Synthetics - The What and Why of Synthetic Oils

Lets take a look at synthetics, especially Amsoil lubricants. Conventional lubricants are refined from crude oil. Crude oil is a natural substance and it contains millions of different kinds of molecules, many of which are similar in weight but dissimilar in structure. Refining is a process of physically separating light from heavy oil fractions. Because refining separates products by weight, it groups molecules of similar weight including those of dissimilar structure; so refined lubricants contain a wide assortment of molecules, many of which are not needed or desired in the lubricant.

Some of the molecules found in refined lubricants are detrimental to the lubricated system or to the lubricant itself. For example, paraffin, a common refined lubricant component, causes refined lubricants to thicken and flow poorly in coldtemperatures. Some refined lubricant molecules may also contain sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen, which act as contaminants andinvite the formation of sludge and other by-products of lubricant breakdown. Amsoil lubricants, on the other hand, arenot refined; they are:

Pure

… because they are derived from pure chemicals, Amsoil lubricants contain no contaminants or molecules that “don’t pulltheir own weight,” they only contain the molecular agents needed to do the job and that do it the most effectively and efficiently.

Uniform

...because Amsoil oils contain only smooth lubricating molecules, they slip easily across one another. On the other hand, the potpourri of jagged, irregular and odd-shaped molecules of refined lubricants doesn’t slip quite so easily. The ease with which lubricant molecules slip over one another affects the lubricant’s ability to reduce friction, which in turn, affects wear control, heat control and fuel efficiency. Amsoil products are superior. Uniformity also helps non-refined lubricants resist thinning in heat and thickening in cold, which helps them protect better over a system’s operating temperature range and helps synthetic lubes provide better sealing than conventionallubes do.

Designable

...because Amsoil lubricants may be made to fulfill virtually every lubricating need. On the other hand, the applicability ofconventional lubes is limited due to their functional limitations in high temperatures, low temperatures and various other demanding conditions.

To learn more about Amsoil Synthetics, click here.