Oil has several uses in machinery, motor vehicles and home appliances. When the oil is new and clean, the machine runs effectively, and the possibility of breaking down is low. However, with time, the oil collects dust from faulty filters and gets other impurities. These impurities slow down the effectiveness of the machine, and if the oil is not changed, they can even ruin the machine completely. Removing or replacing the oil is not a challenge; the challenge comes in when the owners of the machinery have to decide what to do with sump oil or the oil full of impurities. Understanding what happens to your old oil is a great way to enforce the culture of recycling as opposed to poor disposal.

The Pre-treatment Process

The first step in the process of cleaning up old oil full of impurities is known as pre-treatment. During this stage, any water contained in the oil is removed through a simple decantation process. The collected oil is put together in a large settling tank. Since water and oil have different densities, the water will settle at the bottom, while the oil will settle on top. The oil is collected and directed to another container while the water is correctly disposed of.

The Demineralisation Process

The second step in the process of purifying used oil is filtering or demineralisation. Here, different types of filtration mechanisms are used to remove impurities contained in the oil. There are mechanical filters that remove dirt and other large particles. Electromagnetic filter systems are ideal for the removal of lead and other mineral compounds stuck in the oil. The recycling experts simply determine the types of impurities in the oil and use the appropriate mechanism to filter them out.

The Distillation Process

The last part of the process is known as fractional distillation, which is the physical separation of the components of the recycled oil. Different liquid and gaseous by-products of the process are achieved at different temperatures. The distillation process aims to create re-refined base oils that have the same level of purity with fresh oil refined from crude oil.

When the proper collection, filtration and distillation processes are followed, you end up with recycled oil that is as pure as newly refined oil. The perk which comes with using this re-refined oil is that it is cheaper than the old oil. If you have old oil in your home, consider conserving the environment by having it collected for recycling. 

For more information, reach out to a company like Wren Oil.

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