The Ingredients That Make Up Synthetic Oil
You’ve probably heard a lot about synthetic oil; these days, more and more vehicles are recommending it. Synthetic oil is a more effective engine lubricant that offers improved viscosity performance at extreme temperatures, resists oxidation and thermal breakdown, and helps avoid occasional sludge issues. But what is actually in synthetic oil?
Synthetic oil consists of artificially made chemical compounds alongside chemically modified petroleum components. The base material is crude oil. It is then distilled and modified both physically and chemically.
This distillation process refines the crude oil, extracting many impurities and “customizing” the individual molecules to work optimally with modern machinery. This chemical engineering process causes the molecules to emerge largely uniform in shape, with fewer impurities.
Synthetic oil molecules can be thought of as looking like marbles- smooth and uniform- compared to crude oil molecules, which are more analogous to rocks- unique and rough. You can imagine how the former will work better with your engine in the long run. On top of this, synthetic oil is also formulated with higher-performing additives.
The actual synthesis process and additive composition vary among synthetic oil producers. Each one keeps their exact methods and recipes tightly guarded, considering their unique formula a “trade secret” that sets them apart from competitors.
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What are the different types of motor oil?
There are three types of oil used in machinery: conventional, synthetic blend, and synthetic. Each one differs due to its unique recipe and creation process.
100% synthetic oil is extracted from crude oil or a byproduct. Those masterminds at Pennzoil have figured out how to extract synthetic oil directly from natural gas. Making synthetic oil from natural gas results in different performance than making it from crude oil, like most oil “brewers” tend to do.
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