Once oil has been used, it can be reprocessed and used as a fuel or it can be turned back into a high-quality base oil through a process known as re-refining. As oil becomes contaminated through use, it can thicken and break down, losing the qualities it originally had. Despite this, a lot of the base oil remains in good condition, meaning it can be treated by repeating some of the original refinery processes to bring it back to a usable state.
Through the re-refining process, water, contaminants, and other impurities are removed, with the majority of the base oil recovered as a result. Once this has been achieved, further refining and blending takes place to create the finished lubricating product.
The re-refining process is very different to the traditional oil recovery process. When oil is recovered the used oil is processed to remove some of the impurities, however, cannot remove all of them limiting the possible applications of the resulting oil.
Re-refining, however, is a process that has taken years to develop, with all impurities - soluble and insoluble - removed. As a result, the oil is returned to a suitable quality so it can be re-used as a lubricating oil in the likes of vehicles. In fact, re-refined oil is often considered better than some virgin base oils!
If you’d like to find out more about the process, waste oil collection and how we here at Slicker Recycling can help, get in touch with the team today.
