- Waste oil
Waste oil is defined as any
petroleum -based orsynthetic oil that, through use or handling, has become unsuitable for its original purpose due to the presence of impurities or loss of original properties.This page (appears to) uses the terms "waste oil" and "used oil" synonymously. However, it may be of interest to note that the U.S. EPA defines the term "used oil" using (approximately) the defnition given above, while the term "waste oil" is used to mean used oil (or oil) that is inappropriately mixed with hazardous waste, or disposed of, rather than recycled (re-refined, burned for energy recovery, etc.). The general difference between the two terms is essentially whether the used oil is disposed of, or appropriately recycled.
Products used as Waste Oil
Some examples of types of products that after use, can be labeled as used oil are: lubrication for machinery or equipment operations, hydraulic oil and transmission oils used for equipment operated by hydraulics, engine oil, grade #2 oils,
crankcase oils, gear box oil, and depending on the heater, synthetic oils, commercial and military jet fuels, grades #1, 3 & 4 heating oils, and even vegetable oil.Disposal of Waste Oil
Waste oil can be disposed of in different ways, including sending the used oil off-site (some facilities are permitted to handle the used oil such as your local garages and local waste disposal facilities), burning used oil as a fuel (some used oil is not regulated by burner standards, but others that are off-specification used oil can only be burned in either industrial furnaces, certain boilers, and permitted hazardous waste incinerators), and marketing the used oil (claims are made that the used oil is to be burned for energy recovery, it is then shipped to a used oil burner who burns the used oil in an approved industrial furnace or boiler).Oils that are off-specification typically contain: Arsenic 5 ppm, Cadmium 2 ppm, Chromium 10 ppm, Lead 100 ppm,
Flash point 100°F, minimum (i.e., fp must be greater than 100°F), Total Halogens >4,000 ppm [cite web |url=http://epic.er.doe.gov/epic/docs/525.pdf |title=Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste: Used Oil Final Rule and Correction Notices Issued |accessdate=2007-04-05 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=1993 |month= |format=pdf |work= |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Guidance |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]Dealing with Waste Oil
For on-site burning of used oil, the oil must be stored in tanks or containers, above or underground. The containers must be in good condition with no leaks, the tanks/containers must be labeled with the words “used oil”, and there must be a spill prevention plan (or a control and countermeasures plan). Another method to deal with waste/used oil is to dispose of this oil in a waste oil furnace.
Waste oil furnace
Waste oil furnace is a type of
furnace that can be used as a device for heating, for the general burning/disposal of used oil/waste oil and for the general burning and disposal for energy purposes described by the EPA. The heat source that is mainly burned in a waste oil furnace is waste oil.Richard Freudenberger was the original designer of the Mother Earth Waste Oil Heater in
1980 . Freudenberger discovered that additives had to be added to raise the burning temperature of motor oil. This heater/furnace was created with the sole purpose of burning used oils. It was first built from discarded, junked, and scraped materials and its cost was equivalent to ~US$2.50.cite web |url=http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me4.html |title=Mother Earth Waste Oil Heater |accessdate=2007-04-05 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2004 |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]In 2006 Roger Sanders solved all the problems that made Mother Earth News waste oil heaters difficult to use. His new MEN heater design is simple, reliable and easy to use, it's quiet and uses no electricity, it has reliable oil flow and a wide heat range, it's easy to light and easy to clean. "In other words, it is a practical design that you can use day in and day out for seriously heating your dwelling or workshop without costing you a lot of time and frustration."
url=http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me11.html
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