SYNTHETIC?

 

What is it and what does it really mean?

 

The Oxford Dictionary says:

“made by synthesis; manufactured as opposed to produced naturally”

 

When it comes to oil we think of synthetics as the best that we can buy and that all synthetics are the same but, it’s not so simple.

 

Synthetic oils are not all the same, some are manmade in laboratories with uniform sized molecules and represent the finest quality that money can buy; others are merely highly refined mineral oils also known as hydrocracked oils.

 

So, some synthetics are not really synthetics at all in the true sense of the word and certainly not from a chemists point of view. Granted, these highly refined mineral oils have some advantages over less refined mineral oils but they do cost more.

 

Why are highly refined mineral oils called synthetic and is this legal when they are not really synthetic in the true sense of the word?

 

A legal battle took place in the USA some years ago and the final ruling was that certain mineral fractions that had undergone extra chemical treatments could be called “synthetic”.

 

The Marketing Executives were delighted as they realised that “synthetic” could be printed on a can of cheap oil provided that the contents included this specially processed mineral oil which cost a fraction of the price to produce than real synthetics. The profit implications where fairly exciting too!

 

So how does this affect the average motorist with a standard road going car or bike?

 

Very little other than you may be paying for something that is not quite what you think it is. Quality-wise it will still be better than that old 20w-50 dino oil in the back of the garage that cost next to nothing.

 

The economics are pretty simple too. If you like the look of well-marketed can with “synthetic” printed on it that does not cost you a lot, you now know why this is the case.

 

But, if you have a high performance, modified or track car/bike and you want to keep it in the best condition then you need the real thing as it offers the highest levels of protection. It will cost you more but then it’s still cheap against the cost of an engine failure!

 

Cheers

The Opie Oils Team.

Is there a way to tell which oils are high quality synthentic and which is hydrocracked....from the labels ?

Not from the labels no, price is usually a good indicator.

 

They dont really want you to know what your buying.

 

Cheers

 

Guy.

Guy,

 

Could you give us some examples (brand names) of what you are pretty sure is either hydrocracked or "proper" synthetic

 

Cheers mate

 

Nick

Ok,

 

Silkolene Pro S and Pro R, Motul 300v. Amsoil, Redline, Mobil 1 0w-40, Mobil 1 15w-50, Castrol 0w-40, Castrol Edge 10w-60, they are all true synthetics. Also any oil with a 0w is a true synthetic, its the only way they can get that viscosity rating.

 

All halfords stuff, All shell helix and ultra, Mobil 1 Synt S 5w-40, Fuchs Titan Supersyn 5w-40, Comma, Halvoline, Chevron, Castrol Magnatec all, GTX all hydrocracked of one form or an other. The list really does go on.

 

All semi synthetics are 100% mineral base.

 

Words like "technosynthese" "synthetic engineering" "liquid engineering" "syntech" all fancy ways of saying "I am modified mineral".

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers

 

Guy.

sweet i got amsoil in mine

Not from the labels no, price is usually a good indicator.

 

They dont really want you to know what your buying.

 

Cheers

 

Guy.

 

Interesting thread, Guy - particularly the "name and shame!!"

 

But from your list, price is not necessarily a good indicator; after all Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 is every bit as expensive as Mobil-1 or Castrol Edge, yet it is only a hydrocracked oil! I'll have to reconsider what I buy in future then:nono:

 

So basically every branded "synthetic" oil from a "quality" petrol station (except Esso/Mobil) is not the real deal? That's a real eye opener.........

 

.......and no wonder Shell is making money hand over fist:rolleyes:

 

Richard:cool:

just so you know i'm not an oil expert but back to your point oilman

Why are highly refined mineral oils called synthetic and is this legal when they are not really synthetic in the true sense of the word?

 

A legal battle took place in the USA some years ago and the final ruling was that certain mineral fractions that had undergone extra chemical treatments could be called “synthetic”.

 

The Marketing Executives were delighted as they realised that “synthetic” could be printed on a can of cheap oil provided that the contents included this specially processed mineral oil which cost a fraction of the price to produce than real synthetics. The profit implications where fairly exciting too!

.

 

Hydrocracked/Hydroisomerized = API Group III base oils. Chevron, Shell, and other petrochemical companies developed processes involving catalytic conversion of feed stocks under pressure in the presence of hydrogen into high quality mineral lubricating oil. In 2005 production of GTL (Gas-to-liquid) Group III base stocks began. The best of these perform much like polyalphaolefin[citation needed]. Group III base stocks are considered synthetic motor oil in North America[1], but not in the European Union.

 

...so its actually true to say synth oil on sale in the EU is synth oil as hydro cracked oils arent allowed to be marketed in the EU as synthetic

 

 

furthermore whilst there are advantages to synth oil there are disadvantages and they should be aired

 

Advantages

The technical advantages of synthetic motor oils include:

 

Measurably better low and high temperature viscosity performance[citation needed]

Better chemical & shear stability

Decreased evaporative loss[citation needed]

Resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown and oil sludge problems

Extended drain intervals with the environmental benefit of less oil waste.[citation needed]

Improved fuel economy in certain engine configurations.[citation needed]

Better lubrication on cold starts

 

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of synthetic motor oils include:

 

Initial costs are usually four times greater than petroleum-based oils, though at one time, man-made oils cost ten times more than petroleum[citation needed]. Initial costs are often mitigated by extended change intervals, which individuals may confirm through used oil analysis (UOA).

The lower friction may make them unsuitable for break-in (i.e. the initial run-in period of the vehicle) where friction is desirable to cause wear. Improved engine part machining has made break-in less critical than it once was though. Many modern cars now come with synthetic oil as a factory fill.

Potential decomposition problems in certain chemical environments (industrial use dominantly)

Potential stress cracking of plastic components like POM (polyoxymethylene) in the presence of PAOs (polyalphaolefins).

Potential on some older pushrod race engines with roller lifters for the roller itself not to spin with camshaft movement, but rather slide while the roller itself remains either stationary or at a lower circumferential speed than that of the camshaft lobe[citation needed]

In July 1996, Consumer Reports published the results of a two year motor oil test involving a fleet of 75 New York taxi cabs and found no noticeable advantage of synthetic oil over regular oil[2]. In their article, they noted that "Big-city cabs don't see many cold start-ups or long periods of high speed driving in extreme heat. But our test results relate to the most common type of severe service - stop-and-go city driving." According to their study, synthetic oil is "worth considering for extreme driving conditions: high ambient temperatures and high engine load, or very cold temperatures." [3] This research was criticized by some because most engine damage appears to be caused by cold starts, and their research method may not have included enough cold starts to be representative of personal vehicle use.[4]

Good points here although I think there are many tests showing the durability of synthetics over the long term and therefore higher levels of protection for longer in the engine.

 

The reasons for their durability and the benefits are well explained here I think.

 

The basic benefits are as follows:

 

Extended oil drain periods

Better wear protection and therefore extended engine life

Most synthetics give better MPG

They flow better when cold and are more thermally stable when hot

Esters are surface-active meaning a thin layer of oil on the surfaces at all times

 

Stable Basestocks

 

Synthetic oils are designed from pure, uniform synthetic basestocks, they contain no contaminants or unstable molecules which are prone to thermal and oxidative break down.

Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic lubricants operate with less internal and external friction than petroleum oils which have a non-uniform molecular structure.

 

The result is better heat control, and less heat means less stress to the lubricant.

 

Higher Percentage of Basestock

 

Synthetic oils contain a higher percentage of lubricant basestock than petroleum oils do.

This is because multi-viscosity oils need a great deal of pour point depressant and viscosity improvers to operate as a multigrade.

 

The basestocks actually do most of the lubricating. More basestocks mean a longer oil life.

 

Additives Used Up More Slowly

 

Petroleum basestocks are much more prone to oxidation than synthetic oils. Oxidation inhibitors are needed in greater quantities in petroleum oils as they are used up more quickly.

 

Synthetic oils do oxidize, but at a much slower rate therefore, oxidation inhibiting additives are used up more slowly.

 

Synthetic oils provide for better ring seal than petroleum oils do. This minimizes blow-by and reduces contamination by combustion by-products. As a result, corrosion inhibiting additives have less work to do and will last much longer in a synthetic oil.

 

Excellent Heat Tolerance

 

Synthetics are simply more tolerant to extreme heat than petroleum oils are. When heat builds up within an engine, petroleum oils quickly begin to burn off. They are more volatile. The lighter molecules within petroleum oils turn to gas and what's left are the large molecules that are harder to pump.

 

Synthetics have far more resistance as they are more thermally stable to begin with and can take higher temperatures for longer periods without losing viscosity.

 

Heat Reduction

 

One of the major factors affecting engine life is component wear and/or failure, which is often the result of high temperature operation. The uniformly smooth molecular structure of synthetic oils gives them a much lower coefficient friction (they slip more easily over one another causing less friction) than petroleum oils.

 

Less friction means less heat and heat is a major contributor to engine component wear and failure, synthetic oils significantly reduce these two detrimental effects.

 

Since each molecule in a synthetic oil is of uniform size, each is equally likely to touch a component surface at any given time, thus moving a certain amount of heat into the oil stream and away from the component. This makes synthetic oils far superior heat transfer agents than conventional petroleum oils.

 

Greater Film Strength

 

Petroleum motor oils have very low film strength in comparison to synthetics. The film strength of a lubricant refers to it's ability to maintain a film of lubricant between two objects when extreme pressure and heat are applied.

Synthetic oils will typically have a film strength of 5 to 10 times higher than petroleum oils of comparable viscosity.

 

Even though heavier weight oils typically have higher film strength than lighter weight oils, an sae 30 or 40 synthetic will typically have a higher film strength than an sae 50 or sae 60 petroleum oil.

 

A lighter grade synthetic can still maintain proper lubricity and reduce the chance of metal to metal contact. This means that you can use oils that provide far better fuel efficiency and cold weather protection without sacrificing engine protection under high temperature, high load conditions. Obviously, this is a big plus, because you can greatly reduce both cold temperature start-up wear and high temperature/high load engine wear using a low viscosity oil.

 

Engine Deposit Reduction

 

Petroleum oils tend to leave sludge, varnish and deposits behind after thermal and oxidative break down. They're better than they used to be, but it still occurs.

Deposit build-up leads to a significant reduction in engine performance and engine life as well as increasing the chance of costly repairs.

 

Synthetic oils have far superior thermal and oxidative stability and they leave engines virtually varnish, deposit and sludge-free.

 

Better Cold Temperature Fluidity

 

Synthetic oils do not contain the paraffins or other waxes which dramatically thicken petroleum oils during cold weather. As a result, they tend to flow much better during cold temperature starts and begin lubricating an engine almost immediately. This leads to significant engine wear reduction, and, therefore, longer engine life.

 

Improved Fuel Economy

 

Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic oils are tremendous friction reducers. Less friction leads to increased fuel economy and improved engine performance.

This means that more energy released from the combustion process can be transferred directly to the wheels due to the lower friction. Acceleration is more responsive and more powerful, using less fuel in the process.

 

In a petroleum oil, lighter molecules tend to boil off easily, leaving behind much heavier molecules which are difficult to pump. The engine loses more energy pumping these heavy molecules than if it were pumping lighter ones.

 

Since synthetic oils have more uniform molecules, fewer of these molecules tend to boil off and when they do, the molecules which are left are of the same size and pumpability is not affected.

 

Synthetics are better and in many ways, they are basically better by design as they are created by chemists in laboratories for a specific purpose.

 

Cheers

Simon