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 is made as a substitute for petroleum, it is generally produced because of a shortage of petroleum or because petroleum is too expensive. When synthetic oil is made as a substitute for lubricant refined from petroleum, it is generally because of superior properties of the synthetic oil. Synthetic motor oil is often synthesized from reactants (feedstocks) derived from petroleum, but the compounds in the synthetic motor oil have different molecular structures from those originally in petroleum.
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Contents
- 1 Synthetic oil as a substitute for crude oil (petroleum)
- 2 Synthetic oil as a substitute for motor oil
- 2.1 Required Applications
- 2.2 Advantages
- 2.3 Disadvantages
- 2.4 Semi-synthetic oil
- 3 See also
- 4 External links
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Synthetic oil as a substitute for crude oil (petroleum)
A synthetic oil is an oil manufactured for enhanced lubrication performance using the Fischer-Tropsch process which converts carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane into liquid hydrocarbons of various forms. The carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide is generated by partial oxidation of coal and wood-based fuels. 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 more than 90 million tons in 1944. It is today used in South Africa to produce most of that country's diesel from coal. There are several companies developing the process to enable practical exploitation of so-called stranded gas reserves, those reserves which are impractical to exploit with conventional gas pipelines and LNG technology.
Research has also been done on producing oil from tar sands, from oil-bearing shale, and by coal liquefaction. Interest in these methods is piqued as the price of petroleum goes up.
Synthetic oil as a substitute for motor oil
The majority of oil lubricants, including many motor oils, are mineral oils, mixtures of refined fractions of crude oil. However, synthetic motor oils also have a share in the market.
Synthetic motor oils are fuel efficient, extended life lubricants manufactured from select base stocks and special purpose additives. Synthetic oil base stocks are made from organic compounds or synthetic hydrocarbons using a process that re-arranges the structure so all the molecules are uniform in size, shape and weight, a phenomenon that does not occur in nature. In contrast to petroleum oils which are pumped from the earth and refined, synthetics are custom-designed to produce, in effect, the ideal lubricant.
Most synthetic motor oils are fabricated by polymerizing short chain hydrocarbon molecules called alpha-olefins into longer chain highly-branched hydrocarbon polymers called polyalpha-olefins (PAOs for short). Their lubrication characteristics can be adjusted by controlling the spectrum of molecular weights that go into the finished formulation, which usually also includes thickeners.
Although in use in the aerospace industry for some years prior, synthetic oil first became commercially available for automobile engines in the early-1970s.The French Oil company MOTUL first introduced commercial synthetic-oil in 1971. The first company to develop an API-rated 100% synthetic motor oil available in the United States was Amsoil Inc. [1] Mobil 1 was introduced in 1974 as the first API certified synthetic engine oil. In 1992, Porsche became the first automobile manufacturer to factory-fill all their new car engines with synthetic oil.
Required Applications
Many modern high-performance vehicles require synthetic motor oils as a matter of course. This is due to synthetics aforementioned viscosity and thermal breakdown properties. In addition, synthetic oils can be made in weights and viscosities not found in crude-based refined oils (such as ExxonMobil's "Mobil 1 with SuperSyn" 0W-40). Some manufacturer specifications which define the properties, detergents and specifications for synthetic motor oils for use in vehicles are:
- GM-LL-B-025 (diesel engines)
- GM-LL-A-025 (petrol or gasoline powered engines)
- VW 502.00/505.00/503.01 (includes both diesel and petrol or gasoline engines)
- MB 229.5 (DaimlerChrysler)
- BMW Longlife 01
- Porsche Approval list 2002
Advantages
The industry recognizes the following benefits for synthetic motor oils:
- Improved viscosity at low temperatures. Mineral oils tend to include wax impurities which coagulate at lower temperatures. A typical 10W-30 oil remains liquid at -50 °C (-58 °F)
- Better high temperature performance. Synthetic oils have few low molecular weight hydrocarbons which evaporate at high temperatures.
- Higher purity
- Decreased oil consumption
- Reduced friction and engine wear
- Improved fuel consumption through better engine lubrication
- Resistance to oil sludge problems
- Crude oil doesn't have to be used for the production of the lubricants
- Some synthetic motor oil producers offer extended intervals between oil changes (extended drain intervals)
- Reduction of environmental impact (due to lower oil consumption)
Disadvantages
The primary disadvantage of synthetic oils is that they cost significantly more than mineral oils. Some manufacturers of synthetic oils, such as Amsoil and Mobil1, however offer extended drain intervals which allows for running the oil by over 7 times the length of conventional petroleum oils. This extended drain interval actually causes synthetics to be more cost effective over the course of 2 to 3 oil changes. However, with the recent rise in the price of petroleum the gap between the cost of a typical liter of petroleum motor oil and the typical liter of synthetic is almost negligible.
Anecdotally, synthetic oils can cause problems with older seals which are prone to leakage. As long as the vehicle or equipment in question is in sound mechanical condition then using synthetic oils should not be an issue. citation needed]
Semi-synthetic oil
A semi-synthetic oil (also called synthetic blend) is a blend of mineral oil with no more than 30% synthetic oil. They are designed to provide many of the benefits of synthetic oil without matching the cost of pure synthetic oil. MOTUL introduced the first semi-synthetic motor oil in 1966.citation needed]
A non profit group called AOPIS [2] was set up by crew members in 2001 to tackle the health and flight safety issues of bleed air being contaminated by synthetic jet engine oils and hydraulic fluids in jet aircraft.
See also
- Abiogenic petroleum origin
- Fischer-Tropsch process
- Renewable Energy
- Synthetic fuel
- Amsoil
External links
- Development of the modern Fischer-Tropsch process (1958-1999)
- Abiogenic Gas Debate 11:2002 (EXPLORER)
- Motor Oil World
- Castrol Synthetic Motor Oil
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Lubricants | Oils | Automotive chemicals
