1st - Receiving and Filtering
The used oil, received by IPS though its authorized collectors, is unloaded and homogenized. Shortly after, it is analyzed by Quality Control according to guidelines established by ABNT Norms. After approval, it is filtered and stored in specially designed tanks inside basins appropriate for this kind of storage.
2nd - Thermal Cracking / Dehydrating
In this phase the used oil is heated to 120ēC to remove the water and then up to 280ēC to remove organic compounds - hydrocarbons of low-molecular weight. The system is made of a heat exchange series that harnesses the energy of the heating process and of fragments that need heat exchange.
3rd - Total Evaporation
The dry oil from the thermal cracking / dehydrating process is sent to the total evaporation unit. This process consists in the application of high temperatures (above 375 ēC) and high vacuum with centrifugal force to separate the heavier fragments of the oil. These fragments are separated by evaporation and later condensed by strong condensers.
4th - Physical-Chemical Treatment
The oil from this total evaporation unit, already at room temperature, still possess some quantity of oxidized compounds to be separated. In order to remove them a flocculation agent in minute quantity is added. This promotes the agglomeration of these oxidized compounds that later rise to the surface and are separated after a few hours.
5th - Clarifying
The oil produced in this physical-chemical treatment is pumped to the clarification system where a clarifying agent is added. This process is responsible to absorb particles that give the product its color. The temperature of around 350 ēC is reached and the vapor pulls light fragments that may still be present in the oil. To ensure the re-refined oil's quality in this stage, a laboratory analysis is done to check the quality and make sure it complies with IPS Quality Standards.
6th - Filtering
The oil mixed with the clarifying agent is passed through a pressed and sleeve filters to remove these particles. Later it is pumped to the basic oil tanks and re-refined to room temperature. This re-refined oil meets the highest standards of basic mineral oil.
7th - Waste Management
The oil re-refining process used by IPS has improved over the years resulting in better yields as well as significantly reducing the industrial process waste and effluents. All the industrial waste generated at IPS is sent to co-processing units in industrial cement ovens that are licensed by governmental environmental bodies. Similarly, the industrial effluent treatment is sub-contracted by licensed companies.
