Lube Oil Processing 1

Lube Oil Processing

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3

2.0 Raw Materials ........................................................................................................................... 3

3.0 The Manufacturing Process ...................................................................................................... 4

3.1 Sedimentation ........................................................................................................................ 5

3.2 Fractionating.......................................................................................................................... 5

3.3 Filtering and Extraction of Solvents...................................................................................... 6

3.4 The Additives, Inspection and Packaging ............................................................................. 6

4.0 Quality Controls ........................................................................................................................ 6

5.0 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 7

References ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Lube Oil Processing 3

1.0 Introduction

Over time, there are many liquids that have been used in lubricating with the sole reason of

minimizing the rate of friction between different parts of a body or machine (Evenepoel,

Agarwal and Klein, 2018). The most commonly used product is the lubricating oil based on the

fact that it has a wide range of applications. Lube oil can be synthetic or mineral. While there are

many lube oils, the most commonly used oils are mineral oils based on the fact that they are

inexpensive to extract. They can also be produced in a very wide range of viscosities where there

are low viscosity lubes, medium viscosity and high viscosity lubes. The synthetic lubes are

categorically made for very specific reasons in the machinery industry (Boopathy, Das, 2018).

2.0 Raw Materials

Lube oil is one of the many of the fractions that can be derived from the raw petroleum that

emerges from oil wells. This is the basic raw material that is used in the process of making the

lube oils. There are also chemicals called additives that are used as raw materials in the process

which are mixed with the crude oil that has been refined so that the required properties are

obtained. The common additives are metals such as lead (or metal sulphides) that are used in

prevention of galling and scouring, especially when there is contact with overly high

temperatures. The other common additive is the high molecular weight polymeric as they help in

improving the viscosity, counteracts thinning at very high levels of temperatures. Nitrosomines

are another common raw material and are applied as antioxidants and inhibitors of corrosion and

also neutralize acids as well as forming protective films on the surfaces of metals (Luo et al,

2018).
Lube Oil Processing 4

3.0 The Manufacturing Process

Lube oil is usually extracted from crude oil. The crude oil usually undergoes a preliminary

process of purification called sedimentation. After this, it is pumped into fractionating towers.

According to Wang et al (2018), a fractionating tower that operates at high efficiency levels,

usually 25-30 feet wide and 400 feet high. It is also constructed by use of high end steel

materials so that corrosion due to compounds in the crude oil can be avoided (Widodo et al,

2018). It is also fitted with a series of trays for collecting condensate. The process and the

fractionating columns can be noted from the basis of the figure below;

Source: Ariono et al (2018)

In each of the towers, the hydrocarbons in their thousands are separated from each other through

the process of fractional distillation. At the time the vapours are rising up the towers, the
Lube Oil Processing 5

fractions will cool down, condense and then return to the form of liquids that are formed at

different levels based on the densities of the respective fluids. It is also notable that this is

defined by the different boiling points of the different contents of the fractionate. Liquids that

have low boiling points will rise higher in the columns before they condense (Amoraet al, 2019).

Accordingly, it is clear that the natural gas will be the first to reach its boiling point and then

there will be gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, lubricants and then tar (Lejre et al, 2018). It is

necessary that these processes are looked at from the basis of the respective impacts created on

the process as determined below;

3.1 Sedimentation

At this level, the crude oil is effectively transported to the refinery by a pipeline or a tanker.

While at the refinery, there will be the process of sedimentation where there is removal of water

any of the solid materials that are contaminants. Usually, these solids are suspended in it. The

crude oil will then be pumped into very large tanks for holding in which case the materials will

settle at different levels, allowing water and oils to separate at different levels and positions

(Ariono et al, 2018).

3.2 Fractionating

Crude oil in this case is heated at 3710C in which case there is breakdown of the different

sediment materials into a mixture containing hot vapour and liquid that is then pumped to the

bottom part of the first tower (Ismail and Bagheri, 2017). The hot hydrocarbons will then be

forced to float upwards. At that point, they are allowed to condense which in effect leads to them

being collected at different levels (or trays). Normal atmospheric pressure is then maintained at

that level but 80% of the crude oil present will evaporate. The 20% that is remaining is reheated

in which case it is pumped to the next tower present in the process. The heavier components such
Lube Oil Processing 6

as tar will effectively remain behind as they need an overly higher temperature than this to

vaporise. They are then set for further processing (Widodo et al, 2018).

3.3 Filtering and Extraction of Solvents

Usually, there is further processing that helps in removing the unwanted compounds. The lube

oil is also part of the compounds that have been captured in the different columns in the towers.

The lube oil will then be passed through overly ultrafine filters that help in removing the

remaining collection of impurities (Evenepoel, Agarwal and Klein, 2018). For instance,

removing aromatic is important because this is a compound that has the characteristic nature of

affecting the viscosity of the lube oil. They are removed by the process of solvent extraction.

3.4 The Additives, Inspection and Packaging

The lube oil at that level will be mixed with other additives so that the desired properties are

taken up. A characteristic such as the ability to withstand higher temperatures is important at that

level after which the lube oil is subjected to tests for quality. The tests configure issues such as

the viscosity, colour, fire points and many other relatable qualities (Luo et al, 2018).

4.0 Quality Controls

There are very specific requirements for valuable lube oil that needs to be produced at the end

level of the process chain. For instance, lube oil need to be nonresinous, oxidant resistant and

odourless. There are many chemical tests that are used in defining the process of making sure

that all these characteristics are defined from the very beginning. It is also the same level that

grading of the lube oil is done. The other tests will clearly focus on the gravity, viscosity, gravity

and the other related tests associated with the process (Ariono et al, 2018). However, despite all

the characteristics that are tested, viscosity is the most important of all these tests. If the oil was
Lube Oil Processing 7

to be found to be too viscous, it will have the characteristic nature of offering too much

resistance to the moving parts of metals. If less viscous, it will be pushed and squeezed out of the

mating parts of the metals. Saybolt Standard Universal Viscometer is an instrument that is used

in measuring viscosity (Ismail and Bagheri, 2017). In the end, it is determinate that common

engine oil is defined by the different levels of viscosity and the required performance.

5.0 Conclusion

It is notable that the process of processing lube oil focusses on removing it from the combination

of the other compounds that make up crude oil. In this research, the focus was on lube oil

processing. It is clear that the process undergoes different procedural steps that will sustainably

lead to a fine form of the lube oil being produced. It has also been noted that the process takes

four major steps that will make sure that the right process of making sure that the right form of

lube is produced.
Lube Oil Processing 8

References

Ariono, D., Widodo, S., Khoiruddin, K., Wardani, A. K., & Wenten, I. G. (2018, July). The

Influence of Operating Parameters on Membrane Performance in Used Lube Oil

Processing. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 395, No.

1, p. 012018). IOP Publishing.

Boopathy, R., & Das, T. (2018). New Approach of Integrated Advanced Oxidation Processes for

the Treatment of Lube Oil Processing Wastewater. Arabian Journal for Science and

Engineering, 43(11), 6229-6236.

Evenepoel, N., Agarwal, P., & Klein, M. T. (2018). Molecular-Level Kinetic Modeling of Lube

Base Oil Hydroisomerization. Energy & fuels, 32(9), 9804-9812.

Fruchey, K. S., Carroll, M. B., & Hilbert, T. L. (2018). U.S. Patent Application No. 15/631,675.

Lejre, K. H., Glarborg, P., Christensen, H., Mayer, S., & Kiil, S. (2018). Mixed Flow Reactor

Experiments and Modeling of Sulfuric Acid Neutralization in Lube Oil for Large Two-

Stroke Diesel Engines. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 58(1), 138-155.

Luo, T., Zhang, L., Zhang, C., Ma, J., Xu, Z., Sun, X., & Zhao, S. (2018). Role of water as the

co-solvent in eco-friendly processing oil extraction: Optimization from experimental data

and theoretical approaches. Chemical Engineering Science, 183, 275-287.

Wang, Z., Xue, X., Yin, H., Jiang, Z., & Li, Y. (2018). Research Progress on Monitoring and

Separating Suspension Particles for Lubricating Oil. Complexity, 2018.

Widodo, S., Ariono, D., Khoiruddin, K., Hakim, A. N., & Wenten, I. G. (2018). Recent advances

in waste lube oils processing technologies. Environmental Progress & Sustainable

Energy, 37(6), 1867-1881.