Synthetic oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Synthetic oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Synthetic oil
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Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil
Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil

Synthetic oil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil
Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil

Synthetic oil is oil consisting of chemical compounds which were not originally present in crude oil (petroleum), but were artificially made (synthesized) from other compounds. Synthetic oil could be made to be a substitute for petroleum, or specially made to be a substitute for a lubricant oil, such as conventional (or mineral) motor oil refined from petroleum. When a synthetic oil or synthetic fuel is made as a substitute for petroleum, it is generally produced because of a shortage of petroleum or because petroleum is too expensive[citation needed]. When synthetic oil is used as a substitute for lubricant refined from petroleum, it generally provides superior mechanical and chemical properties than those found in traditional mineral oils.
Contents
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* 1 Synthetic oil as a substitute for petroleum-based oil
* 2 Synthetic engine oil
o 2.1 Synthetic Base Stocks
o 2.2 Advantages
o 2.3 Disadvantages
o 2.4 Semi-synthetic oil
* 3 See also
* 4 Notes
* 5 External links

[edit] Synthetic oil as a substitute for petroleum-based oil

One form of synthetic oil is that manufactured using the Fischer-Tropsch process which converts carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane into liquid hydrocarbons of various forms. This process was developed and used extensively in World War II by Germany, which had limited access to crude oil supplies. Germany's yearly synthetic oil production reached millions of tons in 1944. It is today used in South Africa to produce most of that country's diesel. Dr. Hermann Zorn of I.G. Farben Industrie in Germany actually began to search for lubricants with the properties of natural oils but without the tendencies to gel or gum when used in an engine environment. His work led to the preparation of over 3500 esters in the late 1930s and early 1940s including diesters and polyol esters and bananna oil.

Another form of synthetic oil is that produced at Syncrude sands plant in Alberta, Canada. This huge facility removes highly viscous bitumen from oil sands mined nearby, and uses a variety of processes of hydrogenation to turn it into high-quality synthetic crude oil. The Syncrude plant supplies about 14% of Canada's petroleum output. A similar plant is the smaller nearby facility owned by Suncor. See synthetic fuel.

[edit] Synthetic engine oil

As a jet fighter squadron commander LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALBERT J. AMATUZIO had ample opportunity to witness synthetic lubricants in action. These oils are used exclusively in jet engines because of three extraordinary performance characteristics: an ability to reduce friction and wear on engine components, an ability to function dependably at severe temperature extremes and an ability to withstand rigorous and lengthy engine operation without chemical breakdown.

Recognizing that these same benefits would prove invaluable in combustion engines, Al Amatuzio formulated the first synthetic motor oil in the world to meet API service requirements for automobile engines. The new lubricant performed like no other before it. When the first can of AMSOIL 10W-40 appeared on the market in 1972, it signaled the birth of an entire industry. AMSOIL synthetic lubricants have expanded the boundaries of lubrication science and redefined the performance possibilities of modern machinery and engines.

Al Amatuzio's induction to the Lubricants World Hall of Fame is the ultimate tribute to the man who started it all. He is firmly established among the giants who have shaped the industry. Al Amatuzio's desire for technical innovation, his commitment to higher quality and his belief that consumers respond to superior products remain the core of the AMSOIL philosophy.

[edit] Synthetic Base Stocks

Synthetic motor oils have been made from the following classes of lubricants:

* Polyalphaolefin (PAO) = American Petroleum Institute (API) Group IV base oil
* Synthetic esters, etc = API Group V base oils (non-PAO synthetics, including diesters, polyolesters, alklylated napthlenes, alkyklated benzenes, etc.)
* 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 ONLY in the United States. [1]. Group III based lubricants are not allowed to be marketed as "synthetic" in any market outside of the USA.

[edit] 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

[edit] 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]

[edit] Semi-synthetic oil

Semi-synthetic oils (also called 'synthetic blends') are blends of mineral oil with no more than 30% synthetic oil. Designed to have many of the benefits of synthetic oil without matching the cost of pure synthetic oil. DELPHI introduced the first semi-synthetic motor oil in 1966.[5]

[edit] See also
Energy portal

* Abiogenic petroleum origin
* Fischer-Tropsch process
* Renewable Energy
* Synthetic fuel

[edit] Notes

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ "[[2] Consumer Reports Oil Testing Results]". Retrieved on 2007-10-15.
3. ^ "The surprising truth about motor oils" (July 1996). Consumer Reports: 10–13. Retrieved on 2007-01-29.
4. ^ "Statistical problems of Consumer Reports auto ratings" (in English). Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
5. ^ DELPHI history

[edit] External links

* Development of the modern Fischer-Tropsch process (1958–1999)
* Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol - Times Online