Did you know your used vegetable oil can be processed into an eco-friendly alternative fuel? The process is relatively simple – but first, it needs to be filtered. Waste oil is full of contaminants, from scraps of food to water and even floating chemicals. Find out from SeQuential how Neste filters vegetable oil into renewable fuel.
Why Vegetable Oil Needs to Be Filtered
Before understanding the renewable fuel process, it’s essential to understand why the filtering stage is so important. Used oil from restaurants is often full of contaminants, such as breadcrumbs, shreds of meat, the burnt corner of a French fry, or other food particles. Some of the contaminants are invisible, though. They might be water or juices from food, stray chemicals, or anything else that got mixed into the oil during use.
None of these contaminants can be converted into renewable fuel, and they can even disrupt the rendering process. That’s why it’s important to thoroughly filter them out, leaving behind only pure oil to transform into renewable fuel.
The Filtering Process
So, how does the filtering process work? Vegetable oil is usually filtered in a few stages for maximum effectiveness. Here’s a brief overview:
Initial Filtering
First, to remove the particles, the vegetable oil is heated and passed through a series of two or more filters. Made of fine-grade mesh, these filters are designed to catch bits of food or other solids that might be suspended in the oil. Accumulated solids can then be disposed of or burned to power the renewable fuel processing facility.
Removing Water
Second, any water must be removed from the oil. In this stage, the oil is heated once more. It’s then transferred to a clean receptacle, where it is allowed to. As the oil settles, it separates into pure vegetable oil and water. The oil is transferred to a new container, and the water is disposed of or used elsewhere.
Finishing the Transformation
Once oil is filtered, it’s ready to be transformed into renewable fuel. This is accomplished through a hydrotreatment process. The result is an HVO diesel that has a similar chemical composition to fossil diesel. This chemical resemblance enables renewable diesel to be used in all diesel engines in up to a 100% concentration, or to be blended in any ratio with fossil diesel.
Turning Waste Oil into Biofuel with SeQuential
Filtration is part of the renewable fuel making process is necessary to transform your waste vegetable oil into clean-burning fuel that is sold at local gas stations. SeQuential collects used cooking oil and supply’s it to Neste, a renewable fuel processing company. To find out more about our services, contact us today.