Hazards and Sources of Waste Engine Oil
Waste oil comes from a wide range of sources, mainly from the lubrication needs of industries such as industry, transportation, agriculture and machinery.
After long-term use, the oil undergoes physical and chemical changes under the action of high temperature, pressure and environmental pollutants, forming waste oil.
Waste oil contains a variety of complex components, including oil degradation products, foreign pollutants and oxidation products, which are toxic and polluting, posing a threat to the environment and human health.
Harmful components in waste oil pose a greater threat to the environment and health:
- Heavy mental: it will pollute water, soil, air, and is difficult to degrade and has bioaccumulation.
- PAHs: PAHs, which are often contained in spent engine oil, are strongly carcinogenic.
- Organic acids: can cause acidic pollution and have serious impacts on soil and aquatic ecosystems.
Since waste oil poses a dual threat to the environment and human health, it is urgent to find an efficient treatment method.
Treatments of Spent Engine Oil
There are various treatments of spent engine oil, including chemical method, biological method, incineration treatment and activated carbon adsorption. The following is a brief introduction to some common methods for treating waste oil:
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Recycling and Refining
This is one of the common waste oil treatment methods, which aims to remove impurities, pollutants and moisture from waste oil and convert waste oil into reusable base oil. The main steps include:
- Dehydration: remove moisture from waste oil.
- Decontamination: remove solid impurities from waste oil, usually using methods such as filtration and centrifugation.
- Refining: remove pollutants such as oxidation products, acidic substances and heavy metals from waste oil through chemical processes such as distillation, adsorption and hydrogenation.
- Blending: blend the refined base oil with additives to restore its lubricating properties.
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Chemical Method
Chemical method is usually used for deep treatment of waste oil, especially for some harmful substances that are difficult to remove. Common chemical treatment methods include:
- Neutralization reaction: neutralize the acidic substances in the waste oil by adding alkaline substances to reduce the acid value.
- Redox reaction: use oxidants and reductants to treat waste oil and decompose the harmful substances in it.
- Transesterification reaction: generate new lubricants or additives through chemical reactions to improve the reuse value of waste oil.
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Biodegradation
The biodegradation method mainly uses microorganisms to decompose organic pollutants in waste oil. This method is mostly used for environmental management of waste oil and usually includes:
- Microbial inoculation: adding microorganisms that can degrade petroleum hydrocarbons to waste oil.
- Cultivation and monitoring: promoting the growth and degradation of microorganisms by controlling temperature, pH, oxygen and other conditions.
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Incineration
Incineration is the process of burning used motor oil at high temperatures to eliminate harmful components and is commonly used to treat used motor oil that cannot be reused. The incineration process converts used motor oil into heat energy, and common applications include:
- High-temperature combustion: Used motor oil is fed into a high-temperature combustion furnace for complete combustion.
- Energy Recovery: The thermal energy from combustion is recycled to produce steam or electricity.
Benefits of Using Activated Carbon to Treat Waste Engine Oil
Compared with other treatment methods, the use of activated carbon to treat waste engine oil has significant advantages, especially in removing harmful pollutants from the oil, improving the quality of oil, and in environmental protection. Specifically reflected in:
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Efficient Adsorption of Pollutants
The most significant advantage of activated carbon is its excellent adsorption capacity.
Activated carbon has a very large specific surface area and a high degree of pore structure, which enables it to effectively adsorb various pollutants in waste engine oil.
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High Chemical Stability
Activated carbon is chemically stable and does not react under most environmental conditions.
Therefore, activated carbon will not cause further chemical degradation to the oil when treating used engine oil, and can maintain the original characteristics and functions of the oil.
This has fewer side effects than some chemical treatment methods (e.g. acid and alkali neutralization, solvent extraction).
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Good Environmental Protection
Activated carbon, as a natural adsorption material, is environmentally friendly and will not release harmful substances. The treated waste oil can also be more environmentally friendly.
Compared with chemical treatment methods, activated carbon treatment of waste oil will not introduce additional chemicals, avoid the use and discharge of harmful chemicals, and is more in line with green environmental protection requirements.
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Simple and Efficient Operation
The use of activated carbon to treat waste oil is relatively simple, and the operation process does not require complex equipment or high technical threshold.
The filtration process usually only requires the waste oil to pass through the activated carbon filter layer, and after a period of time, the purified oil can be obtained.
Compared with complex chemical and physical treatment methods (such as centrifugal separation, distillation or solvent extraction), the activated carbon treatment process for waste oil regeneration is simpler and less expensive.
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Lower Cost
Activated carbon filtration typically has lower operating costs compared to some advanced chemical treatments (such as solvent extraction, molecular sieves, etc.).
Although the activated carbon itself may need to be replaced periodically, the unit treatment cost is more economical, especially at higher treatment volumes where the total cost is more significant.
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No Pollutant Residue
When using activated carbon to treat waste oil, no harmful byproducts are generated. Compared with some chemical treatment methods, the latter may produce pollutants or waste residues and require additional treatment.
Activated carbon can directly remove pollutants from the oil through physical adsorption. After proper regeneration, the activated carbon itself can continue to be used, reducing the burden on the environment.
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Wide Adaptability
Activated carbon has strong adaptability in waste oil treatment and can treat different types of waste oil (such as engine oil, transmission oil, industrial lubricating oil, etc.).
Whether it is slightly contaminated waste oil or waste oil containing a large amount of impurities and acidic substances, activated carbon can effectively purify it and ensure the recovery of oil quality.
Due to these advantages, activated carbon treatment of used engine oil is widely used in industry, automobile maintenance, heavy machinery and other fields, and is an economic, effective and environmentally friendly used engine oil treatment technology.
So, how to use activated carbon for waste engine oil?
How to Use Activated Carbon for Waste Engine Oil?
Activated carbon has good adsorption properties and can effectively remove harmful substances, heavy metals and other pollutants from used engine oil. The treatment process usually includes:
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Pretreatment of Waste Oil
Before sending waste oil to the activated carbon filtration system, preliminary pretreatment is usually carried out. The purpose of pretreatment is to remove larger particles and impurities in the oil, such as metal chips, dust, water, etc. Common pretreatment methods include:
- Sedimentation: let heavier impurities and water settle to the bottom;
- Coarse filtration: use a filter or filter to remove large particles;
- Centrifugal separation: separate larger contaminants from the oil through centrifugal force.
Through these pretreatments, the purity of the waste oil is initially improved, reducing the burden on the activated carbon filter.
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Principle of Activated Carbon Adsorption
- Physical adsorption: activated carbon has a highly developed pore structure, its surface area is very large (the surface area of each gram of activated carbon can reach hundreds to thousands of square meters). The large number of pores on the surface of the activated carbon can capture and adsorb small molecules of pollutants, such as organic matter in the oil, water and pigment molecules.
- Chemical adsorption: The surface of activated carbon has certain chemical activity, which can react with certain harmful substances, such as adsorption and neutralization of acidic substances or certain metal ions in used engine oil.
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Activated Carbon Filter Layer
After pre-treatment, the waste oil will be guided through the activated carbon filter layer. Waste engine oil filtration system is the core process. Waste oil will come into contact with activated carbon, which will begin to absorb pollutants in the oil. There are usually two ways to filter activated carbon:
- Fixed bed filtration: In this method, the activated carbon is placed in a fixed filter bed, and the waste oil flows through the filter bed, and the activated carbon absorbs the pollutants in it.
- Fluidized bed filtration: In this way, the activated carbon presents a fluidized state through the flow of air or liquid, and the waste engine oil is in full contact with the activated carbon in the flow, and the adsorption effect is better.
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Purification of Treated Oil
After activated carbon filtration, most of the pollutants in the waste engine oil are adsorbed to the surface of activated carbon, and the harmful substances in the oil (such as water, heavy metals, acids, impurities) are removed, so that the oil becomes cleaner with better lubricating performance.
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Use of Regenerated Activated Carbon
Activated carbon can be regenerated by heat treatment (usually between 600-900°C) or chemical regeneration (such as using an acid or alkaline solution) to remove adsorbed contaminants and restore its adsorption capacity.
Regenerated activated carbon can continue to be used in the treatment of used engine oils, reducing treatment costs and improving resource utilization.
Activated carbon treatment of waste engine oil is an effective physical and chemical adsorption method that efficiently removes hazardous substances, impurities and contaminants from used engine oil.
It is a relatively simple process with low operating costs and offers significant advantages in terms of environmental protection and sustainability.
Through the adsorption of activated carbon, waste engine oil can be purified, its lubrication properties can be restored, and it can continue to be used in engines or other mechanical equipment, effectively extending the service life of the equipment.
Case
In practice, different industries and treatment needs often have specific requirements for the performance and specifications of activated carbon.
One of Heycarb’s customers needs wood powdered activated carbon that can decolorize waste engine oil. The activated carbon is required to efficiently remove harmful components in waste oil, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals, and has the following specifications:
| Size | Moisture | Methylene blue | Ash | Ph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 Mesh | Max 10% | 225mg/g | Max 6% | 2-4 |
According to the customer’s demand, after screening, Heycarb Team chose wood powdered activated carbon as the material base, because wood activated carbon has a large pore structure and good adsorption performance.
Further, by adjusting the activation temperature and chemical modification treatment in the production process, Heycarb Team successfully obtained the product that meets the customer’s demand.
The customized wood powdered activated carbon performed well during the trial phase, achieving the adsorption efficiency and regeneration performance required by the customer, and helping to significantly reduce the level of contaminants in the used engine oil.
Where to Buy Activated Carbon for Treating Waste Oil?
In general, activated carbon of waste engine oil treatment is an efficient and environmentally friendly method for waste oil purification, which can effectively improve the quality of waste oil and promote resource recovery and environmental protection.
If you also have the demand for waste engine oil treatment, please contact Heycarb Team, tell us your specific needs, Heycarb will provide you with professional advice, suitable solutions and the best activated carbon for waste engine oil.
