Synthetic Oil? (Not What You Think)

[Stoneman]

What exactly is IN 'synthetic' oil? Is there such a thing as REALLY 100% synthetic? There's NO fossil petroleum in synthetic oil?

[Stoneman]

Simple answers'll do me just fine...

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by Mystery Squid
My crystal ball tells me Honklefibber has a good answer for this, maybe even providing us with the molecular structure for both...

I got nothin

[bemused]

(from the Car Bibles site)

Synthetics
Despite their name, most synthetic derived motor oils (ie Mobil 1, Castrol Formula RS etc ) are actually derived from mineral oils - they are mostly Polyalphaolifins and these come from the purest part of the mineral oil refraction process, the gas. PAO oils will mix with normal mineral oils which means Joe public can add synthetic to his mineral, or mineral to his synthetic without his car engine seizing up. The most stable bases are polyol-ester (not polyester, you fool). When I say 'stable' I mean 'less likely to react adversely with other compounds.' Synthetic oil bases tend not to contain reactive carbon atoms for this reason. Reactive carbon has a tendancy to combine with oxygen creating an acid. As you can imagine, in an oil, this would be A Bad Thing. So think of synthetic oils as custom-built oils. They're designed to do the job efficiently but without any of the excess baggage that can accompany mineral based oils.

[PinHead]

[SEVENSGT]

so synthetic means 3000-5000 miles without worring about months???

' Synthetic oil bases tend not to contain reactive carbon atoms for this reason. Reactive carbon has a tendancy to combine with oxygen creating an acid

Asking becuase I was always told never go more then 4 months due to acid fowlin up your engine......backs away slowly

[slingblade]

There is some good info about a test done on synthetics in a car Here

A good read for tomorrow at work