Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10
RE-REFINED CRANKCASE OIL
FOUND OF VALUE TO MOTOR lists
"Wastage," Again Sold After Being Re-
treated, Proves of Good Body
for Use.

te- than the original oil. A petroleum
oil is a very complex mixture and some
constituents oxidiZe In use more rapidly
than others. Hence, it is quite possible
in some cases that when the oxidation
products are removed the remaining re-
refined oil will be more stable than
when new"
Re-refined Product Found Good.
With this recommendation before it
the District Government began to use
specimens of re-refined oil. Last De-
cember sample of re-refined oil was
turned over to E. P. Brooke, assistant
superintendent of the District Build
ing, in charge Of the municipal garage,
for a test. He reported that the crank
case of a popular low-priced car was
filled with this oil on December 10.
1928. and that on February IL the ma
chine had been run 523 miles without
evidence that the oil needed changing.
He found further that the oil appar-
emily would be good for several weeks
more, that the original supply had not
been replenished and that the service
thus far had been entirely satisfactory.
Mr. Brooke agreed with the statement
of the Bureau Of Standards that this
oil would be satisfactory for the lubri-
cation of any automobile engine which
requires an oil of this viscosity"
The sewer department, which asked
that the report be made, is interested
in this waste oil matter because 1t
does not want waste oil dumped In the
public sewers.
Its presence therein would be dan
gerous to life and property" the report
points out. For the past Is months q
close observation has been maintained
of service and filling stations, garages,
garage traps, sewers, catch basins, etc.
and while it is apparent that the guam
tity of used oil entering the sewers has
been decreased. the engineers found that
this dangerous" practice has by no
means been satisfactorily suppressed.
During 1928 the sewer department
found 400 garage keepers negligent in
this respect. So 1t turned to, cleaned
the traps of sand, silt and oil and as
sessed the cost against the property c.
proprietor. This represents, however.
only small percentage Of the total
number cleaned in the aggregate. Tho
engineers found that many thousands
of gallons of used oil are disposed c.
through traps and sewers.
IF and when the public becomes edr,-
Gated to the fact that this commoditv
is marketable" the report says, cat
cents per gallon or possibly more) il
retained in containers convenient for
collection and that 1t costs approx
mately cents per gallon to have 1t re-
moved from garage traps, there should
be a marked Improvement In local con-
ditions with respect to its presence in
the sewers.
Some Of the larger distributors Of oil
in the District maintain underground
tanks in which the NSed oil is retained
and Is collected by them for their own
disposition, its ultimate use not being
known. It Is understood that this pol
icy Is followed In many instances moro
as a measure of safety and convenience
in maintaining a systematic disposal
rather than as profit-making activity.
However, some such firms indicate that
no change In the method Of disposal is
anticipated"