Engine Oil Insight....
Engine Oil Insight....
Group II - Modern Conventional Base Oils
Base oils made by hydrocracking and isomerization technologies had such a signifigant increase in desirable performance over solvent refining technology that in 1993 the API categorized base oils by composition. Solvent refined oils are now referred to as group I base oils. Group II base oils are a vast improvement over group I because they contain lower levels of impurities. Because they are so pure, they have almost no color at all. Improved purity means the base oil and additives can last longer under use. The oil is more inert and forms less oxidation byproducts that can increase viscosity and react with additives.
Group III - Unconventional Base Oils
The API defines the difference between Group II and III base oils only in terms of V.I., viscosity index. Base oils with conventional V.I. (80-119) are Group II and base oils with an "unconventional" V.I. (120+) are Group III. Group III base oils are also called unconventional base oils (UCBO's) or very high V.I. (VHVI) base oils. Group II+ base oils have the same maximum V.I. as Group II (80-119), but have a higher minimum V.I. (110-119).
From a process standpoint, Group III oils are made by the same process as Group II oils, but the V.I. is increased by increasing the temperature of the hydrocracker. The product V.I. can also be increased by increasing the V.I. of the feedstock. Which is done by selecting the appropriate crude.
Group IV - Traditional "Synthetic" Base Oils (PAO)
"The word "synthetic" in the lube industry hase traditionaly been synonymous with PAO, poly-alfa-olefins, which are made from small molocules. The first commercial process for making PAO was pioneered by Gulf Oil in 1951. In the 1960's, Mobil patented an improved process. In the 1970's, Mobil began to market their product as 'Mobil 1'.
Since then, the demand for PAO has grown and some base oil manufactures began using higher V.I. feedstocks to make mineral oils with V.I.'s that matched the PAO's. These new Group III oils were not manufactured from small molecules like traditional synthetics but they bridged the performance gap at a lower cost. Some lubricant manufactures began replacing PAO's with Group III base oils in their "synthetic" engine oils. This created a controversy in the lubricants industry because some believed that PAO's were the only true synthetics.
The National Advertising Department of the Better Business Bureau ruled that Group III base oils can be considered "synthetic" because modern oils made using hydroisomerization technology have most of the same performance features of the early synthetics.
Well I tried to summarize the technical paper but instead ended up writing one of my own. But I've really just scratched the surface of the technical paper, so I encourage everyone to read it when you have time. If you want to print it out, it's 14 pages.
I guess if I have to draw one conclusion, it's that when you see *ISOSYN* on a bottle or case of Chevron oil, wheither it's Chevron Supreme or DELO, you know now that it was made with the same ISODEWAXING process as used in their Group III synthetic. Just a diffenent Viscosity Index number. So it's not just some marketing gimmic, it's the real deal.
Here's another link you might find interesting. It's a base oils faq from Chevron's Base Oil's Department. There's some good links in the menu on the left of it.
One other thing. Pennzoil has a process the called PUREBASE Technology. I'm pretty sure they must use the same sort of hydroisomerization process. So there's plenty of opportunity for more research on similar processes by different oil companies. It would also be pretty safe to say that only a few on the major oil companies own the licence to this type of technology, and sell the licence rights to other companies. There's no point in everyone reinventing the wheel.
I just tried the Greddy 5w60 engine oil.
It's 12 bucks a quart but I notice why the moment I took it around the block after the oil change! Awsome stuff! I ordered a few cases to stock.
Base oils made by hydrocracking and isomerization technologies had such a signifigant increase in desirable performance over solvent refining technology that in 1993 the API categorized base oils by composition. Solvent refined oils are now referred to as group I base oils. Group II base oils are a vast improvement over group I because they contain lower levels of impurities. Because they are so pure, they have almost no color at all. Improved purity means the base oil and additives can last longer under use. The oil is more inert and forms less oxidation byproducts that can increase viscosity and react with additives.
Group III - Unconventional Base Oils
The API defines the difference between Group II and III base oils only in terms of V.I., viscosity index. Base oils with conventional V.I. (80-119) are Group II and base oils with an "unconventional" V.I. (120+) are Group III. Group III base oils are also called unconventional base oils (UCBO's) or very high V.I. (VHVI) base oils. Group II+ base oils have the same maximum V.I. as Group II (80-119), but have a higher minimum V.I. (110-119).
From a process standpoint, Group III oils are made by the same process as Group II oils, but the V.I. is increased by increasing the temperature of the hydrocracker. The product V.I. can also be increased by increasing the V.I. of the feedstock. Which is done by selecting the appropriate crude.
Group IV - Traditional "Synthetic" Base Oils (PAO)
"The word "synthetic" in the lube industry hase traditionaly been synonymous with PAO, poly-alfa-olefins, which are made from small molocules. The first commercial process for making PAO was pioneered by Gulf Oil in 1951. In the 1960's, Mobil patented an improved process. In the 1970's, Mobil began to market their product as 'Mobil 1'.
Since then, the demand for PAO has grown and some base oil manufactures began using higher V.I. feedstocks to make mineral oils with V.I.'s that matched the PAO's. These new Group III oils were not manufactured from small molecules like traditional synthetics but they bridged the performance gap at a lower cost. Some lubricant manufactures began replacing PAO's with Group III base oils in their "synthetic" engine oils. This created a controversy in the lubricants industry because some believed that PAO's were the only true synthetics.
The National Advertising Department of the Better Business Bureau ruled that Group III base oils can be considered "synthetic" because modern oils made using hydroisomerization technology have most of the same performance features of the early synthetics.
Well I tried to summarize the technical paper but instead ended up writing one of my own. But I've really just scratched the surface of the technical paper, so I encourage everyone to read it when you have time. If you want to print it out, it's 14 pages.I guess if I have to draw one conclusion, it's that when you see *ISOSYN* on a bottle or case of Chevron oil, wheither it's Chevron Supreme or DELO, you know now that it was made with the same ISODEWAXING process as used in their Group III synthetic. Just a diffenent Viscosity Index number. So it's not just some marketing gimmic, it's the real deal.
Here's another link you might find interesting. It's a base oils faq from Chevron's Base Oil's Department. There's some good links in the menu on the left of it.
One other thing. Pennzoil has a process the called PUREBASE Technology. I'm pretty sure they must use the same sort of hydroisomerization process. So there's plenty of opportunity for more research on similar processes by different oil companies. It would also be pretty safe to say that only a few on the major oil companies own the licence to this type of technology, and sell the licence rights to other companies. There's no point in everyone reinventing the wheel.
I just tried the Greddy 5w60 engine oil.
It's 12 bucks a quart but I notice why the moment I took it around the block after the oil change! Awsome stuff! I ordered a few cases to stock.
