Can you tell if your "new" oil is recycled oil?

[SpitfireS]

By looking at it I mean.
Would it show up at a UOA?
If so, how?
I bought some cheap 10W-40 this weekend, unknown brand, no website.
The oil does have an API SL/CF, ACEA A3/B3, MB 229.1 and VW500.00/505.00 qualification.
On the label is not a word about recycled oil.
It is labelled as semi-syn, whatever that means.
No other info.
The oil itself looks kinda dark brownish, not the licht golden color I've seen all my other oils look like.
It also smells like used oil, I still have some syn 0w-30 and that oil has almost no smell at all.
By looking at the price (and the color), it being recycled oil seems like a logical conclusion.
Plausible?
Busted?

Thanks.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

You will not be able to discern recycled oil from non recycles oil. 10w40 however could be a large portion grp I and therefore not as pure as modern PCMO''s and the aromatic content in the oil would put off a scent and the oil would not start out water white like a hydrotreated oil.

Hydrotreating is the normal mode of recycling in North America. The oil is then classified by its quality (grp II etc..) and can be sold as a commodity and blended in any oil for all we know. Recycled oil should be no less expensive than virgin crude refined base oil.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

http://www.safety-kleen.com/products/OilProducts/Documents/americas choice pdfs/BaseOil.pdf

http://ac-rerefined.com/

 

[lars11]

Shouldnt matter. How "clean" is crude? Engine oil may just as well come from any ester out there.
What matters is what mokecules are in the oil, ie. what bases.

 

[Ferb]

Exactly. No matter how many 'nasty bits' are put into the Safety-Kleen collection vat, it can't be worse than pumping it from the dirt..

Honestly, if i could find recycled oil that passes (not just "recommended for...") the requirements for my cars, i would use it. No sense in pumping out of the ground what we already have above.

Anyone know where this Safety-Kleen branded oil can be found?

ferb!

 

[Gary Allan]

They need to introduce the stuff upstream further. That's the only effective way of getting mass usage of the stuff, imo. I doubt that it will really save any petroleum at our current fuel processing level.

 

[PT1]

Now I know where dealers get their bulk oil....

 

[Bryanccfshr]

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/article_detail.asp?articleid=493

 

[Bryanccfshr]

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/usedoil/rerefined/Distributors.htm



Rerefining process.
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/usedoil/rerefined/Process.htm

 

[Pablo]

I would worry more about this:

Quote:
I bought some cheap 10W-40 this weekend, unknown brand, no website.


Than the base oil being from recycled oil or not....IMHO recycled base oil can be some good stuff.

 

[Drivebelt]

There is really no way to tell recycled oil from virgin base oils.

Pennzoil conventional 5W-30 has quite a dark color compared to other 5W-30's that I've seen. This is because of the additives as the GII+ base oils start out water white. Pennzoil conventional is also pretty nasty smelling too -- smells like one is driving by a smelly oil refinery.

Esso Extra 5W-30 conventional, also a GII+, has a much lighter color, and smells so good one could almost bathe in the stuff.

 

[Max_Wander]

Originally Posted By: Drivebelt
Pennzoil conventional is also pretty nasty smelling too -- smells like one is driving by a smelly oil refinery.


What is that smell anyway? Is it dithiocarbamide or some other sulphuric additive? or is it sulphur left in the oil from refining?

 

[JayhawkRoy]

Originally Posted By: Ferb
Exactly. No matter how many 'nasty bits' are put into the Safety-Kleen collection vat, it can't be worse than pumping it from the dirt..

Honestly, if i could find recycled oil that passes (not just "recommended for...") the requirements for my cars, i would use it. No sense in pumping out of the ground what we already have above.

Anyone know where this Safety-Kleen branded oil can be found?

ferb!


Last time I checked, America's Choice by Safety Kleen was available at Sam's Club. Website says it is SM oil. Problem I saw was price was nearly as high as namebrand.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

If it smells it has to be an additive.

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: Max_Wander
Originally Posted By: Drivebelt
Pennzoil conventional is also pretty nasty smelling too -- smells like one is driving by a smelly oil refinery.


This is because of the additives as the GII+ base oils start out water white. [/quote] Pennzoil calls their GPII+ base oils Purebase.

 

[lars11]

The more I think about this, the more it sound like "old water"...

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: lars11
The more I think about this, the more it sound like "old water"...


Well, yeah ..I guess. We've been drinking the same stuff for a quite a while.

 

[bobfather99]

That AC refined stuff is apparently located right here in my area(East Chicago, Indiana) Makes sense, as Ive seen plenty of Safety-Kleen and other trucks driving in the area.

Never seen it sold anywhere though..
Anyone got any info???

 

[Gary Allan]

Since I didn't see anyone make the distinction (though it may have been in the links) ..it's not recycled ..it's re-refined.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

Good Point GA. I use the terms interchangeably when talking about recycling or rerefining used oil to basestock. There is only one way to do it right and that is through the dewatering vacuum distilation process and hydrotreating the oil to the quality desired.
Another point to be aware of is that It takes ~40% less energy to re-refine used oil to basestock compared to refining basestock from Crude since used oil is much cleaner than crude.