Eneos announced on Wednesday that it has produced rerefined base oil in a demonstration project, as part of its work in a government-commissioned study on recycled waste lubricants in Japan.
Third-party tests confirmed that gasoline engine oils containing its rerefined base oil meets an international standard for high-temperature oxidation resistance or the Sequence IIIH test.
The test confirmed the same high-temperature oxidation stability as gasoline engine oils made with virgin base oils, the company said in the press release.
The Sequence IIIH test is a high-temperature oxidation resistance test method stipulated in the ILSAC GF-6 gasoline engine oil standard established by the International Lubricant Standardization and Advisory Committee. The test evaluates high-temperature oxidation stability based on the rate of increase in viscosity of engine oil in simulated operating conditions.
The company said its pilot plant used waste lubricants collected from the public with the cooperation of Toyota Motor Corp.
Eneos said it will next look into scaling up its demonstration experiment, making effective use of existing refineries and business sites. The company said it will engage in dialogue with stakeholders in the business activities, and it is also working on the possibility of technical collaboration with overseas companies.
Most of the waste lubricant in Japan is burned as fuel, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide. Recycling waste lubricants into base oils can help reduce product life cycle CO2 emissions and enable a stable supply of base oil. The development of this recycling technology is part of the company’s two-year study to develop a waste lubricant collection system and rerefined base oil technology with the aim for commercializing rerefined base oil. The study is commissioned by the country’s Ministry of the Environment.