QUALITY OF USED OIL

Usually the term used oil is understood to include only those oils which arise from the use of
lubricating oils. Slop oils recovered from drainage systems, refineries, fuel storage sites, etc.
are not included, although they are generally mixed in used oil collection systems and decrease
the value of the material.
The largest potential source of used oils is from vehicle use, particularly engine oils.
In general, the additives (particularly metals) remain in the oil after use. In addition, used
engine oil contains a range of other impurities which affect the final re-refined base oil quality
and cause problems to the re-refining activity. Metals from engine wear build up in the oil as
does water formed from combustion of the fuel. A certain amount of unburned fuel (gasoline or
diesel) also dissolves in the oil. Light hydrocarbons (HC) also arise from breakdown of the oil
and heavier hydrocarbons, including PAH, from polymerization and from incomplete combustion
of the fuel.
Chlorine in used lubricating oils is a potential problem as on combustion there is the possibility
of dioxin formation. Chlorine in used oils arises:
from contamination (either accidental or deliberate) with chlorinated solvents and
transformer oils, both of which are now becoming closely controlled;
from lubricating oil additives
from the lead scavengers added to leaded gasoline.
The concentration of chlorine in used oils is reducing as the use of chlorinated solvents for
industrial cleaning applications is reduced and the use of leaded petrol declines.
Used oil often becomes contaminated by all kinds of materials such as brake fluid and
antifreeze at garages and paint, vegetable oils, etc. at public collection points.
Such contamination can only be prevented by better segregation of oils on collection, through
the provision of receptacles for other oily material and better policing. Such actions should be
supported by monitoring of collected used oil for chlorine content.
Lead in used lubricating oil arises almost entirely as a consequence of the lead added to
gasoline which peaked in the first half of the 1970s. The lead elimination initiatives already in
place and still working through will reduce the lead content of used oils to low levels and there
is the prospect of total elimination of gasoline lead thereafter. The lead pollution problem is,
therefore, already on the road to being solved.
Even without further contamination on collection, used oils thus often present a varied and
poorly defined cocktail of compounds of which at best, 80% is lubricant base oil. This explains
why re-refining is a complex task.
The key problems due to the contamination of used oil are:
Cause
Vegetable oils

Source
Rape oils/sunflower
oils/fried foods/Esters

Effect
Cracking/fouling/Off-gas

Solvents

Laundries/spent solvents
disposal

Disposal costs/corrosion

Water
Metals

Combustion/handling
Energy costs/waste waters
Mechanical wear/additives Wear/by-products
pollution
Incomplete combustion
Toxicity
and long drain interval

PCAs
PCBs
Silica

Transformer oils
Antifreeze/industrial
oils/brake fluids/textile
industries.
Chlorine
Solvents/chloroparaffins
Waxes/paraffin Fuel slops disposal
s
Styrene
Styrene byproducts
disposal
Sulphur
Additives/fuel engine
leakage

Toxicity
Catalyst poisoning
Corrosion
Lube opacity
Toxicity/fouling
Pollution/Costs/out of
specs

There isnt an international specification of used oil worldwide accepted; the quality varies
Country by Country, according to the collection system adopted. In Italy, for instance, the
Consortium in charge of the waste oil collection has defined different types of waste oil
categories:
SPECIFICATION OF USED OILS TO DETERMINE THE QUALITY Starting from: 1st January 2000

Dark
Cod. 01

Transf
Cod. 02

Clear
Cod. 06

Used Oils
for
Combustio
n
Dark
Cod. 03

wt.%

max. 15

max. 2

max. 10

max. 15

Kg/m3

max.
920

max.
895

max.
900

max. 980

wt.%

max. 3

max.
0,5

max.
0,5

max. 3

E 50C

min. 1,8

max. 2

min. 2,1

Re-Refinable Used Oils

Property

Water Content
Density At 15 C
Total Sediments
Viscosity
Pcb/Pct
Total Chlorine
Sulphur
Diluents
Lead-Zinc
Cd+Cr+Ni+V
Neutralization Nr.
Saponification Nr.
Flash Point
Lead
Copper
Fluorine
Ashes
Colour

Method

NOM. 7-70
ASTM D 95
NOM 42-83
ASTM D
1298
NOM 112/71
ASTM D
2273
NOM 46-71
ASTM D 445
CEI 10/19
ASTM D
4059
NOM 98-72
ASTM D
1317
NOM 97-80
ASTM D
1552
NOM 39-90
ASTM D 322
IRSA 64,
VOL 3, N. 10
IRSA 64,
VOL.3, N.10
NOM 86-88
ASTM D 864
NOM 81-71
ASTM D 94
NOM 83-71
ASTM D 92
IRSA 64,
VOL. 3, N.
10
IRSA 64,
VOL. 3, N.
10
NOM 98-72
ASTM D
1317
NOM 12-88
ASTM D 482
ASTM D
1500

UOM

ppm

max. 25 max. 25 max. 25

max. 25

wt.%

max.
0,5

max.
0,2

max.
0.5

max. 0,6

wt.%

max.
1,5

max.
1,5

max.
1,5

max. 1,5

vol.%

max. 5

max. 5

ppm wt.

max.
4000

max.
4000

ppm wt.
mg KOH/g
mg KOH/g

max.
3,5
max.
4000

max. 50 max. 50 max. 50

max.
3,5

max.
3,5

max.
3,5

max. 18 max. 15 max. 18

max. 100
-

min. 90

ppm wt.

max. 2000

ppm wt.

max. 500

ppm wt.

traces

wt.%

max. 1,5

max. 8

max. 8