Recovering Energy from Used Synthetic Automobile Oils through Cogeneration

Abstract

A process designed for regeneration of used oils, and particularly synthetic oils originated from the automobile industry, is presented. These synthetic oils constitute 45% of the total waste oils originated in Spain. The main objective of the process is to obtain a new fuel capable of being used in internal combustion engines for cogeneration of electric and thermal energies. The final product obtained after the different steps shows concentrations of polluting elements allowed by legal regulations and fulfilling the basic energetic requirements to be considered as a suitable fuel for the above-mentioned objectives. The results here shown constitute the basis for an industrial pilot plant of cogeneration using a fuel obtained from waste oils after the treatment proposed by TERBIPROMAT-SADER.

Thermal Degradation Process of Synthetic Lubricating Oils: Part I—Spectroscopic Study

“…The elaboration of synthetic oils occurs at laboratory aiming to reach wider acting strips and with specific characteristics (Fukui et al, 2000). The principal synthetic lubricant oils in use can be classified in five groups: esters of dibasic acids, organics phosphate, esters silicate, silicones, and polyglycol esters compounds (Regueira et al, 2001). Generally, lubricants change their chemical and physical fluid properties due to usage.…”

“…Several properties of the synthetic bases are better than the one of the mineral bases. The superiority of the synthetic bases stand out, above all, in the following aspects: they resist better to the oxidation (they allow larger time of service), have better thermal stability (they support higher temperatures and they are degraded less with the heat), are less volatile (it reduces the oil consumption), have a higher viscosity index (they stabilize the viscosity better with the temperature variations), and freeze to lower temperatures; some synthetic base oils are biodegradable (Regueira et al, 2001).…”