Manufacturing

The Largest Provider of Twice-refined (Re-refined) Oil Products in the World.

Kleen Performance Products State-of-the-Art Processes Supply High-Performance, High-Quality Options for Your Transportation Needs.

For more than 30 years, our oil products have performed without fail under the most severe operating conditions. We are North America's largest provider of twice-refined oil that uses oil as a renewable resource. Through a closed-loop system we are able to "re-refine" more than 140 million gallons of used oil, turning it back into finished products that can be returned to the marketplace.

The Group II+ quality of our base oil is a result of our unique refining process. We start with reclaimed oil, instead of virgin crude, as our feedstock. Since reclaimed oil is already refined, it contains fewer contaminants than virgin crude. That lets us start with a cleaner base than oil refined from crude. It then goes through a second state-of -the-art refining process that eliminates any remaining impurities.

Product Baseoil


Additionally, with more used oil being made of better quality synthetic, which is Group III, the amount of Group III oil we start with to produce our base oil is always increasing. This natural increase in the quality of our feedstock, coupled with our proprietary twice-refining process, is what yields our superior Group II+ base. Our Group II+ is now just short of meeting the performance requirements for the significantly more expensive Group III.

Our state-of-the-art blending capabilities give us the ability to blend a complete slate of oils for both passenger cars and heavy duty diesel engines. Efficient, accurate and consistent, our processes are built on more than 20 years of blending experience, and demonstrate our commitment to being a direct supplier of high-quality, high-performance products. We're also able to produce viscosity modifiers at our facilities.

Learn About Our Twice-refining Process That Uses Oil as a Renewable Resource.

Kleen Performance Products advanced refining technologies and processes have earned the latest ISO 9001-2000 certification. Our used-oil refining facilities meet the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 9001 standards for quality management and ISO 14001 standards an environmental management systems. This relentless commitment to quality helps Kleen Performance Products provide the highest performing oil products that meet API, SAE & Military specifications.

Renewable Oil Refining Process

Analytic Testing to Ensure Quality

We use more than 200 million gallons of used oil from auto service centers, fast lubes, car dealerships and factories each year. The used oil is delivered to one of three refineries where the processing begins.

Oil from a wide variety of sources may contain chemical or physical contaminants that are hazardous or prevent that oil from being used in the re-refining process. Constant testing ensures that our feedstocks are capable of producing the highest quality end products. The result: premium products and environmentally correct-recycling.

Dehydration Removes Unwelcome Water

Water finds its way into many used oil storage areas, so it's the first thing we remove, using a process of evaporation. The water is collected, treated to be chemically and biologically safe and then discharged.

Light End Recovery

Lightweight chemicals are extracted for reuse. With the water removed, the used oil goes to tall recovery towers where glycol and light fuels are separated and collected. Byproducts: glycol is eventually reprocessed as a finished automotive grade product.

Fuel Stripping

Heavier fuels are removed for industrial use. The used oil is now subjected to heat and vacuum processes which extract middle weight oils. Byproducts: fuel for industrial heating.

Vacuum Distillation

Heavy materials are reclaimed for multiple uses. The heaviest impurities are removed in a complex series of processes. The used oil is actually vaporized in an extreme vacuum and then condensed. Different materials are then separated from the oil. Byproducts: heavy oil for industrial use, such as asphalt extenders, which are made from the heaviest residual material.

Hydro Treating Removes Final Impurities

The remaining oil is treated with hydrogen to remove sulfur, nitrogen, chlorine, heavy metals and other impurities. This step also corrects any issues with odor, color and corrosion performance. The purified oil is then separated by weight - cleaner than the day it was first refined and ready to return to the marketplace.

With a nationwide fleet of trucks, tankers, rail cars and barges, Safety-Kleen collects used oil from thousands of customers across North America. Learn More

  • EcoPower® Lubricants
    EcoPower is twice-refined, using oil as a renewable resource, so it’s great for your engine, equipment and the environment.
  • Performance Plus® Lubricants
    Our Performance Plus automotive and industrial lubricants are the result of more than 30 years of research, technology and innovation.
  • Base Oil
    Kleen Performance Products® base oil provides Group II+ performance, thanks to our state-of-the-art refining process.