3. offers:
• Study for a preliminary concept
• Basic Engineering of a waste oil recycling plant
• Detailed Engineering of a waste oil recycling plant
• Complete engineering of a oil blending plant
• Project management
• Procurement
• Construction of the plant with the partner companies
• Installation and start up
• Optimization of the process
• Documentation
• Service contract including the laboratory work
-3-
4. PLASMA TUBE REACTOR
• A unique technique for unconventional and effective
processing of various types of petroleum products
• Total evaporation into kinetic plasma phase
• Robust and stabile process technology
• High efficiency
• Clean product
• Expensive additives be awarded with more than 50% ?
• Very low smell of base oil
• Low service costs
• Very economical process
• Save construction
-4-
5. Steps of the process
The waste oil goes through a combination of different
process procedures to way to final product:
• Dehydration
• Evaporation
• Total distillation with plasma tube reactor
• Decoloring by adsorbing process
• Rectification
• Filtration
• Oil blending to final lubrication products
-5-
7. Benefit of waste oil recycling
• In times of increasing oil prices
• Global interest for environmentalism
Collecting and recycling waste oil is the absolute goal
• Automotive oil
• Industrial oil
-7-
8. What is the key of the process:
• The Plasma-Tube-Reactor creates the best possible and fast evaporation
• 380 grad Celsius plus10 mbar vacuum and speed of sound
• Highest reactivity in the atmosphere of the reactor with extreme high friction
• Na+ and K+ as reacting catalytic for finishing the cleaning process
• This process is absolute robust and stabile in daily operation
• Relative low investment budget for this type of plant
• Outcome of base oil is very high
• Process cost are very low
Material balance on the next pages:
-8-
9. Dehydration
100 % Feed Used Oil
ca. 90 % Used Oil
+ ca. 5 % Water
+ ca. 1 % Light Oil (Fuels)
+ ca. 2 % Gasoil
+ ca. 1 % Esters
+ ca. 1% Unvaporables
5 % Water
Dehydration 1 % Light Oil (Fumes)
90 % Used Oil
2 % Gasoil
1 % Esters
1% Unvaporables
-9-
10. Prevaporization
Feed
90 % Used Oil
+ ca. 2 % Gasoil
+ ca. 1 % Esters
+ ca. 1% Unvaporables
Prevaporization 2 % Gasoil
90 % Dryoil
1 % Ester
1% Unvaporables
- 10 -
11. Plasma Tube Reactor
Feed
90 % Dryoil
+ ca. 1 % Esters
+ ca. 1 % Unvaporables
Plasma Tube ca. 51,0 % Lubeoil 1
Alkaline Base 1,7%
Reactor ca. 37,9 % Lubeoil 2
4,8 % Residue (Bottom Product)
- 11 -
12. Decolorization and Rectification
Feed
Lubeoil 1 and 2 in Mixture
Bleaching Clay +2,08%
Settler Agitator
Settlement
Vaporisator Rectification Spindleoil 2
ca. 5,64%
Basestock-Clay-Mix Spindleoil 1
ca. 58,78% ca. 24%
- 12 -
13. Filtration and Finishing
Feed
Basestock-Clay-Mix Bleaching Clay
Niagara- Agitator
filter
Oil Fumes + Water
Used Clay
ca. 3,94%
Filterpress Blow Vessel Air
Used Clay Base Stock
ca. 56,7%
- 13 -
14. Total Process „Basestock“ with Plasma Tube Reactor
100 % Feed Used Oil
ca. 90 % Used Oil
+ ca. 5 % Water
+ ca. 1 % Light Oil (Fuels)
+ ca. 2 % Gasoil
+ ca. 1 % Esters
+ ca. 1 % Unvaporables
5 % Water
Dehydration 1 % Light Oil (Fumes)
Prevaporization 2 % Gasoil
Alkaline Base Plasma Tube ca. 51,0 % Lubeoil 1
Bleaching Clay
+ ca. 1,7% Reactor ca. 37,9 % Lubeoil 2
ca. +2,08 %
4,8 % Residue
Settler
+0,7% Sulfuric Acid 96% Agitator
Acid Tar Vaporisator Rectification
ca. 1,4% Spindleoil 2
ca. 5,64%
Spindleoil 1
ca. 24%
Bleaching Clay
Niagara- Agitator
filter Oil Fumes + Water
Used Clay
Filterpress Blow Vessel Air
ca. 3,94%
Used Clay
Base Stock
ca. 56,7%
- 14 -
15. Status of the plant experience at Südöl in Eislingen
•Proven for 76 years in recycling of automotive and industrial waste oils,
16 years experience with plasma tube reactor
•Ready lubrications approved by many car manufactures world wide
•Pilot plant at the University of Helmut Schmidt Hamburg
•Additional vaporizer for recycling of emulsions oil
16. Short look to the plasma science
General Definition
Quasi-neutral, partially ionized gas consisting of neutral and
charged molecules, atoms, ions & electrons
General Properties
High electrical conductivity presence of high frequencies
response to magnetic fields
Plasma Tube
Kinetic vacuum plasma with liquid droplets self induction
by kinetic and thermal energy
17. State of the Art
Oil Quality Pro/Contra
• Sulfuric Acid Bad Simple Procedure
Many Plants, mainly China Dangerous Material
•Thin Layer Evaporation Medium Danger of scab formation
Some Plants, mostly Germany After treatment required
•Precipitation by Propane Medium High Explosion Risk
Some Plants, mainly Italy Investment high
•Hydration very light Very Expensive in Operation
Growing Number, mainly USA and Investment
expensive additives are lost
High Explosion Risk
•Evaporation Procedures Moderate Sensitive Against Variations
Some Plants, mainly Spain in Composition
•Plasma Tube Reactor Good Low Operating Costs
2 Plants in Germany + Saudi-Arabia Reliable robust construction
Low investment cost
18. Simplified Scheme of Plasma Tube Re-refining Plant
Air
Waste Oil Clean Flue Gas
Thermal Vacuum
Washer Afterburner Pump
50 °C
Gas Oil
Fractionated 150 °C Spindle Oil
Burner Reactor Separator
Condensation
250 °C
Base Stock
Heating
Oil
Chemical Bituminous
Agents Residue 6
19. Typical Features of a Plasma Tube Reactor
Reactor
Spiraled tube of structural steel 150 – 700 m length
with a diameter of 25 to 250 mm
heated up to 360 to 380 °C to reach kinetic plasma conditions
in a rapidly flowing gaseous petroleum product
Safety
Due to small reactor volume and continuous operation very low
risk for fire or explosion
Flexibility
Very short time for changing conditions in case of varying product
properties
20. Attributes of Plasma Tube Plant
Simple and robust equipment to process petroleum products
Compliance with stringent environmental requirements
Flexible construction to cope with various feed stocks
No pollution of air, water or soil
No governing control by computer necessary
Suitable for petroleum products with true boiling point > 650 °F (340 °C)
Removal of all hetero elements (S, Cl) and unwanted compounds (PAH)
Sharp cut into gas oil, spindle oil and solvent neutral grades
Economic advantages:
- Lower investment by elaborated construction
- Reduced operating costs by small number of employees
- Less maintenance costs by minimizing wear and corrosion
21. Typical Mass Balance Plasma Tube Re-refining Motor Oil
Light Ends 18 kg Water 17 kg
Dry Oil 1000 kg Gas Oil 90 kg
1034 kg
NaOH 17 kg Reactor Spindle Oil 75 kg
Water 17 kg Base Stock 697 kg
Bituminous Residue 137 kg
9
22. International Classification of Base Oils
ASTM Guide D 6074
Compilation of properties and potential harmful components
- no figures are given, only test methods are cited
API Classification 1509
Saturates (wt%) Sulfur (wt%) VI Type
Group I < 90 > .03 80 – 120 Solvent refined oil
Group II > 90 < .03 80 – 120 Hydroprocessed oil
Group III > 90 < .03 > 120 Hydrocracked oil
Group IV Poly-alpha-olefins PAO
Group V Other base stocks Naphthenics, Ester
Carcinogenicity Evaluation
- USA: Hydration (800 psi [55 bar], 800°F [427°C]) or Solvent Furfurol (130 %, 200°F [93°C])
- Europe: < 2 % residue in DMSO acc. to IP 346
Consequences
No fully international accepted classification for base oils existent
Only specifications of major lube oil manufacturers determine quality level
23. Quality Data of Plasma Tube Re-refined Base Oil
Type: Solvent Neutral SAE 150
Oil Specification
Color 3.0* max. 1.5
Viscosity @40 °C 31.0 29 to 32,5 cSt
Viscosity-Index 97 min. 95
Aromatics .5 max 10 ppm
PAH <2 max. 3 wt%
Sulfur .33 max. .8 wt%
Chlorine <2 max. 7 ppm
Heavy Metals .4 max. .5 wt%
*improvement by after treatment possible
24. Removal of Undesired Components
by the Plasma Tube Process
Within the kinetic plasma zone NaOH is broken into
metallic sodium and OH-Radicals:
NaOH + energy = Na + OH
Metallic Na desulfurizes: 2 Na + S-R = Na2S + R
Metallic Na dechlorinates: Na + Cl-R = Na Cl + R
Metallic Na polymerizes olefins into oil insoluble
products
OH-Radicals have higher oxidation potential than oz
and oxidize PCA to CO2 and H2O
12
26. Types of Oily Sludges to be Disposed of
Hydrocarbons (wt%) Water (wt%) Solids (wt%)
Sludges from Oil Pits 40 - 70 10 – 30 10 - 40
Origin:
Refineries,
Pipelines, Oil Wells
Marine Sludges 30 – 60 10 – 40 10 – 30
Origin:
Cleaning of Tankers
Bilge Oil, Bunker Fuel
Production Sludge 10 – 30 10 – 50 50 – 90
Origin:
Metal Working Sludge
Oil Contaminated Soil
27. Possible Mass Balance of an Oily Paraffinic Sludge
Oily Sludge 1000 kg with 60% Hydrocarbons
Light Ends 25 kg Water 5 kg
20 kg Gas Oil
Refined
300 250 225 After 200
Reactor Separator Condensation Dewaxer
kg kg kg Treatment kg
Base Oil
670 kg Bitumen or 25 kg Slack Wax 25 kg Extract
Heavy Heating Oil
+ Sand/Gravel18
28. Principles of Plasma Tube Reactor
Waste oil is heated up to 340 °C, locally up to 500 °C at a vacuum of 10 to 20 mbar. The resulting
gaseous/liquid mixture is forced with a speed of 100 to 300 m per second through a steel spiral tube.
Heavy molecules with molecular weights above 750 are not gasified and are collected in a separator.
During the turbulent flow (Reynolds Number >> 20 000) molecules reach an energy level of 600 MJ/mol
and collide frequently with each other and with the wall. Each collision transfers 12 to 15 eV within very
short time which increases the rotational, oscillating and translatory pulsation of organic molecules forming
radicals ions, free electrons and resulting electric fields.
Carbon-carbon bonds and carbon-hydrogen bonds remain intact, whereas double bonds, carbon-oxygen
bonds and metal bonds are destroyed and form high molecular substances to be collected in the separator.
By the addition of NaOH other undesired elements, e.g. Cl, S, are removed, so that after a fractionated
condensation a range of suitable base stocks are obtained.
Single molecules accelerate by the impact up to 10 000 km/h. Recombination's and reactions with the wall
material at defined energy levels and short retention time in the active process zone lead to changes of the
composition of a variety of molecules. Further beneficial effects are caused by the catalytic influence of
metallic trace elements.
Electrical fields cause repulsion of particles from the wall and thus minimize wear and corrosion of the wall
material
30. Suitability of Clarified PTR Oil for Finished Lubes
Motor Oils
Europe ACEA A 2, A 3, B 2, B 3, B 4, E 2, E 3, E 4, E 5
USA API SH, SJ, CF-2, CF-4, CG-4, CH-4
NATO O-236, O-278, O-352, O-1178
US Army MIL L-2104C, L-21260C, L-45199B, L-46152 B, L-46167, L-9000G
Japan ILSAC GF-1, GF-2
OEM Mercedes 226.9, 227.0, 227.1, 228.1, 228.5, 229.1, 229.3
OEM VW 500.00, 501.01, 502.00, 503.01, 505.00, 505.01, 506.00, 506.01
Gear Oils
USA API GL-4, GL-5, PG-1, PG-2
NATO O-184, O-186, O-226, O-227, O-228
US Army MIL L-2105D, SAE J 2360
S Hydraulic Fluids
ISO 11158 HL, 11158 HM, 11158 HV
Germany DIN 51 524-1, DIN 51 524-2, DIN 51 524-3
31. Material Balance Used Oil Grade A
Sulfuric Acid 96% 0,7%
Bleaching Clay 2,08%
Alkalihydroxide 1,7%
Auxiliaries 4,48%
Process Fuel
Used oil 100%
Including: Gasoil 2%
5% Water Basestock 56,7%
1% Ester Oil Input 100% Output 93,14% Spindleoil 29,64%
1% Solvents Bottom 4,8%
1% Unvaporables
2% Gasoil / Fuel No.4
„Waste“ 11,34%
Water 5%
Fumes 1%
Acid Tar 1,4%
Used Clay 3,94%
34. Advantages
• high rates of base oil recovery
• high quality of base oil
• good usability of secondary products
• low energy consumption
• low residue quantities
• high level of ability
• simple handling
• good reliability and serviceability
- 34 -
