Separating out Antifreeze?

[greenjeepster]

I got a good source for used hydraulic fluid, motor oil, and ATF, but when they drain their fluids they mix them together including the antifreeze.

Now they offered to take back the antifreeze if I can separate it out and they will dispose of it with the rest of their oil.

How do you separate it out? Is the antifreeze component like the water and will settle below the oil allowing me to skim the oil off of the top?

I do not plan on running this strange mix straight but cutting it with diesel. I plan to set up a couple of drums with some magnets attached to the outside to try and draw away some of the heavy metals. The company allowed me to look through their bone yard and pull a few hydraulic and fuel filter assemblies off of old trucks so I can build a filter manifold to filter with. Even though I am only able to consume a fraction of what they have for waste oil they are happy that I am taking it as they currently pay by the gallon to dispose of it.

 

[shannondeese]

Set up a storage drum and let the water/antifreeze settle. Then syphon off the bottom until you start to get oil. Take the antifreeze/water mix you just took out to your local recycler and you're all set.

 

[southdave]

faster to find an old water heater, than use the valve off the bottom. just use one element it will work off 110 ajust thermo for it takes about 45 min for forty gals

 

[greenjeepster]

Heating cause the water to settle out faster?

 

[quarkz]

Its that whole thermosyphon thing again.
It pops up everywhere.
Sort of like the heat rising or cold sinking idea.

You have to put energy into a system for things to happen, in this case start to seperate.

 

[G-Force]

A settling tank as you describe will work without heat. However, if the oil
and water is in an emulsion the only thing that will break the emulsion is heat.
There will still be water in trace amounts in the oil that can be removed with heating
and running through a centrifuge. This should bring the water content down but again it is
the temperature that will bring the best results. To get good separation in a centrifuge the oil
temperature has to be brought up to 194 to 213 F. When you get up to these temperatures
the water will practically fall out of the oil or boil off if you let it stand long enough.
I personally would stay away from an oil/water/antifreeze mix. If you don't get all the water and
antifreeze out it could drop out in your tank and accumulate.

 

[Avn-Tech]

greenjeepster,

You need to talk to the yard and provide them with containers to seperate the oil.
If they are paying to have it removed, you will save them money.
Make it to their benifit to keep them seperated for you.

Good luck
Avn-Tech

 

[greenjeepster]

They mentioned that they will keep it separated out if I want, but have given me 4 55 gallon drums that are mixed...so I still need to deal with that.

 

[area52]

check out these guys:

PA Biodiesel Supply : Waste Vegetable Oil Cleaning : Biodiesel Centrifuge : Motor Oil : Water Removal : WVO Filtering : Dewatering Centrifuge : WMO Filtration Units

they have some good prices on band type drum heaters and centrifuges.