Sorry if this isn't the best place to post this but wondered if anyone had any ideas as to how I can find a market for Fuchs Aquacent LT100 I have surplus to requirements. I have the contract to remove used and unused hydraulic oil from UK phosphate mine and I am finding that I have circa 20000 litres of unused Fuchs Aquacent left over each month. I am storing it in 1000 litre cube stills but the quantities building up and I would like to make some money back on it if possible. I know the used stuff is only worth $.10 cents per litre max but the unused stuff surely has a higher value? It's £34 per litre new so it must be of use/interest to someone? I have had the usual chats with Asian buyers but because it's specialist and non flammable (ISO 3668/VG100) it's to good for their needs and nonflammable due to its water content. Probably doesn't help that it's in the UK and shipping costs will push up their costs. Would be really grateful for a bit of advice on possible markets and if I am in the wrong forum area apologies. Thanks for looking, Simon.
The first thing you're up against is the amount of water in it - 41% according to Fuchs. Can that water be removed by any simple process leaving just the mineral oil component..? If it can then the 60% or thereabouts that remains could probably be burned if mixed in say 2.5% concentration with diesel fuel. The other thought that springs to mind here is the fuel for any sort of industrial kiln. The relatively high viscosity of the oil (ISO 100) compared to central heating burning oil (about ISO 5) would mean mixing it would have to be done in fairly low concentrations to avoid changing the viscosity of the original fuel by too much. For the fuel in a kiln I have no idea what they use.
Cheers Nige, suspect the cost of removal of the water element would make it a nonstarter as a burning oil. Probable that it's unique selling point as a nonflammable oil negates it's desirability to anyone else. Had hoped that someone might have use of it in its current state but realise that demand for the nonflammable lubes is limited - probably need to find some deep mining operator, similar to where it's come out of but one who is happy with how it's being sourced. Shame as the stuff is genuinely unused in that it's just repumped out of the lines and has never been in or through a machine.
How much underground mining for anything, let alone coal, is left in the UK now..? Not much I'd have thought. That severely limits your potential market.
Why would anyone be disposing of the better part of a hundred thousand USD a month in unused hydraulic fluid???? I would think they would simply buy less, or pay the distributor to keep it, lol.
I agree it's madness but they have scheduled flushes and a per existing contract to supply - therefore even if they were prepared to reuse the unused lubricant they still wouldn't (hope this makes sense!). Suppose from their point of view they can't improve the efficiency of their lines, and we are talking upwards of four miles underground, and therefore it's a cost they have to bare. I have little understanding of the physics involved but I'm led to believe this is only around 20% wastage which is very acceptable to them. They can't simply use less for obvious reasons. Im a bit gutted their supplier won't take the stuff back and resupply but that was one of the first questions I asked!
Are there not any used oil buyers in the UK? The used oil market here in the US is a profitable business.
Put it up on alibaba or something like that get some international advertising going... should be fairly doable to load out by the container since you already have it in totes?