Reclaimed Base Oil

Reclaimed base oil, also known as recycled base oil or re-refined base oil, refers to a type of lubricating oil that has undergone a re-refining process to remove impurities and restore its performance characteristics. Base oil is a key component in the formulation of lubricating oils and greases used in various industries, including automotive, industrial machinery, and marine applications.

The reclamation process typically involves collecting used lubricating oil, which may have become contaminated with dirt, debris, and other impurities during its use. The used oil is then subjected to a series of refining steps, including:

Pre-treatment: Used oil is heated to remove water and any light contaminants. This step helps prepare the oil for further processing.
Distillation: The pre-treated oil is then subjected to distillation, a process that separates the oil into different fractions based on their boiling points. This helps to remove different types of impurities, including contaminants that have a lower boiling point than the base oil.
Hydrotreating: In this step, the oil is subjected to high temperatures and pressure in the presence of hydrogen gas. This helps to remove sulfur, nitrogen, and other impurities that can affect the oil's performance and environmental impact.
Solvent Extraction and Dewaxing: Additional treatments may involve solvent extraction to remove any remaining contaminants, as well as dewaxing to improve the oil's low-temperature properties.
Additive Blending: After the re-refining process, additives are blended with the reclaimed base oil to restore its original performance characteristics, such as viscosity, lubricity, and thermal stability.
The resulting reclaimed base oil can be used as a raw material to produce new lubricating oils and greases, similar to the way virgin base oil is used. Reclaimed base oil offers several environmental benefits, as it reduces the need for crude oil extraction and minimizes the disposal of used oil, which can be harmful to the environment if not properly managed.