80 0 Figure 1. Infrared scan for Phillips' premium-quality motor oil cm-1 4000 3000 2000 1500 1000 900 800 700 100 سلسا 80 0 Figure 2. Infrared scan for a PROP-processed composite sample Our North Carolina recycled oil prototype formulations are based on successful sequence IIC, IIIC, and VC engine testing. As indicated in tables 3 and 4, we have been able to achieve SE levels of performance with a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 30 grade oil made from 100 percent recycled base oil treated with an SE/CD "universal" additive package. Diesel engine testing is planned, and substantial field experience is being gathered in company vehicles. By and large, our engine testing to date, both laboratory and field, has been conducted with low- to mid-range SAE 30 grade formulations. This reflects the naturally Occurring viscosity for the finished oil treatments resulting from processing of the North Carolina used oils. This does not preclude, however, a plant operator's use of virgin base oils for seasonal adjustments as needed of finished oil viscosities, nor the consideration of viscosity index-improved multigraded oil should North Carolina opt for an SAE 20W-40 grade, nor the ability to re-refine higher viscosity products, such as diesel oils. In this regard, the recycled oil from the PROP plant will provide, volume-wise, some 50 to 60 percent of their annual automotive lubricant requirements. Hence, it is feasible to concentrate on the conversion of the available automotive oil drainings to high-quality oils only. Presumably, the future new oil purchases of the State will first fulfill their needs for lubricants other than crankcase oils, namely, automatic transmission fluids, hydraulic oils, and gear oils. However, I do not mean to imply that the PROP process is limited in its application only to motor oil blending; but for the North Carolina program, this is the practical approach to take. We We anticipate that the North Carolina plant will be operating by mid-1978. plan to confirm our pilot plant product testing by additional sequence tests of finished formulations blended from production base oils upon plant startup. We are continuing to examine, by pilot plant processing, other sources of automotive waste oils representative of those being processed by or of specific interest to prospective customers of the PROP process. This promises to keep us very busy in the foreseeable future. Used oil represents a valuable raw material, even if the original user cannot himself put this used oil to further use as for example, a lubricant or fuel. The increasing realization of the value of used oil can be illustrated by the laws which have been passed in Germany on the reclamation of used oil. The first law concerning used oil collection and reclamation was passed around 1935, with the primary motive being conservation of lubricating oil, and the secondary motive being environmental protection. There exists in the current law a definite change compared to the various remedies in the past, in that the owners of used oil can obtain free storage of up to 200 kg of collected used oil. There is no storage costs for this used oil since the free storage of used oil has been made mandatory in the legislation. The Federal Department for Industrial Science, which has the responsibility for coordinating this program, has obtained a sufficient quantity of locations for this mandatory, free-of-charge storage. A reclamation program is also required, for reasons of environmental protection, and includes through the Federal Department, an arrangement whereby the total costs of used oil collection, transportation, and reconditioning are taken into consideration. Proceeds to fund this program are obtained by means of a mineral oil tax which has been placed on all lubricating oil, gas oil which has lubrication uses, and lubricants with heavy oil constituents. The amount of re-refined oil sold comprises about 15% of the total lube oil sales in the market place. The actual costs of this recovery system are dependent upon the oil quantities, and adjusts itself according to the average costs experienced by the recyclers and disposers, including both re-refiners and burners. The purpose of the used oil law is to encourage the recovery and reuse of petroleum, petroleum products, and similar types of waste from depots, storage, and transport facilities. It is realized that this type of used oil is often mixed with foreign matter in varying amounts. The foreign materials most frequently found in used oil are water, solvents (e.g., tri-chloroethylene, per-chloroethylene, acetone, organic ester compounds, and organic nitro compounds), as well as solid matter (e.g., dirt and metallic particles from abrasion). In order to encourage the recovery of segregated, clean used oil, the subsidy payments for the costs of mandatory free storage and recycling apply only to products with up to 10% foreign matter content. For products containing more than 10% foreign matter, the used oil owner must pay the costs of collection and reclamation. The amount of such costs are determined by the (Federal) Department according to a consignment price list, which is published for each type of recycling. The used oil owner is thereby given the opportunity to decide on which method of recovery would be most feasible for the least cost. As long as this economic incentive can provide a motivation for recycling (for used oil with up to 10% foreign matter content), the program can be termed successful. Used oil containing more than 10% foreign matter, e.g., emulsions, does not fall within this category. For these materials, the law provides a requirement that used oil owners who generate more than 500kg of such used oil per year must provide information on the origin of the used oil, its storage location, and the cost for recycling or disposal. The positive experiences with the (German) used oil law has also had an effect on the guidelines for subsidy rates of the European Community since June 6, 1975. These have resulted in the desired objective of a legal, unified regulation which is not only in the interest of environmental protection, but also guarantees a basis for fair market competition. The economics of the used oil law should be convincing, with a cost of about 40 million Deutsch Marks per 350,000 (metric) tons of reclaimable used oil. An important consideration in such regulation is illustrated by the following: A metric ton of oil which has been removed from a wastewater biochemical reaction as the treatment of residential |