Avaliação do ciclo de vida do óleo lubrificante rerrefinado: aplicação de um método simplificado

Abstract

Lubricant Oil is a petroleum product with many applications in the automotive and industrial sectors. Using this liquid, however, generates a high polluting potential residue to water, soil and air (Wasted Lubricant Oil – WLO). The disposal of this waste can vary from burning, for energy production, to recycling. In Brazil, the mandatory allocation by law is the recovery and purification of the residue by re-refining process. The determination of an eco-friendly disposal process depends on the analysis of environmental aspects and impacts generated by the whole life cycle of the products, and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an excellent tool to carry out this type of analysis. This study aimed to conduct a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) for a better understanding of the subject and also of the previous studies on this same subject and to guide the application of simplified LCA to determine the environmental profile of the Re-refined Lubricant Oil (RLO). The results of the SLR showed a scarcity of studies on this topic. Among the studies found that aimed to compare the alternatives for disposal of WLO, six in nine indicated the re-refining as environmentally friendly method. A simplified LCA, performed by the Dfe Matrix methodology, presented the RLO with average performance, highlighting the step product usage as the more impactful, once it is the step where WLO is generated, and the stages of distribution and packaging as the least impactful. Regarding environmental aspects, the solid waste generation showed lower environmental impact, emphasizing the high recyclability of WLO and of the packaging material commonly used in commercializing the product.