Refining and Reuse of Waste Lube Oil in SI Engines: A Novel Approach for a Sustainable Environment

Abstract

The protection of the environment and pollution control are issues of paramount importance. Researchers today are engrossed in mitigating the harmful impacts of petroleum waste on the environment. Lubricating oils, which are essential for the smooth operation of engines, are often disposed of improperly after completing their life. In the experimental work presented in this paper, deteriorated engine oil was regenerated using the acid treatment method and was reused in the engine. The comparison of the properties of reused oil, the engine’s performance, and the emissions from the engine are presented. The reuse of regenerated oil, the evaluation of performance, and emissions establish the usefulness of the regeneration of waste lubricating oil. For the used oil, total acid number (TAN), specific gravity, flash point, ash content, and kinematic viscosity changed by 60.7%, 6.7%, 4.4%, 96%, and 15.5%, respectively, compared with fresh oil. The regeneration partially restored all the lost lubricating oil properties. The performance parameters, brake power (BP), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) improved with regenerated oil in use compared with used oil. The emissions CO and NOX contents for acid-treated oil were 9.7% and 17.3% less in comparison with used oil, respectively. Thus, regenerated oil showed improved performance and oil properties along with significantly reduced emissions when employed in an SI engine.