The recovery rate exceeds 98%! Our scientists have successfully developed a green recycling technology for waste lubricating oil
"Committed to innovative development and building a strong country in science and technology", on the occasion of the National Science and Technology Workers' Day, China University of Petroleum (East China) has achieved a new breakthrough in the industrial transformation of an internationally leading technology. Recently, the Green Energy and Chemical Engineering Team of the National Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil of China University of Petroleum (East China) has authorized Chongqing Runyu New Energy Co., Ltd. to build a 100,000-ton/year industrial demonstration facility for the full hydrogenation purification and green regeneration technology of waste lubricating oil developed by them.
"The regenerated oil yield of this technology exceeds 98%, which is 15 percentage points higher than that of conventional technologies. It has reached the international leading level in terms of regenerated oil yield and continuous operation cycle of the facility." " Professor Chai Yongming, the team leader, introduced that this technology has won the first prize of the Invention and Innovation Award of the China Association for Invention and the First Prize of the Service Industry Science and Technology Innovation Award of the China General Chamber of Commerce. It has obtained 12 Chinese invention patents and 2 US invention patents, and the related technology authorization fee is nearly 50 million yuan.
According to statistics, China generates a total of 30 million tons of waste mineral oil each year, among which over 8 million tons are waste lubricating oil. Waste lubricating oil has dangerous characteristics such as toxicity and flammability, and is prone to polluting soil, water bodies, atmosphere, etc., posing a threat to human beings and the environment. However, apart from containing 2% to 5% deteriorated substances, the remaining 95% to 98% are components of lubricating oil base oil and light oil products, which have high recycling value.
"Full hydrogenation process is the best route for the resource utilization of waste lubricating oil in the future!" " Professor Chai Yongming introduced that the recycling and reuse of waste lubricating oil is a major urgent need for China to establish and improve a green, low-carbon and circular economic system and enhance the recycling rate of resources. However, the mainstream domestic waste lubricating oil recycling technologies have low recovery rates (80% to 85%), poor quality, extremely low profit margins, and are unable to operate stably for a long time. At the same time, there are secondary pollution and resource waste phenomena. The rate of technological elimination is high. Most of the waste lubricating oil regeneration processes abroad adopt the "pretreatment - distillation - hydrofining" process flow, which provides a good reference for China. However, there are strict requirements for the source and composition of lubricating oil, and its application in China is restricted.
The team adheres to the concept of ensuring national energy security and is committed to promoting technological upgrading and industrial transformation in the waste lubricating oil recycling industry! In recent years, Professor Chai Yongming has led the Green Energy Chemical Engineering team. Relying on the research foundation formed by three generations of the National Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil over more than 40 years in the field of suspended bed hydrogenation process and catalysts, through process method innovation, key catalyst development and core equipment development, they have created a new process of suspended bed hydrogenation purification pretreatment coupled with fixed bed hydrogenation refining. It has achieved deep and continuous "purification" of impurities in the entire fraction of waste lubricating oil, completely solving the "bottleneck" problem that has restricted the waste lubricating oil recycling industry.
The process involves three key core technologies. Professor Chai Yongming introduced that the suspended bed hydrogenation pretreatment technology efficiently removes metal and non-metal impurities such as calcium, magnesium, iron, silicon and chlorine, as well as additives from waste lubricating oil. The dispersed nanocatalysts developed in conjunction have excellent low-temperature hydrogenation activity, which can achieve efficient conversion of various additives, resins and asphaltenes, and effectively inhibit problems such as coking in heat exchangers and heating furnaces. The harmless disposal technology achieves zero discharge of waste gas and waste water, and minimizes the discharge of waste residue, making it a truly green process.
The process was first successfully applied to the 50,000-ton/year industrial demonstration plant of Xinjiang Juli Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. and has been in operation for more than three years. This first set of full hydrogenation regeneration technology for waste lubricating oil has achieved large-scale, resourceful and high-value reuse of waste lubricating oil! Zhang Ke, the former deputy general manager and technical director of the company, highly praised this process technology.
Academician Xu Chunming of the Chinese Academy of Sciences stated in the expert recognition letter: This process features a high regeneration rate, a long operation cycle, and environmental friendliness. It thoroughly exploits waste lubricating oil, comprehensively addressing the three major pain points in the industry and achieving resource utilization. It is in line with the layout and arrangement of the Party and the state to promote comprehensive resource conservation and recycling, establish and improve a green, low-carbon, and circular economic system, and ensure national resource security.
It is currently in the stage of large-scale promotion and application! Shi Bin, director of the Technology Transfer Center of the National University Science Park Office of China University of Petroleum (East China), introduced that over the past three years, this technology has continuously been licensed for the construction of multiple 100,000-ton/year waste mineral oil regeneration treatment facilities and 10,000-ton supporting catalyst production facilities. The contract value of related technology licensing is nearly 50 million yuan, which has effectively promoted the technological progress of the entire waste mineral oil regeneration industry.