Used High-Performance Lubricant Recycling via Liquid-Liquid Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
High performance lubricants, containing high viscosity hydrocarbons like polyalphaolefin, are often discarded without degradation, leading to inefficient disposal pathways such as burning or downgrading to lower quality base stocks, wasting valuable resources.
Innovation Solution
A process involving multiple stages of liquid-liquid extraction with a solvent to separate contaminants from used high performance lubricants, producing a circular hydrocarbon that is then blended with base stocks to create a high performance lubricant, without mixing with other used oils.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If used high performance lubricant is disposed of by burning or re-refining, then disposal is achieved, but valuable hydrocarbons are wasted and quality is downgraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies liquid-liquid extraction to separate contaminants from the used lubricant hydrocarbons. A solvent is used to extract contaminants while leaving the valuable hydrocarbon base stock in the raffinate phase, enabling recovery of high-quality hydrocarbons without burning or downgrading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers the valuable hydrocarbon base stock from used lubricant through extraction and blending processes. Instead of discarding the entire used lubricant or downgrading it, the system recovers the high-quality hydrocarbon portion and blends it with fresh base stock to produce high-performance lubricant.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple extraction stages are performed, then contaminant removal is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the extraction process into multiple stages using separate extraction units. Each stage handles a portion of the separation task, with the raffinate from one stage becoming the feed for the next stage. This segmentation achieves high contaminant removal efficiency while keeping each individual unit relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a continuous multi-stage extraction process where the raffinate stream from one extraction stage continuously feeds into the next stage. This continuous operation maintains high contaminant removal efficiency while optimizing the overall process flow and reducing the need for complex batch operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method recycles high performance lubricants, preserving the quality of hydrocarbons and producing a lubricant suitable for applications like wind turbine gear oil, avoiding energy burning and downgrading, and maintaining lubricant performance.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the used oil with a liquid phase; extracting the contaminate from the used oil into an extract phase
Implementation Method 2
separating the immiscible phases of liquid into an extract phase and a raffinate phase
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are processes for recycling hydrocarbons in a used high performance lubricant such as wind turbine gear oil. In the present process and methodologies, the used high performance lubricant is not mixed with another type of used oil. The used high performance oil is contacted with a solvent in an extraction process. Contaminates are extracted and circular hydrocarbons are formed. Solvent can be recovered, and the circular hydrocarbon combined with a high performance base stock for use as a high performance lubricant in a mechanical system.