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Everyone knows that the engines of modern passenger cars are demanding on the quality of the oil, and therefore only “synthetics” should be poured into them. And only
This has long been commonplace: “mineral water” is cheap, but it is not designed for modern engines and freezes in winter, while “synthetics” are a different matter altogether and are a lot better than mineral oil in every way. And yet “mineral water” is made from minerals (oil), and “synthetics” are made from some materials of a different origin. In fact, only one type of engine lubricant is made from substances that are not pumped out of the ground. These are ester lubricants: esters obtained by the reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols.
Raw materials for the manufacture of esters are mostly vegetable oils: rapeseed and others. The technology for obtaining such lubricants is not cheap. It is for this reason that no one in the world is engaged in the mass production of ester motor oils. Despite their excellent operating properties. Therefore, ester products remain exotic in the automotive lubricant market. They are only added to other types of oils to improve performance.
But one of the cheapest technologies for the production of synthetic lubricants is hydrocracking. It consists of breaking long molecular chains of petroleum hydrocarbons containing hydrogen atoms. At the output we get the base for motor oil, to which the appropriate additives are added and – voila, “synthetics” are ready.
A few decades ago, there was a notable lawsuit in the United States in which an oil giant tried to stop an equally large competitor from calling petroleum-derived hydrocracked oil synthetic. As a result, it was decided that the term “synthetics” in relation to motor oils is nothing more than a marketing ploy. This precedent opened up the possibility for all oil companies to call lubricants made by the chemical processing of fossil hydrocarbons ‘synthetics’.
The origin of even the best types of synthetic oils has, in terms of properties – based on polyalphaolefins (PAO) – strictly speaking an unequivocal fossil character. PAO lubricants are obtained by combining the molecules of associated petroleum gases – butylene and ethylene.
For the above reasons, when choosing engine oil, today it is useless to pay attention to the inscription “synthetic” on a canister of goods. In reality it means nothing at all. The most important thing a motorist should know is the viscosity of the product according to SAE: 0W-40, 5W-40, 10W40 – or whatever is recommended for a particular car’s engine. And also its purpose according to the API system – that is, according to the type and generation of the engine.
You can usually find these settings in the user manual. And we better leave the discussions about “synthetics mineral water” to garage “experts”, let them continue to indulge in illusions…
This has long been commonplace: “mineral water” is cheap, but it is not designed for modern engines and freezes in winter, while “synthetics” are a different matter altogether and are a lot better than mineral oil in every way. And yet “mineral water” is made from minerals (oil), and “synthetics” are made from some materials of a different origin. In fact, only one type of engine lubricant is made from substances that are not pumped out of the ground. These are ester lubricants: esters obtained by the reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols.
Raw materials for the manufacture of esters are mostly vegetable oils: rapeseed and others. The technology for obtaining such lubricants is not cheap. It is for this reason that no one in the world is engaged in the mass production of ester motor oils. Despite their excellent operating properties. Therefore, ester products remain exotic in the automotive lubricant market. They are only added to other types of oils to improve performance.
But one of the cheapest technologies for the production of synthetic lubricants is hydrocracking. It consists of breaking long molecular chains of petroleum hydrocarbons with hydrogen atoms. At the output we get the base for motor oil, to which the appropriate additives are added and – voila, “synthetics” are ready.
A few decades ago, there was a notable lawsuit in the United States in which an oil giant tried to stop an equally large competitor from calling petroleum-derived hydrocracked oil synthetic. As a result, it was decided that the term “synthetics” in relation to motor oils is nothing more than a marketing ploy. This precedent opened up the possibility for all oil companies to call lubricants made by the chemical processing of fossil hydrocarbons ‘synthetics’.
The origin of even the best types of synthetic oils has, in terms of properties – based on polyalphaolefins (PAO) – strictly speaking an unequivocal fossil character. PAO lubricants are obtained by combining the molecules of associated petroleum gases – butylene and ethylene.
For the above reasons, when choosing engine oil, today it is useless to pay attention to the inscription “synthetic” on a canister of goods. In reality it means nothing at all. The most important thing a motorist should know is the viscosity of the product according to SAE: 0W-40, 5W-40, 10W40 – or whatever is recommended for a particular car’s engine. And also its purpose according to the API system – that is, according to the type and generation of the engine.
You can usually find these settings in the user manual. And we better leave the discussions about “synthetics mineral water” to garage “experts”, let them continue to indulge in illusions…
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
