RECLAMATION OF WASTE LUBRICATING OIL USING CERAMIC MEMBRANES

SUBSTANTIAL AND INCREASING AMOUNTS OF WASTE LUBRICATING OIL ARE IMPROPERLY DISCARDED EVERY YEAR IN THE U.S. IN ADDITION TO THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THIS PRACTICE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, UNRECLAIMED LUBRICATING OILS REPRESENT THE LOSS OF A RECOVERABLE RESOOURCE. WHILE CURRENT STATE-OF-THE-ART RE-REFINING PROCESSES PRODUCT SALEABLE LUBRICATING OIL BASE STOCKS, THEIR PROCESS SCHEMES INVOLVE COMPLEX UNIT OPERATIONS SUCH AS DISTILLATION, EVAPORATION, AND HYDROTREATING. SUCH RE-REFINING PROCESSES HAVE HIGH CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS, AND TYPICALLY RECOVER ONLY ABOUT 65% OF REPROCESSES WASTE OIL AS LUBE OIL BASE PRODUCT. IN PHASE I OF THIS PROGRAM, A NOVEL, LOW COST, LABORATORY SCALE CERAMIC MEMBRANE DEVICE WILL BE EVALUATED FOR PURIFICATION OF WASTE LUBRICATING OIL. THE PURIFIED OIL WILL BE SUITABLE FOR USE AS A CLEAN BURNING FUEL. IN PHASE II, FULL SCALE MEMBRANE MODULES WILL BE DESIGNED AND INCORPORATED INTO A PILOT SYSTEM FOR FIELD DEMONSTRATION AT A WASTE OIL REFINING FACILITY.