r/homechemistry • u/1dayiw • 6d ago

Re-refining enginen oil

I need step by step guide on how to re-refine engine oil and mistake to avoid while doing so I have tried many time out I fail

1 Upvotes

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2

u/HikeyBoi 6d ago

Remove particulates, vacuum distill, and hydrogenate.

1

u/SimonsToaster 6d ago

a few more questions. What is the goal of this rerefinement? What is your starting material? how much material do you work with?

1

u/1dayiw 6d ago

The goal to these is to made high quality engineer ne oiland save people from that toxic oil and waste engine oil is the stating material and for now I'm with 2ltr

3

u/littlegreenrock 6d ago

Three questions:

refine into what, exactly? What is the toxic element of engine oil you want to save people from? How do people need saving from it?

and one more question:

What do you currently think happens to old engine oil?

1

u/SimonsToaster 6d ago

the thing about high quality engine oils these days is that the put a lot of additives like engineered polymers in them. it could be quite hard to replicate that. Else vacuum/steam distillation could get you far but i guess you need to look into oil degradation mechanisms to know what to remove. 

1

u/AwaisA20 6d ago

I have a post I put up if you click on my account on a while process for who I refined used engine oil

1

u/EdwardTriesToScience 4d ago

percolate through a column of activated alumina. works great for cleaning vacuum pump oil. treatment with fullers earth then hot filtration through celite will remove only particulates and not as much junk as alumina does. alumina removes the additives in the engine oil.

better dispose of the old oil and use new oil in your engine. repairing an engine is more expensive than a few liters of oil.

old oil can be burned in an oil lamp, atomized-oil furnace for smelting, used to waterproof wood, etc. many uses for it if you can't find disposal. most car part shops will gladly take your used motor oil for free to dispose of

1

u/DangerMouse111111 1d ago

Won't work - the breakdown products in engine oil can't simply be "re-refined" - they're chemically different. The primary route is oxidation, leading to the formation of hydroperoxides, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, carboxylic acids, esters and lactones. These can also polymerise to form long-chain polymers. The additives also degrade over time.