Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication July August 2015

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/544388

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 54 of 80

50 | July - August 2015 | www.machinerylubrication.com BACK PAGE BASICS MICH A EL BROW N | NORI A CORPOR AT ION L u b r i c a n t S t o r a g e a n d H a n d l i n g oing "green" by becoming ecologically and environ- mentally responsible is an excellent practice that does not always have to cost your organiza- tion money. In many cases, it can actually save money. A number of industries have begun reclaiming or recycling used oil because it makes good business sense. These include automotive manufacturers, steel mills, paper mills, sugar mills, process plants and power generation plants. Unfortunately, some companies do not reclaim or recycle used oil because they think they don't have the time to devote to these programs. The engineering/reliability managers of these plants are often so busy managing the day-to-day processes that little or no attention is paid to the total lubricant life cycle, which in most instances would make their process more reliable and less expensive to maintain, especially when it comes to reclaiming oils. Reclaiming and recycling used oil offers many benefi ts, such as increased machine reliability, considerable cost savings on oils, less time spent on oil change-outs, reduced environmental contamination and decreased waste disposal costs. Re-refi ning used oil requires about one-third the energy of refi ning crude oil to lubricant quality. Also, consider that it takes 42 gallons of crude oil but 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 with signifi cant differences. Reclamation is the act of salvaging, recov- ering or reclaiming. In this context, the oil is rescued from normal degradation. It gener- ally involves cleaning, drying and adsorption to remove water, acids, sludge and other contaminants. The reclaiming of oil is mostly a nonchemical process that restores an in-service lubricant to good health by removing impurities. For the most part, reclamation can and should be done onsite to mitigate the chances of cross-contamination. Reclama- tion may also take place offsite where the vendor of the reclamation service drains the existing oil and replaces it with previously reclaimed oil. Keep in mind that if the oil is removed from the plant and reclaimed at an offsite location, the potential for cross-contamination increases tremen- dously. In addition, if an oil spill or accident occurs during transport to the facility, the owner of the oil is liable. Some oils like motor oils cannot be reclaimed, while others should not be reclaimed due to the costs involved. Addi- tive formulations may be proprietary, or the additives are not easily sourced. There is also the question of whether the reclaimer would be able to fi nance the liability of equipment damage, downtime and/or bodily harm if there was a mixup with the viscosity or additive formulation. The best option is to have your newly reclaimed oil tested by a reputable lab to ensure it complies with the machine's original equip- ment manufacturer (OEM) specifi cations before it goes back into service. Recycling Oil Recycling is the act of returning some- thing or a part of something back to useful service, which may be different from the original application. Whether it is in an engine, gearbox, hydraulic system or turbine, all lubricant oil eventually reaches the end of its useful life and must be drained from the machine, sump or reservoir. Some forms of oil recycling can be done onsite. If your plant produces large amounts of used oil that can't be reclaimed, this used oil can be turned into lubricant oils or fuel for burning in boilers, industrial furnaces, etc. On the other hand, if your used oils WHY YOU Should Reclaim and RECYCLE USED OIL G

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Machinery Lubrication - Machinery Lubrication July August 2015