an education in "synthetic" motor oil
08-12-2008, 11:38 PM
#1
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an education in "synthetic" motor oil
so i learned, on another car board, that mobil 1 and any other API group III based oils, can only market their product as 100% synthetic in the u.s.
everywhere else it's considered a blend. only oils made from API group IV base stock is truly synthetic.
it doesn't have anything to do with performance, etc. but it was new information for a motor oil newbie like myself.
everywhere else it's considered a blend. only oils made from API group IV base stock is truly synthetic.
it doesn't have anything to do with performance, etc. but it was new information for a motor oil newbie like myself.
08-13-2008, 12:56 AM
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Mobil took Castrol to court when Castrol stopped using synthetic base for their 'synthetic' oils.
Despite the obvious rip-off from Castrol, Mobil lost the case, basically because of semantics.
That's where the 'confusion' comes in - basically Mobil is synthetic, Castrol is not, but is processed as a synthetic (and priced as a synthetic!)
Make your own choices - I'm a Mobil man.
Despite the obvious rip-off from Castrol, Mobil lost the case, basically because of semantics.
That's where the 'confusion' comes in - basically Mobil is synthetic, Castrol is not, but is processed as a synthetic (and priced as a synthetic!)
Make your own choices - I'm a Mobil man.
08-13-2008, 01:06 PM
#7
Burning Brakes
Slightly off-topic but related nonetheless: what makes an oil "synthetic"? It's all made from crude oil pulled from underground. Is it just a matter of more processing?
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08-13-2008, 02:07 PM
#8
Race Car
I wonder why people believe that "fully" synthetic oil is better than all other oils? Must be that they are a sucker for marketing hype? There sure are no studies that show it to be true. 
08-22-2008, 05:35 PM
#10
Race Car
Teflon, correct? Mobil 1 has the filters with the Teflon impregnated inside to be released into the oil. Teflon being a self-lubricating material.
08-22-2008, 07:09 PM
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my, probably incorrect, understanding is that synthetics are made of materials other than petroleum or petroleum distillates.
08-23-2008, 03:03 AM
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The technical advantages of synthetic motor oils include:
Measurably better low and high temperature viscosity performance
Better chemical & shear stability
Decreased evaporative loss
Resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown and oil sludge problems
Extended drain intervals with the environmental benefit of less oil waste
Improved fuel economy in certain engine configurations
Better lubrication on cold starts
As for the 'synthetic is no better than dino oil' pitch...
Yep, and the Earth is flat, and Big Foot is in a freezer after being found by an ex duty cop and his buddies...
Measurably better low and high temperature viscosity performance
Better chemical & shear stability
Decreased evaporative loss
Resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown and oil sludge problems
Extended drain intervals with the environmental benefit of less oil waste
Improved fuel economy in certain engine configurations
Better lubrication on cold starts
As for the 'synthetic is no better than dino oil' pitch...
Yep, and the Earth is flat, and Big Foot is in a freezer after being found by an ex duty cop and his buddies...
In the simplest terms, the base stock of synthetics, polyalphaolefin (PAO) starts as ethylene gas, a simple two-carbon molecule that is built up to a 10-carbon molecule. Three of these super molecules are combined to form PAO, a base stock that offers a number of advantages over Mother Nature's version. Synthetics are more stable, flow at lower temperatures, are more resistant to boiling off, and less susceptible to oxidation, which causes thickening with prolonged high temperatures.
The inherent element with crude stock for motor oil is the molecular construction. Conventional motor oil is a batch of short-chain and long-chair carbon and hydrogen atoms. In extreme heat, the short chains can evaporate and these unstable molecules oxidize and break down. In addition, contaminants and reactive and/or unstable hydrocarbons can sneak through the refining process.
The inherent element with crude stock for motor oil is the molecular construction. Conventional motor oil is a batch of short-chain and long-chair carbon and hydrogen atoms. In extreme heat, the short chains can evaporate and these unstable molecules oxidize and break down. In addition, contaminants and reactive and/or unstable hydrocarbons can sneak through the refining process.
