The finished lubricant industry needs more energy efficient and lower carbon emitting blending systems to remain sustainable and lower production costs, delegates heard at the Union of the European Lubricants Industry (UEIL).
Current blending technologies used in lubricant production require high energy use as base oils and additives need to be heated. This leads to a poor environmental reputation and makes the industry slow to react to environmental challenges, Blendtek sales manager Alex Ball said.
UK-based Blendtek is removing heat from the blending process and developed a technology using ultrasound known as "cold boiling". It also removes the physical agitation usually needed in the process, blending on a molecular level.
As such, gas or fuel energy savings can be up to 93pc, with blending times reduced by around 33pc as cooling times are dispensed with and efficiency increases. For a representative 10t of finished product produced, only 8kw/h of energy was required, compared with 1,962kw/h used with a traditional blending system.
Removing heat from the process also lowers the chance of damaging a blend, reducing waste and it also has low minimum blending volumes.
The technology can be retrofitted to existing plant arrangements and generators require 7.5-15 amps to operate.
"The base oils and finished lubricants industry is facing increased pressure to lower its carbon footprint, starting with blending practices we can achieve carbon neutrality and not from simply offsetting," Blendtek told Argus.
