Circular economies are, by their very nature, much greener than their linear counterparts. When it comes to the oil industry, one of the leading generators of carbon dioxide in the world, it becomes even more important to attempt to close this loop. Fortunately, there are answers out there which can lower global demand for “new” oil, which might just lead to a brighter future.
Our Current, Linear Oil Situation
As things currently sit, oil goes “down” in quality after each usage. From highly refined oils used in lubricating machinery, with each step farther down the line we lose some of the resource to seemingly natural attrition over time. Most filtration technology simply isn’t up to par with keeping things flowing back and forth.
Instead, oil which is disposed of properly goes through a fairly natural passage. With each iteration of usage it becomes less and less useful as a power source and lubricant, which are the two primary industrial usages of oil. Eventually, much of it will end up used for “dirty” oil applications like asphalt.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in a way it’s simply making the best of a bad situation since oil is a hazardous waste product to begin with, even before it becomes further contaminated.
It also means that world demand for oil is always increasing, as industry springs up in developing nations at an ever-increasing rate.
This isn’t good for the environment for obvious reasons.
Enter the Circular Economy
The definition of a circular economy is quite simple: it’s an economic model in which raw resources are used time and time again. The ideal end would be that all energy and raw materials stay within the same loop.
While the ideal probably can’t be attained, simply due to the tendency for there to be loss in any process, it’s something to strive for. It’s especially important in those industries which greatly affect the environment.
Both the oil industry and the manufacturing industries produce pretty impressive amounts of waste, especially in the form of greenhouse gasses. This means that slowing the rate of hazardous material output from manufacturing processes and the amount of waste and damage which is done by the oil industry are essential factors in keeping our planet safe.
Fortunately, there are modern solutions which can be a great aid to both industries. They simply have to be utilized.
In doing so, it can greatly reduce the environmental strain which is brought about by the demand for oil. For instance, a manufacturing plant may go through monumental amounts of oil for their processes. This means that they’ll go through both filters and oil at a high rate.
RecondOil can help make this circular economy a reality!
The oil changes which will have to be done so frequently means the company is on the hook for the disposal of their old oil as well as for the purchase of new oil. On a bigger scale, it also creates demand for “new” refined oil, over time even a single plant will use simply monumental amounts of the material just to keep going.
In a circular economy, this oil can be sent away to be filtered and separated by a different company. This makes logistics much easier for all involved parties, afterwards the oil can be separated and, provided sufficiently advanced technology is used, be re-certified to allow for the oil to be sold again for the same usage.
In a perfect world, a circular economy of oil could eventually close the loop, allowing the same oil to be sold time and time again and creating a world in which the demand for oil drilling and mining of any sort eventually slows to a trickle. A win for both industry and the environment.
The only thing standing in the way of this process is technology. Until recently it simply hadn’t reached a level where the same oil could be re-used within the same system after a quick and efficient remanufacturing process.
Indeed, such a thing might just be a dream come true when it comes to the environment. An overall reduced demand for oil, even by a few percentage points, can have a huge positive effect for the environment as a whole.
ROCCO Industrial and Circular Flow
Recondoil can use their ROCCO Industrial module along with double separation technology(DST) to help make this circular economy a reality.
Indeed, they’ve already begun the work by working with Sandvik AB, a world leading engineering group, and allowing them to regenerate the same oil again and again with one of their ROCCO VF units.
Instead of running completely within the system, they’ve been able to recover 95-99% of their oil with each regenerated batch. By continuously running these batches they’ve also been able to eliminate the productivity problems which inevitable arise as oil becomes more and more contaminated with particles.
The process is efficient, but also makes disposal of waste easier. The waste matter is separated as a dried “sludge” which is easy to store and transport. It also eliminates the need for other filter systems which are designed to keep oil going for longer.
Since the regenerated oil is of the same quality as the original oil, which has been verified by third party analysts, the overall oil loss produced by these pilger plants has trickled down to be nearly a non-concern. Since the oil only loses a minimal fraction per cycle, there are huge savings on the horizon for the manufacturing plants as well as the environmental benefits.
DST might just be a world changing technology, for both the environment and industry. It helps companies to keep their efficiency up and costs down, while reducing the overall demand for oil which can help to slow the destruction which is caused when it’s initially procured.
It would seem that a circular economy of oil, with very little need for raw material input, is actually achievable. It simply makes sense for everyone involved, from manufacturing processes, to hazardous waste disposal, to Recondoil itself. In the end, using this technology, everyone can be a winner.