The Optimum Route To Lube Bases From

Spent Oils

OIL The promise of a better tomorrow relies on 

B E N E F I T S
REFINING
minimizing carbon footprint today. Choosing
Revivoil™ is a first step – the right step in the
journey of de-carbonization by tapping into
the circular economy facilitated by spent
• Lesser crude oil processed
worldwide in order to produce lubes
lube oils. The patented Revivoil™ technology
allows to re-refine spent Lube Oil – perhaps • Lesser environmental footprint (1)

the only petroleum product that could › X 2 less CO₂ generation

easily hit the reset button, infinite times, › X 4 less emissions of fine dusts
with attractive outcomes in terms of quality,
› X 5 less emissions of detrimental
| Revivoil™

yields, profit-margins and more importantly gases (SOx, NOx and NH₃)
a decreased impact on environment.
• Reduced improper disposal of used
oil that can contaminate soil and
water resources

Based on industrial operating experience

(1)

gained by Itelyum and Axens

AN ALLIANCE POOLING SKILLS

Itelyum is one of the world’s leading spent lube oil re-refiners and Axens is a reference
in hydroprocessing field. Both are actors in the lube oil re-refining business for over 30
years and have accumulated operational and technical expertise from many different
hydroprocessing units. These two majors players developed together Revivoil™
technology in order to overcome the shortcomings of conventional spent oil re-refining
processes and boast successful operation of over 16 process units for the past decade.

CONVENTIONAL CLAY + FINISHING REVIVOIL™

PROCESSES PROCESSES
Both high yields & high
CHOICE High yield but low quality Medium yield & medium quality
quality
High feed metal content
High feed metal content High feed metal content
FEED CONTAMINANTS makes it impossible to use
acceptable acceptable
hydrotreatment
Requires clay treatment;
Very high product quality
Requires clay treatment; some improvement in product
PRODUCT QUALITY achieved; equal or better
low quality product quality in the hydrotreatment
than original base oil quality
step
PRODUCT YIELDS High Moderate Very high
Spent clay disposal is None; spent catalyst can be
Spent clay disposal is frequent
WASTE HANDLING frequent and could be regenerated or disposed
and could be problematic
problematic easily at end of life

Ï Table 1: Comparison of various re-refining processes

Process Description
Water, PROCESS FEATURES
Light fuel
• Attractive return-on-investment
Pre-Flash
Spent Oil Gas oil
especially for revamped
Light ends
Spindle
conventional units

Hydrofinishing
De-Asphalting
Storage
• Conventional processes with
Thermal

Light Stripper distillation can be converted easily

Storage Diesel
Heavy into Revivoil™ process at minimum
Storage
cost
Brightstock • Stepwise investment possible

De-Asphalting
Lubes • Highest yields: 30% to 50% than
Residue Propylene the best conventional process
Asphalt
• No acid, no clay: no transport,
storage and waste handling issues

Ï Typical Revivoil™ blockflow diagram

• Flexible to process all kinds of
used mineral motor oil feedstock
Spent oil is processed in an atmospheric- lube recovery with the Revivoil™ process. • Long on-stream cycles
flash distillation column to remove water
The results are substantial improvements in
and gasoline as the first step and then
selectivity, quality, and yields (table 2).
sent to the Thermal Deasphalting (TDA)
vacuum column for recovery of gasoil at The final and very important step for
overhead and base oils as side-streams. achieving the finished base oil quality is the
Metals and metalloids concentrate in the hydrofinishing process. It reduces /removes
residue. The energy-efficient TDA column remaining metals and metalloids, Conradson
Economic Data
features no moving components and exhibits Carbon, organic acids, and compounds Basis:
excellent performance with no issues such containing chlorine, sulfur and nitrogen.
40,000 metric tons/year for group 2
as plugging. The residue is sent to an Color, UV and thermal stability are restored
production
optional Selectopropane unit if recovery of and polynuclear aromatics are reduced
brightstock and asphalt are desired. to values far below the latest thresholds. Configuration:
Viscosity index remains equal to or better
This scheme is different from those where Atmospheric flash, TDA and
than the original feed. For achieving all these
the entire feed of vacuum column goes Hydrofinishing units + auxiliary units &
above functions, multicomponent catalyst
through a deasphalting step and contributes offsites - Oil recovery: 75 to 80%
system is industry’s preferred choice.
to significant energy savings and superior
Investment:

GROUP 1 GROUP 2 124 million euros (May 2021) - Overal

Revivoil™ complex value, US Gulf Coast
BRIGHT-
PRODUCT QUALITIES SPINDLE LIGHT HEAVY SPINDLE LIGHT HEAVY
STOCK
COLOR (ASTM D1500) < 0.5 1.5 2.0 < 0.5

FLASH POINT, °C 220 234 250 305 220 234 250

ViSCOSITY @ 40°C, CST 25 38 76 350 24 37 75

VISCOSITY INDEX 105 110 106 90 110 115 113

SULFUR, WT % < 0.1 < 0.15 < 0.3 < 0.03

PNA (IP 346), WT % <1 <1

SATURATES, WT % < 90 ≥ 90

Ï Table 2: Typical Revivoil™ product qualities

Axens is a group providing a complete range of solutions for the conversion

of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major
petrochemical intermediates as well as all of natural gas treatment and conversion
options. The integrated offer includes technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular
blog.axens.net units, catalysts, adsorbents and related services, commercialized under “Axens
Solutions”, “Heurtey Petrochem Solutions” and “Axens Horizon” brands.

2022-02_Revivoil