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Going “green” by becoming ecologically and environmentally responsible is an excellent practice that does not always have to cost your organization money. In many cases, it can actually save money. A number of industries, like paper plants, power generation plants, steel mills and car manufacturers, have begun reclaiming or recycling used oil because it makes good business sense.

However, some companies do not reclaim or recycle used oil because they think they don’t have the time to devote to these programs. After all, the managers of these plants are often so busy managing the day-to-day that little or no attention is paid to the total lubricant life cycle which can be costly.

Reclaiming and recycling used oil offers many benefits, such as increased machine reliability, cost savings on oils, less time spent on oil change-outs, reduced environmental contamination and decreased waste disposal costs. Re-refining used oil requires about one-third the energy of refining crude oil to lubricant quality.  For example, it takes 42 gallons of crude oil compared to only one gallon of used oil to produce 2½ quarts of new, high-quality lubricating oil.

Oil Reclamation

Reclamation and recycling are related processes but are not the same. Reclamation is the act of salvaging, recovering or reclaiming. In this context, the oil is rescued from normal degradation. It generally involves cleaning, drying and adsorption to remove water, acids, sludge and other contaminants. The reclaiming of oil restores an in-service lubricant to good health by removing impurities.

Hydraulic oils, transformer oils and even turbine oils can be reclaimed, but one must ensure that the lubricant’s performance has not been downgraded after reclamation.

For the most part, reclamation should be done onsite to mitigate the chances of cross-contamination. Reclamation may also take place offsite where the vendor of the reclamation service drains the existing oil and replaces it with previously reclaimed oil.

McPherson Oil proudly offers oil reclamation through its ReNEW division. Through expert advise, execution and equipment, McPherson Oil can make compatible oils like new or even better than new. Contact a rep today and find out how we can help save your plant money.

Now let’s look at Used Oil and Recycling.

 

 

About: McPherson Oil is proud to distribute ExxonMobil products in the southeast including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida Panhandle, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Source: Michael C. Brown, Machinery Lubrication Magazine