trickle-bed reactors in series. The first reactor contains a guard-bed material (e.g., high-surface-area alumina) and the second contains hydrotreating catalyst. Hydrotreating improves product color and reduces the level of halogen-, sulfur-, oxygen-, and nitrogen-containing compounds. While distillation is a common, well-understood technology, application of hydrotreating to recycled lube oil raises many questions.
- Research Organization:
- National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research, Bartlesville, OK
- OSTI ID:
- 5374101
- Journal Information:
- Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States), Journal Name: Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States) Vol. 65:4; ISSN HYPRA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020800* -- Petroleum-- Waste Management
CAPITAL
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COST
CRACKING
DECOMPOSITION
DEHYDRATION
DEMETALLIZATION
DISTILLATION
ECONOMICS
ENVIRONMENT
EXTRACTION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROCRACKING
INVESTMENT
LUBRICANTS
LUBRICATING OILS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
OILS
OPERATING COST
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PYROLYSIS
RECYCLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VISCOSITY
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE OILS