Tag Archives: waste oil reclamation

Comparative Analysis of Used Oil Purification From an Environmental Point of View

GlobeCore oil purification equipment restores used oil to its original condition as well as eliminating the need for hazardous waste collection and disposal.  The threat of a man made disaster prompts people to take protective measures to improve the environmental situation in which they work.  One of the primary measures is to prevent used lubricating oils from being discharged into the environment including landfills, lakes, rivers and oceans.

In practical terms, the service life of oil may be extended by using several  different methods of used oil regeneration.  Some methods however, are not eco-friendly and this fact should be taken into consideration when choosing a method of used oil regeneration.

The main operational principle of oil processing equipment is based on the following widespread waste-recycling processes:

  • Sulphuric Acid refining;
  • Adsorption refining;
  • Hydrogen refining;
  • Selective refining;
  • Thin film evaporation; and
  • Ultra filtration.

Sulfuric Acid Refining consists in using sulfuric acid as the main reagent. It inter-reacts with unwanted impurities (asphalt-resinous substances and non-saturated compounds) which along with the unreacted acid settle down, forming acid sludge.

Such valuable components as naphthenes do not inter-react with acid and will be washed away by alkali water (NaOH) after the acid sludge is removed.  Alkali water helps to neutralize the residues of acid and acid sludge.  At the final stage, the oil is washed by water and then water is removed.

From an environmental point of view, acid sludge is considered to be a very hazardous waste. It contains asphalt-resinous substances, organics, products of unsaturated carbon polymerization and sulfuric acid (may constitute as much as 70%).  It makes no economic sense to use acid sludge, so it is stored up in special retention ponds without being disposed. It is therefore, acid sludge accumulation that poses a great danger to the environment.

Another disadvantage is that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and high-toxic chlorine compounds are not removed from used oils during sulfuric acid refining.

Adsorption Refining is carried out by:

  • Contact method (oil is blended with grinded adsorbent);
  • Percolation method (oil is run through the adsorbent);
  • Counter-flow method (counter-flow of oil and adsorbent).

Contact refining is widespread at many companies in the USA.  It is preceded by driving off water and fuel fractions.  Activated clay serves as a sorbent. This process is trouble-free and provides for obtaining stable and high-quality basic oils.  They may be blended with new oils with necessary additives being added.

This method has the following disadvantages:

(1)    No possibility to control viscosity and boiling ranges; and

(2)    High volume oil loss when in contact with the sorbent.

Hydrogen Refining

Hydrogen refining is performed under pressure of 2 Mpa with the help of catalysts and hydrogen at temeratures of between 380º and 400ºC.  The sorbents are used to protect the catalysts from the contaminated oil.

In modern industry, oil hydrogenation is been used more often since it is more eco-friendly in comparison with sulfuric acid and adsorption refining.

Selective Solvent Refining

Dissolvent, required to carry out solvent refining, is able to dissolve unwanted impurities while at the some time not hraming or dissolving the useful oil components.  It is therefore, the reason this type of refining is called “selective.”

Chemical components such as furfurol and phenol are applied to dissolve impurities.  Phenol refining, as well as acid-base refining, adsorption or hydrogen refining does not remove solid hydrocarbons.

Thin Film Evaporation

Thin film evaporation, as a method of motor oil purification, has enjoyed widespread popularity since it was introduced many years ago.  This kind of refining consists of separating products that are temperature-sensitive, viscous or have high molecular weight or a high boiling point.

Ultra Filtration

Ultra filtration is a relatively new refining method.  Oil is filtered at molecular level through special membranes.  Such an approach however, has not gained widespread industry acceptance while purifying used oils.

There is no doubt that the most methods listed above have been designed from an environmental point of view.  Not all of them however, are able to prevent contamination that results from usage of reagents during regeneration.

Methods that require sulfuric acid to process oil are considered very dangerous though this method has enjoyed a widespread acceptance.  It is applied together with vacuum distillation, propane treatment, furfural and sorbents that eliminate acid sludge.

Methods based on a hydrogenation processes are considered to be the cleanest ones.  As a rule, they are used at the final stage of used oil purification.

In practical terms, hydrogen refining is used after thin-film evaporation. The GlobeCore technology is eco-friendly.

GlobeCore oil purification equipment is designed to ensure the high quality of regenerated oils as well as the elimination of hazardous waste being placed into the biosphere.

GlobeCore thinks not only about your profit, but about the future of your children as well!

Transformer Oil Recondition with Fuller’s Earth Equipment

GlobeCore introduces transformer oil purification units in the CMM-R line to meet the needs of companies, involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power.
The CMM-R line mobile oil filtration units from GlobeCore provide for the service life extension of transformers,  circuit breakers, and other oil-filled equipment since they restore dielectric strength and chemical composition of insulating oils.

It is essential to ensure the stability and performance characteristics of transformer oil since oil is constantly deteriorating and is influenced by high temperatures, atmospheric oxygen, electrical fields, metals and solid insulation.  Over time, transformer oil turns from a dielectric insulator into a conductor at low voltages which is unacceptable for proper transformer performance.  Once the oil becomes contaminated, it can no longer fulfill its functions and, as a result, becomes unfit for further useas a dielectric insulting fluid.

It is therefore, recommended to use GlobeCore’s mobile oil purificaton stations instead of buying new oil and seeking for ways to dispose of the used oil.

In the oil filtration units, oil is passed through the special sorbent, called Fuller’s Earth that allows for “Molecular Filtration” due to its microporous structure.  Mechanical impurities and products of oil degradation are soaked up by the sorbent granules.  Once the sorbent becomes saturated, the CMM-R units automatically switche to “Sorbent Reactivation” mode where impurities are removed from the sorbent material and exhausted to the special collecting tank and carbon canister.

The CMM-R line has been proved to be very efficient in practice.  The loss tangent of the oil, processed with GlobeCore equipment, is significantly reduced and meets the rated value of the fresh product after the regeneration operations are completed.

GlobeCore equipment may be either purchased from stock, or custom-made. The in-stock mobile oil degassing stations can be bought directly from the warehouse.  GlobeCore’s final assembly facilities are located in Oldenburg, Germany.  Any customized unit will be made within 45 days.
Usually, the CMM-R units are started up and run for about a week before being shipped.  Our specialists will help you to start up the mobile oil purificaton station as well as train your staff.

Once you read this, it means that you might be:

(1) the owner or CEO of a power company.   You are tired of spending much money on recycling of waste oil and purchasing new transformer oil.  You are eager to get effective solutions that will reduce your operating costs and increase profits;

(2)  you are a manager of procurment department.  You have to please the directors by finding the best deals or establishing and keeping trust relationships with suppliers.  In this regard, GlobeCore has the best solution for you:  After many years of doing business, our company has established both corporate and personal relationships with our customers;

(3) you are an engineer that services oil-filled equipment.  After having performed an oil analysis, you have determined that the performance characteristics of the transformer are below the acceptable standards, but you still want to ensure the continued smooth operation of your equipment.  Then you need to purchase one or more of the GlobeCore CMM-R mobile oil stations.  We provide maintenance services, have a warehouse of spare parts and we are always ready to help you.

Let’s check whether you need a GlobeCore mobile oil purificaton station:

  • You want to solve the problem of used oil disposal;
  • You want to save costs on purchasing new transformer oil; and
  • You want the quality of reclaimed transformer oil to comply with  recognized rules and regulations and to serve equipment for much longer than one year.

If you agree with the statements listed above then you are on the right path to the GlobeCore Servoce Life Extention Program utilizing the GlobeCore Process!

The GlobeCore CMM-R mobile oil recondition unit will help you to solve your long term preventive maintenance problems.  The following is the list of the benefits of the GlobeCore mobile oil units:

(1) They come in different design versions: general industry frame (European standards), containerized, mounted on a trailer (two or three-axle trailer), with several different optional arrangements of doors;

(2) may be equipped with an operator’s workstation to meet the customer’s needs;

(3) can be fitted with  (I) additional devices to monitor the oil level in the transformer, (II) generator to provide autonomous operation, (III) inhibition block to add special additives to transformer oil after regeneration.

(4) short delivery terms;

(5) competitive price;

(6) possibility to be trained  by a skilled engineer before purchasing the equipment and during its maintenance.

(7) constituent parts by leading world manufacturers;

(8) the characteristics of reclaimed oil fully comply with the recognized international standards and regulations;

(9) no used oil storage;

(10) cost saving;

(11) low energy consumption;

(12) automated technological processes; and

(13) optional sound and heat insulation;

Reading all this information, you may have the following questions:

(1) For how many years is it possible to extend the service life of transformers by applying the GlobeCore Process to my oil filled electrical  equipment?

The CMM-R units allow equipment owners to extend the service life of a typical transformer between 20 to 35 years.

(2) Do I need to pump out oil from the transformer before regeneration?

No, it is not necessary.  One of the primary benefits of the CMM-R units is that oil processing may be performed on the energized transformer.

(3) Why do I need to use your equipment if I can use the old transformer oil in other units that need lower performance characteristics of dielectric fluid?

Sure, you can, but it won’t solve the problem of its disposal.

(4) Is it possible to use another sorbent instead of Fuller’s Earth?

Yes, it is. The GlobeCore’s CMM-R units successfully operate using other sorbents.  But, Fuller’s earth can be reactivated during transformer oil processing so there is no need to unload and reload sorbent during the processing job.

(5) How long will the Fuller’s Earth last? 

About 300 cycles which is equal to between 1.5 to 3 years of operation depending on the amount of oil process and the overall amount of contamination.  Additionally, regeneration of oil, performed on the GlobeCore’s units allow for loss tangent reduction.

(6) And what about the acid number? 

The acid number is also reduced to the specific values.  The values of these and other performance characteristics of transformer oil before and after regeneration are defined in the table below.

Industrial Oil: Wholesale or Retail?

The volume of oil required to be purchased is defined by the needs of the company or the facility.  Normally, a large amount of oil is purchased wholesale, while a smaller amount needed for the replacement of oil fir one or several machines, is usually purchased retail.

Based on price, it would seem that wholesale purchases are better for your company financially.  The price of a large batch of oil per liter purchased wholesale will be lower than purchasing smaller retail volumes pre liter.

There are however, problems with large amounts of oil.  Wholesale volumes of oil must be stored somewhere. Industrial oil is obviously sensitive to various contaminants such as water, particulate matter and other unwanted contaminants.  Apart from allotting storage facilities, the oil also requires constant monitoring of purity and and water content.

Purity of industrial oil purchased wholesale or in smaller retail batches can be ensured by two methods:

  • Prevention of contamination in storage; and
  • Purification of contaminated oil.

Both include a whole range of measures.  As stated above, purity of industrial oil can be ensured by prevention or purification, but the best results are achieved by combining the two.  This also allows savings of money since preventive measures require quite less investment than actual purification and regeneration.

Prevention alone however, cannot maintain industrial oil’s purity in the long run.  It requires a complex approach to transportation and storage using the following equipment:

  • air-tight tanks;
  • equipment made from non-corroding materials;
  • correct temperature in storage and transportation;
  • and the use of inert gases to fill gas space.

This increases the cost of prevention.  The goal therefore, is to reduce the amount of contaminants as much as possible in the oil going to purification devices, which finalize the required purity of the product.

The following systems from GlobeCore GmbH are recommended for the purification and regeneration of industrial oil:

●      Mobile oil unit CММ-1.7 CM;
●      Mobile oil unit CММ-3.5 CM;
●      Mobile oil unit CММ-5 CM;
●      Filter cart CFU-0.8М;
●      Filter cart CFU-1.7М, (CFU-4).

Industrial Oil Sales: Preserving the Oil’s Performance Characteristics

So, you have decided to sell industrial oil?  Let’s assume that you already have found a storage facility for the product.  One thing remains however, knowing what the consumer needs and how to provide that need.

Besides better terms of supply, lower price, and various discounts, the client is mostly interested in the quality of the product.  Industrial oil quality in our case.  The quality is a combination of many parameters and characteristics that must not fall below regulated specifications during storage, transportation and operation.

Let us look into the characteristics, which define the quality of industrial oil and are important for the client’s choice:

  • Viscosity.  This is the first thing to consider about oil.  It is very important for the use of the majority of industrial oils.  When friction parts are designed and calculated, the parameter taken into consideration is the dynamic viscosity of the oil.  This is a regulated parameter of all oil made from crude base stock.  Dynamic viscosity used be defined at between 50ºС/122ºF and 100ºС/212ºF. That has changed and now all measurements are made according to ISO 3448-75 (instead of measuring viscosity at 50ºС/122ºF, the reference temperature is now 40ºС/104ºF).  When choosing industrial oil, the buyer usually considers three critical viscosity values: optimal at working temperature, minimal at maximum working temperature and maximum at the lowest working temperature;
  • Pour Point. This parameter is defined by testing a sample of the oil.  The Pour Point is the lowest temperature that the oil will continue to flow.  This temperature does not entirely indicate the dynamics of the oil in operating conditions at low temperatures.  That is shown better by actual viscosity at a given temperature. To reduce the pour point of industrial oil, it is mixed with special additives. This parameter is meaningful to the buyer planning his storage operations, dispatch, and draining and for using the oil in low temperature environments;
  • Flashpoint. This is the temperature at which the vapor of the oil can form a flammable mixture with the air. It defines the relative fire hazard of the oil and shows the presence of volatile fractions within it.  It is measured in special open or closed type devices;
  • Ash content. This parameter indicates the amount of non-organic contaminants left after burning a sample of the industrial oil. It is expressed in percentage of weight.  If ash content of oil without additives is too high, it indicates insufficient purification.  In most cases, ash content of industrial oil is from 0.002% to 0.4%;
  • Content of particulate matter, solvents, water, water-soluble acids and bases. This indication is extremely important in controlling the oil quality after production as well as determination of its further usability.  Mobile oil purification units for treatment and regeneration of oil can significantly increase the service life of the oil and improve reliability of machinery;

In practice, GlobeCore products are used for the purification and regeneration of industrial oil.

  • Color.  The color is a visual indication of the purity of industrial oil.  It also allows the buyer to make a judgment on the oil’s origins.  Keep in mind that some additives can make the oil darker.  If the color of the oil changes during use however, this is an indirect indication of its oxidation and/or contamination;
  • Acid number. Knowing this important neutralization number allows the buyer to determine the oil’s purity as well as the stability in use and in storage.  Additives can increase the acidity of the oil, but can also increase the stability of oil for long term use and storage;
  • Sulfur content.  The amount of sulfur initially depends on the amount of sulfur in the crude base stock the oil was blended from and the degree of purification and refinement.  After purification of industrial oils made from sour crude, sulfur remains in the oil in organic compounds and under normal conditions does not cause corrosion of metals.  Sulfur may become aggressive in elevated temperatures.  The content of sulfuric compounds is higher in oil with additives. This is due to the fact that additives containing sulfur are mixed with industrial oil to increase their lubrication qualities.

How to Choose the Best Oil Filtration System?

The choice of a product depends on various external factors.  Price, quality, performance, and reliability are just some the considerations when choosing a product.  The choice of industrial equipment also depends many of the same factors.

In choosing oil processing equipment, you will find that there are many different types of processing units intended for purification of different petroleum based oils  and fluids.

There are a large number of manufacturing companies specializing in oil processing systems. These systems include a wide range of equipment used to process different lubricants, hydraulic and turbine oils, and complex systems for oil regeneration.

The purchase of equipment for the filtration and purification of used oils is justified through the saving of money and resources.  Additionally, this equipment greatly helps in reducing problems with equipment failures and downtime, as well as reducing environmentally harmful waste oil products.  Overall, these modern machines greatly increase the service life of industrial equipment.

When choosing the right processing equipment for your business, strict attention should be paid to the technical specifications of the filters that will be used by the processing equipment:

  1. The physical size of the oil filter. This key component of the purification system must be small enough to save space and weight, but have high filtration performance in both volume and filter fineness;
  2. Filter Test Results.  Oil filters can be monitored in various ways, but one of the most common methods is the beta-factor test.  The beta factor is calculated by dividing the number of the larger particles trapped in the filter medium by the number of particles of the same size downstream of the filter.  For example, if the beta ratio is 10:1, it means that for every ten (10) particles that enter the filter, only one (1)passes through the filter without being trapped in the filter medium;
  3. Pore ​​size of the filter medium; and
  4. Performance and rate  flow.

According to studies conducted by General Motors, and published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), it was determined that the service life of an engine can be increased eight times by using five (5) micron filter mediums instead of the standard 40mm filter medium found in most massed produced automotive oil filters.

This means that the steady improvement of oil filtration systems will continue as the cost of new equipment rises and consumers demand better equipment with longer service lives.  There is an old saying that contends that oil does not wear out, it only becomes dirty.  In any case, keeping oil clean and free from contaminants and moisture will greatly extend the service life of your electric power equipment and hydraulic systems.

The traditional oil change therefore, is no longer necessary.  The high tech equipment available from GlobeCore can keep your insulating oils and hydraulic fluids in new like condition indefinitely.  Oil Processing units from  GlobeCore remove soot and sludge, dirt, moisture and dissolved gases.

If however, you decide to invest in oil processing equipment, it is worth taking the time to carefully consider your needs.  You will soon learn that not all systems for filtering oil are created equal.  Sometimes, bright brochures are specifically designed to confuse the customer.  As the consumer and business manager, you should make sure that filtration and processing equipment has passed all the necessary tests and has verified results of performance.  Here at GobeCore, we work with our customers to determine the best equipment that meets the needs of our customers.  GlobeCore has a very large and diverse line of oil processing equipment.  We work very closely with our customers so you get the best and most cost effective equipment to compliment the needs of your business.

Oil filtration

During operation, transformer oil accumulate contaminants, which can form various chemicals. These substances reduce the oil’s performance and are, of course, undesirable.

Operation of the transformer becomes unstable. To prevent this, transformer oil is filtered and purified. Some of the methods are discussed in more detail below.

The first stage of transformer oil purification is mechanical. This is a superficial treatment to remove particulate matter and water. The next step is deeper purification performed in vacuum with heating.

The first two stages are, in fact, preliminary. The main process involves various chemicals.

One of the methods is purification of oil with a 98% sulfuric acid solution.

In comparison to other chemical purification methods, the use of sulfuric acid has a significant drawback. Beside reacting with the contaminants, the acid also adversely influecnes the structure of the oil, making it somewhat unstable. Additional processes are required to resolve that problem.

The nature of selective purification is evident from the title. Speical solvents are introduced into the oil to remove specific impurities.

De-waxing is another widely accepted process. In this process, oil is treated with special solvents: acetone, toluene, bensol etc, to remove solid contaminants.

It should be noted that chemical methods influence oil’s stability, but extend the oil’s service life at the same time.

It should also be remembered that any purification process should end with finishing purification, closing the cycle of oil processing and filtration. This is usually done by contact method.

This means that the oil is mixed with special materials, usually clay or bleaching earth. The materials are then mixed and heated. Heating facilitates acviation of all sorbents in the clay.

These absorbents capture contaminants. Deep filtration separates oil from the clay. When selecting adsorbent, it is necessary to pay attention to the content of moisture. It should be suffucient to make production efficient and to make processed oil compliant with specifications.

The most interesting technology today involves the use of bleaching clays (Fuller’s earth). Globecore manufactures a range of CMM type units for filtration of various oils with the use of Fuller’s earth. The advantages of the design are the ability of multiple reactivation of the sorbent, mobility, simplicity of operation and high quality of the output product.

Downtime is significantly reduced by the ability to reactivate the sorbent without the need for frequent replacement, thus increasing process efficiency.