Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants - a Comparison to Refined Lubricants

Engines, transmissions and other mechanical systems contain hundreds of moving parts. Though the metal surfaces of these parts look smooth, they are actually full of microscopic peaks and valleys. When the peak of one surface touches its mating surface, it causes damage. Damage may lead to component wear or even eventual failure. Failure prevention and wear reduction are the primary functions of lubrication.

REFINED LUBRICANTS vs.AMSOIL SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS

Conventional oils – the oils that most people are familiar with – are refined from crude oil. Refining is a process of physically separating light oil components from heavy ones. Crude oil contains millions of different kinds of molecules.Many are similar in weight but not in structure. The refining process cannot distinguish such molecules, so a wide assortment of molecules is present in the finished lubricant made from crude oil stocks. Some crude oil molecules are not beneficial to the lubrication process. For example, paraffin causes refined lubricants to thicken and flow poorly in cold temperatures.Molecules containing sulfur, nitrogen and other elements invite the formation of sludge and other products of lubricant breakdown, especially in high-temperature applications.

Sludge and breakdown products significantly increase wear rates. The assorted molecules of refined lubtricants also have different shapes, which make lubricant surfaces irregular at the molecular level. As lubricant layers flow across one another during the lubrication process, these irregularities create friction, which consumes power, reduces efficiency and increases heat and wear.

AMSOIL SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS

Amsoil Synthetic lubricants are chemically engineered from pure chemicals rather than refined from crude oil. That gives them significant advantages over refined oils. Pure - The feedstocks from which synthetic lubricants are made do not contain sulfur, nitrogen or other elements that invite the formation of sludge and other products of lubricant breakdown. Synthetic lubricants can be used in higher temperatures than refined lubricants without breaking down. Their resistance to breakdown also allows them to be used longer than refined lubricants can be used.

Lubricated systems stay cleaner and last longer with synthetic lubricants. Uniform - The feedstocks from which synthetic lubricants are made feature uniform and smooth molecular structures, which ensure low friction as lubricant layers slide across one another. Reduced friction increases energy throughput for greater fuel efficiency and power and reduces heatand wear for longer equipment life. Molecular uniformity also helps synthetics resist thinning in heat and thickening in cold, which helps them protect better than refined oils over a system’s operating temperature range and helps to ensure secure sealing. Designable - Many different kinds of feedstocks may be used to create synthetic lubricants, allowing a synthetic to be designed for virtually any application.

Some feedstocks are ideal for use in extremely cold environments. Others are perfect for use in extreme heat. Some are extremely safe in applications in which refined lubricants pose a fire or explosion hazard. Refined oils simply do notoffer the design flexibility synthetics offer. The design flexibility of synthetics also allows them to be tailored very specifically to the needs of everyday applications such as automotive engines, commercial equipment or more industrial machinery. That specificity helps to ensure long life and peak power, performance and fuel economy from the lubricated systemand long lubricant life. To learn more about Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants, click here.