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Synthetic vs. conventional oils

oil engineers inside oil re

When making an oil selection for a specific application, two main choices are available – conventional mineral oils and synthetic oils.

While conventional oils are products with a natural base, synthetic oils are either entirely man-made in a lab or a blend of chemically engineered oils and natural oils.

Mechanical equipment needs oil to function effectively. Oils help to lubricate, reduce friction and wear, keep machines cool, internally clean and keep equipment protected against contaminants.

In this in-depth guide, we compare synthetic and conventional oils to see which is better, to help users assess whether they should use one or the other. We’ll also delve into the tangible differences between conventional oils, synthetic oils and semi-synthetic oils.

Read on to update your understanding of how these solutions differ, and decide which is right for your requirements.

What makes synthetic oils better than conventional oils?

Synthetic oils are created using PAOs (polyalphaolefin) and ester base oils. They are typically engineered in a laboratory and manufactured by chemically breaking down and rebuilding molecules of petroleum.

This process means that synthetic oils are formulated for specific purposes and applications, ensuring that the final product is one that has been manufactured for use on a certain machine.

Synthetic oil is considered better for engines and machinery than a conventional oil. While conventional oil, also referred to as mineral oil, provides a level of lubrication performance, it cannot compete with synthetics, which offer enhanced protection and improved engine and machine performance overall, due to its carefully monitored formulation.

Synthetic oils feature superior quality base oils in contrast to the base oils used in standard oils, which are much less refined. As a result, compared to synthetics, conventional oils acidify and oxidise more easily, and are far less chemically stable. They also break down much quicker, and when they do so, their protective properties are drastically reduced, impacting their effectiveness.

Overall, a fully synthetic oil can supply higher levels of protection and performance than both a conventional oil and a semi-synthetic oil. Synthetic oils are specially engineered with a carefully customised additive package that delivers additional performance advantages far beyond those supplied by conventional oils and synthetic blends.

Additives allow fully synthetic oils to combat sludge and fight the build-up of unwanted deposits. They also reduce wear and protect equipment operating under extreme temperatures, while controlling how quickly oil breaks down, chemically enabling it to do its job effectively for an extended period.

Understanding the benefits of synthetic oil compared to conventional oil

Cutting-edge lubricants, synthetic oils are produced through a series of complex processes. These include being developed chemically from petrochemicals so that they have the precise molecular properties required to serve a selected application.

These exacting processes extract impurities from crude oil, allowing individual molecules to be modified to meet the demands of the most modern machinery. The tailored molecules found in synthetic oils supply advanced protection and performance compared to standard mineral oils.

Ways that synthetic oil outperforms conventional oil in mechanical applications

There are wide range of areas in which synthetic oil can deliver superior performance to standard oils, including wear protection, cleanliness, effectiveness at a wider range of temperatures and critical parts protection.

Synthetic oil offers improved protection against wear

In machinery, internal parts are constantly in contact with one another, often at high temperatures. Within the extreme environment of a machine, under stress, individual components can experience wear and fail. This type of oil provides the sole protection for parts, forming a barrier between components.

When a conventional or semi-synthetic oil breaks down, its capacity to prevent wear and tear declines. In contrast, a fully synthetic oil can retain its wear protection attributes for far longer, helping lengthen the active service life of a machine by keeping key parts in optimal condition.

Synthetic oils help keep machinery clean

When working oil circulates, it collects deposits. Over an extended time, mineral oil can form sludge, reducing the operating efficiency of a machine and eventually reducing its lifespan.

Compared to conventional oils and semi-synthetic oils, a fully synthetic oil has fewer impurities and can resist sludge and deposit formation better. When a machine runs on a synthetic blend or conventional oil that already holds sludge, the introduction of a high-quality fully synthetic oil can virtually clean up the issue in a single oil change.

Synthetic oil flows better at low temperatures

During downtime, the oil in a machine settles. However, when the ignition is fired up, oil starts to flow towards the critical components, protecting against friction forces.

Conventional and semi-synthetic oils take considerably more time before they can flow smoothly. In the colder months of winter, or when machines run in cold climates, the flow process can take even longer. Fully synthetic oils are formulated to flow swiftly even at exceptionally low temperatures, so they start supplying protection as soon as the machine is started.

Synthetic oils protect machines at higher temperatures

When started, machinery runs extremely hot. Over time, these high temperatures cause semi-synthetic oils to evaporate entirely or break down, exposing components to severe wear. Synthetic oils are specially formulated to cope with such temperatures, something that is particularly important when machines run in hotter climates, or when working harder.

Synthetic oils protect crucial turbocharger parts

Today, manufacturers around the world are constructing various types of vehicles with ever smaller engines to deliver higher levels of fuel efficiency and with turbochargers included to boost engine power.

A turbocharged engine runs hotter than a non-turbocharged engine. Studies show that oil lubricating a turbocharger can be higher than 204°C and the shaft within a turbocharger can spin upwards of around 200,000 revolutions every minute. As a result, it is critical that oil flows swiftly to these vital parts for effective lubrication.

Conventional and semi-synthetic oils can deteriorate much faster under these extreme turbocharged conditions, leaving deposits on the turbocharger’s key components and increasing the risk of failure. In contrast, fully synthetic oils can deliver the level of protection these components require, ensuring they remain operating at top performance while boosting the overall power of the engine.

Do synthetic oils offer extended oil change intervals compared to conventional oils?

As a rule, fully synthetic oils can supply much longer oil change intervals in comparison to a conventional mineral oil. However, this is commonly dependent on the brand of oil selected and its quality.

Other factors will also impact the length of oil change intervals, such as how frequently the machinery is used and for how long. Machine operators are advised to follow the recommendations of their original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or consult their owner’s manual for the ideal time to change over their oil while the equipment remains within its warranty.

Understanding the difference between a fully synthetic oil and a semi-synthetic oil

Although there is no established industry definition, a fully synthetic oil will most often use a synthetic base oil of the highest quality as its foundation. Semi-synthetics will typically involve a combination of lower quality conventional oil, and high-quality base oils or a blend of different high-quality (or at least higher than standard mineral) base oils.

However, the synthetic base is just part of the formulation. The correct combination of additives must also be added to create the finished lubricant.

The custom additive system of fully synthetic oils provides additional performance benefits far beyond those supplied by semi-synthetic oils. It’s worth noting that although fully synthetic oil supplies enhanced protection and performance over semi-synthetic and conventional oils, not all fully synthetic oils are equal.

Changing from conventional oil to synthetic

Finally, when an OEM doesn’t state synthetic oil as standard, operators often wonder if they can change from conventional oil to fully synthetic.

Swapping from conventional oil to a fully synthetic product is typically perfectly acceptable, except for the case of vintage vehicles and classic cars that have engines unable to process the latest additives, like detergents.

Fully synthetic oils are designed for compatibility with mineral oils, oils designed for high mileage vehicles, other fully synthetic oils and synthetic blends. Lubrication experts advise easing into longer oil change intervals to enable fully synthetic oils to have more time to clean out the machinery. In such cases, operators should still stick to the same established oil change practices described by OEMs. Old oil should be drained, and the old oil filter removed before the synthetic oil is added along with a fresh filter.

Following OEM recommended maintenance procedures regarding oil change is important, but operators should adopt more frequent (between one and two non-extended drain) changes when they first switch to using a synthetic oil. The reason for the shortened change intervals is to solve the problem of a poorly maintained machine that has experienced less changes, as it is likely to have a substantial sludge and deposit build-up.

When selecting between synthetic and conventional oils, this will all depend on the purpose of its application. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s best to conduct your own research and make the choice that’s best for you.

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