Make Fuel from Used Car Oil using Microwaves

The car used oil can be reused to make fuel through a process called "pyrolysis" which uses microwaves to heat the used oil. The system was developed by scientists from the University of Cambridge by way of heating the used oil to a high temperature in the absence of oxygen, and cause the oil to break down into a mixture of gases, liquids, and solids.

The gas and liquid from the used oil heating is to be used to convert into fuel. The scientists added a microwave-absorbent material into the used oil to make the oil can heat evenly, before subjected it to pyrolysis by heating using microwaves. This step at a time perfecting the traditional pyrolysis processes are less practical. The scientists have presented the research on the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

Research shows that the addition of a microwave-absorbent material into used oil samples can make 90 percent of used oil is converted into a mixture of conventional gasoline and diesel. Scientists believe that their system has the potential to be commercialized. If the system is successfully developed, the possibility of 8 billion U.S. gallons of used oil generated each year from cars and trucks in the world could be used again for fuel.