Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication March April 2014

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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www.machinerylubrication.com | March - April 2014 | 13 consult your company's environmental policy as well as any local governmental regulations to determine the most appropriate course of action. Removal The best practice for the removal of waste oil from a machine is to keep oil from ever being introduced to the environment. The rise in popularity of portable filter carts has made this process even easier. With a waste oil drum nearby and a filter cart hooked to the system's drain, oil is pulled out of the reservoir and intro- duced into the waste oil container. For this procedure, it is recommended to bypass the filters on the cart. After all, there is no need to filter the waste oil, which not only would slow down the pump but also cost more money for the purchase of new filters. If filter carts are not available in your facility, having an appropriate waste oil container is a necessity. The container should be labeled for waste oil only and have adequate volume to hold all of the oil in the system from which it is being drained. Although 5-gallon buckets are often used to capture waste oil and then emptied into used oil drums or totes, this practice offers many opportunities for spills by the constant transfer of oil from one vessel to another. If waste oil is to be stored in large volumes or for extended periods in a single location, it is best to have spill-containment protocol in place. By using spill-containing pallets or building underground spill-containment reservoirs, you can ensure that leaks or spills are captured and greatly reduce the risk of environmental impact. The rule for spill containment is that it must be able to house the largest volume of oil for the container or 10 percent of the total volume of all oil stored in it, whichever is greater. There are benefits to housing waste oil and repurposing it for other applications. One popular use for waste oil is to capitalize on the inherent energy contained in the oil. By burning the oil, you can harness the BTUs and use it as a fuel source not only for heat but also for power generation in some instances. The re-refining of waste oil into a reusable oil source is becoming both increasingly popular and economical. These oils are cleaned of contaminants, re-additized and considered like-new oils. Several automotive oils on the market are re-refined oils. As industry continues to become more eco-friendly, there will be an added emphasis on waste oil disposal and reclamation in the near future. By reviewing your current proce- dures and implementing some of the ideas in this article, you can put your facility ahead of the curve and realize the benefits of managing your waste oil with a best-practice mentality. About the Author Wes Cash is a senior technical consultant with Noria Corporation. He is a mechanical engineer who holds a Machine Lubrication Techni- cian (MLT) Level II certification and a Machine Lubricant Analyst (ML A) Level III certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Wes at wcash@noria.com.

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