Greetings Tom, good to hear from you. > Used motor oil contains metals, including dangerous >heavy metals. Because of the presence of heavy metal >contaminants there are often restrictions on the >burning of WMO in residential heating systems in >countries that have air quality regulations.
Commercially made forced-air WMO burners atomise the oil to burn it, and the heavy metal contaminants go straight up the smokestack into the atmosphere. Roger Sanders and I were trying to figure this out. His WMO burner <http://journeytoforever.org/RSwoh1.html> doesn't use power and doesn't actually burn the oil - instead it heats the oil and burns the vapours. The only emissions are soot (pure carbon) and water vapour - the soot falls to the ground and the carbon is effectively sequestered. Inside the heater it produces ash, easily removed and disposed of, and a tiny amount of unburnt residue left at the bottom of the cone. This residue would include any heavy metals etc. It can easily be collected, after a year or so you'd have maybe enough to fill a tomato can, which you can take to the hazmat folks. What puzzled us is where the heavy metals come from. Does it come from the engine or the oil? Mercury, lead, cadmium, in an engine? That doesn't sound right. Trying to find out what the oil additives contain is difficult, murky, like everything else connected with the oil industry. > "Filtering" of waste motor oil, I hope, would include a >away to remove the metals, before recycling it. I also hope. > While non-synthetic motor oil does experience thermal >breakdown, synthetic motor oil does not. Is recycling >only done on synthetic motor oil? When the workshops dump the WMO into the disposal/recycling/whatever drum, do they separate the non-synthetic from the synthetic? Doesn't it all go in together? Below is what I tell people who want to use WMO as fuel in their diesels (that's quite a lot of people): >Your truck will probably run on it, diesel engines will run on just >about anything. But for how long? > >... > >Used engine oil should be sent to a used oil recycling centre so >that it can be re-refined for reuse. One gallon of used motor oil >(3.78 litres) provides the same 2.5 quarts (2.37 litres) of >lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil (159 litres), and >re-refining used oil takes 50 to 85% less energy than refining crude >oil (US EPA, American Petroleum Institute). It can be recycled again >and again. > >More information: > >http://www.oilrecycling.gov.au/what-happens.html >What Happens to Your Recycled Used Oil > >http://www.recycleoil.org/ >Used Motor Oil Collection and Recycling - American Petroleum Institute > >http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/materials/usedoil/oil.htm >EPA Wastes: Used Oil Management Program > >Recycling Used Engine Oil into Fuel Oil >http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/08/recycling_used_.html > >Recycle Waste Oils, Crude Oils and Plastic into Low Sulphur EN590 >Diesel (for Heating, Transport and Power Generation) >http://www.globalfinest.com/tech/ I think, though, that a large proportion of the WMO stream ends up in landfills and sewers. :-( Wastes shouldn't be wasted, IMHO. Regards Keith >Notes: > -Samples of used motor oil can be analysed. The >presence/concentrations of metal contaminants can help >determine wear to specific engine parts. This can be >useful to companies, ex. bus companies, that have >fleets of vehicles, in determining maintenance >schedules and replacement of parts. > -The company that delivers methanol to me provides this >service (analysis of used motor oil). Their >representative explained to me that motor oil contains >additives including cleansers that effectively bind >microparticles ("soot") together so the filter(s) are >better able to remove them. In the case of synthetic >motor oil the oil itself is still good, and the reason >to change the oil is that the "cleansers" have been >removed. The difference between synthetic motor oils >that must be changed every 8 or 9 thousand miles and >those newer ones that are good for 15,000 miles is the >amount of additives put in. There are filters available >that can accomodate the increased "stuff" filtered from >the newer, higher mileage synthetic oils. > -These additives and filters do not remove the metals, >including dangerous heavy metal, that contaminate the >oil. If they did, analysis for them in the oil would be >of little diagnostic value. > Tom > > >> Hi Zeke >> >> Is filtering all that's required? Filtering what, I >> wonder, little >> bits of engine that get worn off? Isn't that what the >oil >> is supposed >> to prevent? By the time it needs changing, isn't the oil >> itself >> somewhat worn out, having been subjected to all that >heat >> and high >> pressure? >> >> Just asking. >> >> Regards >> >> Keith >> >> >>>Bio based, no... but I have seen, in the last few >months, >>> introduction of a >>>whole line of recycled engine oils in the local auto >>> parts stores here. >>>I'm not really sure what the recycled content is >>> percentage wise, but >>>apparently it's using old engine oil, filtering all the >>> bad stuff out, and >>>adding back in the additives that have been used up. >>> It's supposed to meet >>>the same standards as new petro-based engine oil. >>>Z >>>On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 7:29 AM, Jan Warnqvist < >>>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>> Hello Keith et al. >>>> I am not surprised on the market non-introduction of >>>> castor oil lubricants. >>>> Castor oil, although a classic, is not ideal as a raw >>>> material for >>>> lubricant >>>> formulations. The castor oil has two hydroxyl groups >>>> on the fatty acid >>>> (ricinic acid) chain which will want to polymerize >and >>>> releasing water into >>>> the system, giving the lubricant an unnecessary short >>>> life. What attracts >>>> the lubricant inventors is the high viscosity and the >>>> expected high >>>> viscosity index of the oil which both looks promising >>>> enough. But I would >>>> prefer a more stable material to start with and then >>>> adjusting the >>>> viscosity >>>> values chemically. >>>> A good lubricant consist from a base oil and then >>>> added a number of >>>> additives in order to adjust the properties of the >>>> lubricant. It is then >>>> preferable to bring as favourable properties already >>>> in the base oil in >>>> order to minimize the addition of additives. >>>> Best to you all >>>> Jan W >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Keith Addison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>> To: <biofuel@sustainablelists.org> >>>> Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 2:13 PM >>>> Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Bio Engine Oil >>>> > Hi Chris and Dawie >>>> > >>>> > The answer seems to be No. Sorry to say. >>>> > >>>> > It was first discussed here in 2001. Lots of >>>> interesting stuff in the >>>> > list archives: >>>> > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >>>> > >>>> > Try "bio engine oil" or "biolubricant". >>>> > >>>> > (Don't forget, the whole thread is hotlinked at the >>>> end of each find.) >>>> > >>>> > If you do a web search, you'll find lots of talk, >>>> lots of products >>>> > that are simply biodegradeable, "green" lubricants >>>> to replace the >>>> > likes of WD-40 or 2-stroke oil, and a few >commercial >>>> bio engine oils, >>>> > with claims that they're made from renewable >>>> resources but they don't >>>> > say what, or they're a marriage of renewables (pig >>>> fat) and >>>> > nano-tech, or whatever, but nothing DIYable. >>>> > >>>> > I knew some people in Japan who were making bio >>>> engine oil from >>>> > castor oil. They wouldn't tell me how they were >>>> doing it, but they >>>> > gave me a bottle of it. Clear, light yellow, sort >of >>>> oily smell. But >>>> > after a while it started degrading, whisps of >>>> cloudiness started >>>> > appearing. Not perfect, and they never brought a >>>> product to market. >>>> > >>>> > Still, castor oil is probably the best bet. It's >>>> strange stuff - give >>>> > this a read: >>>> > http://www.georgiacombat.com/CASTOR_OIL.htm >>>> > >>>> > IIRC Brazil's Petrobras had plans for producing >>>> castor oil-based >>>> > engine oil, but I can't find any details. > >>> > >>>> > HTH, and good luck - best >>>> > >>>> > Keith >>>> > >>>> > >>>> >>This is something I've also been wondering about. > >>>> -D >>>> >> >>>> >>>________________________________ >>>> >>> From: C Pinelli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>> >>>To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>>> >>>Sent: Saturday, 21 January 2012, 1:56 >>>> >>>Subject: [Biofuel] Bio Engine Oil >>>> >>> >>>> >>> >>>> >>>Hi all. >>>> >>>I'm still new to biofuels but have been making >>>> biodiesel and >>>> >>>ethanol for my vehicles for a few months now and >am >>>> thrilled with >>>> >>>it. However, I can't stand filling up my gas tank >>>> with home made, >>>> >>>environmentally friendly fuel, then changing the >>>> oil with expensive >>> > >>>petroleum. So, I have been doing some research >>> into making >>>> >>>Bio-Engine Oil, it seems possible which makes me >>>> very enthusiastic. >>>> >>> >>>> >>>Does anybody know anything about making vegetable >>>> based motor oil? >>>> >>>Or does anybody have any experience with using it? >>>> >>> >>>> >>>Thanks very much > >> > >> >Chris _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
