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ROBYS CAT. #04012/09017 |
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PROCESS/ PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
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Of the 2.4 billion gallons of lubricating oil used per year in the U.S. alone, thirty three percent (33%) is burned in industrial heaters without being upgraded while 60% is dumped, incinerated or consumed. Only 7% is reprocessed back to lubricating oil due to low consumer acceptance. Some companies that operate used oil reprocessing plants use a simple thermal cracking process. The process partially cracks the feedstock and yields a highly unstable low-grade fuel oil which can be corrosive, tarry, and discoloured along with a characteristically foul odour. All of these factors decrease the overall marketability of the product, thereby reducing the incentive to reprocess used oils. By improving the quality and marketability o f gasoil derived from used oils, the ROBYS process enables the thermal cracking of used oil to gasoil products such as diesel fuel and heating oil to exist as a profitable alternative to existing methods of used oil disposal. |
 Figure 1: ROBYS Treated and Untreated Fuel Samples from Thermal Cracking Plant |
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This profile was made possible through financial support provided by FedNor
(TM) ROBYS is a registered trademark of CANMET Energy Technology Centre. |
The ROBYS technology is a relatively low cost, modular gasoil stabilization and purification process. It can stand alone and be added to an existing plant or it can be integrated into a complete thermal cracking plant design. The high o lefin content of thermally cracked gasoils contributes to instability and gum formation. | Foul odour, dark colour, and acidity are all characteristic of nitrogen, sulphur, and chlorine compounds present in the gasoil. Figure 1 illustrates the colour comparison between untreated gasoil derived from thermal cracking and the s ame gasoil treated using the ROBYS system. | |
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PROCESS/ PRODUCT APPLICATION:
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The ROBYS process has been integrated into the design of proven refinery calibre used oil thermal cracking systems that have been developed by others. Figure 2 shows the ROBYS system's place in a typical thermal cracking plant. C omplete used oil thermal cracking plants incorporating the ROBYS process are available and can be constructed in modules to produce gasoil in the range of 30,000 metric tons per year input capacity and greater. |
 Figure 2: Schematic of ROBYS Application in Thermal Cracking Operation |
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A used oil thermal cracking plant in Malaysia
operates the ROBYS(tm) process at full commercial scale of 30,000
metric tonnes per year capacity. |
The plant converts used oil to primarily diesel fuel. See Aldwich's website. The complete processing plant technology and engineering package is available for license and purchase. | ||
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PROCESS/ PRODUCT OPERATION:
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The ROBYS Gasoil Stabilization and Purification process is based on a continuously operating gravity flow technique that utilizes thermal energy, electrical energy, and bulk chemical input. It is a low-pressure system that occupi es minimal production space and can be constructed using standard construction materials. The technology can be implemented as a skid-mounted unit and can operate as a stand-alone system in existing plants or it can be integrated into an existing thermal cracking system. The ROBYS process can dramatically increase the quality and overall marketability of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) gasoil produced in thermal cracking operations. |
 Figure 3: Effect of Aging on Gasoil Colour |
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| Figure 3 shows how rapidly a gasoil derived from a thermal cracking system oxidizes and becomes discoloured. Virtually no oxidation occurs in the ROBYS treated product. Table 1 compares three feed streams before and after the ROBYS tre atment. The figures indicate substantial improvements in colour | and odour as well as dramatic reductions in sulphur, nitrogen, and chlorine. The improved quality and marketability of the processed stream makes upgrading used oil to diesel more cost effective than reprocessing to low-grade lubricatin g oil, and certainly more attractive than storing and disposing of used oils. | ||
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VENDOR INFORMATION: Aldwich Canada Ltd. |
Aldwich Canada Ltd. is
an industrial consulting and technology development company. The ROBYS(tm)
Gasoil Stabilization and Purification Process technology was
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developed by and is the intellectual property of CANMET Energy Technology Centre(1), Ottawa (CETC-0). Aldwich Canada Ltd. is the exclusive licensor of the ROBYS(tm) technology on behalf of CETC-O. | Aldwich Canada is interested in contacting collectors of significant volumes of used oil who are interested in adding value to used oil by converting to diesel and other products. Contact Don Kress at kress@aldwich.com |
| (1) CANMET Energy Technology Centre is part of Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) Energy Technology branch and provides multidisciplinary referee analysis and consulting on process and QC for energy R&D and demonstration. | |||
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This document was originally published July, 1998. It is best viewed with the font Times, size 12. While OCETA has reviewed this product/process with the Vendor and conducted limited independent investig ation, OCETA assumes no responsibility fo r the accuracy and completeness of the information.
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