Re-refining Technology

Used lubricating oil is a concentrated hydrocarbon resource, and modern re-refining technology recovers it into base oil that rivals virgin product. By removing water, wear metals, oxidation products, and spent additives, these processes convert what would otherwise be a hazardous waste stream into feedstock for fresh lubricants.

The Re-refining Sequence

A typical route begins with pre-treatment that drops out gross water, sludge, and particulates through settling, filtration, or centrifugation. Distillation follows, stripping light contaminants and then, under vacuum, separating base oil fractions from heavy residues without thermal degradation. Final finishing and blending adjust viscosity grades and add performance chemistry.

Efficient Separation Methods

Wiped-film evaporation spreads the oil into a thin film on a heated surface under vacuum, separating volatiles from residue with short residence times. Molecular distillation operates at very low pressure, isolating high-boiling fractions with minimal thermal stress. High-efficiency centrifuges remove fine solids and emulsified water continuously.

The Refining Stage

The core purification step strips impurities that degrade lubricant life: wear metals, silicon, chlorine, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds, along with oxidized hydrocarbons. Hydrotreating and, where required, solvent extraction raise viscosity index, pour point, colour, and oxidation stability to specification.

Why It Matters

Because re-refining preserves hydrocarbons already present in used oil rather than starting from crude, it is more energy efficient and lowers the carbon footprint of base oil production, supporting the circular economy and dependable feedstock supply.

Learn More:

• Feasibility Studies for Waste-to-Value Projects
• Turn-Key EPC Delivery
• Plant Design & Engineering
• Facility Efficiency Upgrades
• Resource Recovery Projects

Turn a waste liability into a base oil asset.

Klean Industries delivers re-refining facilities that recover high-quality base oil from used lubricants.

Our feasibility and turn-key EPC services take projects from feedstock assessment to full production.

Considering a used oil re-refining project?

Contact Klean Industries about used oil re-refining » GO.