Archive for the ‘Lubricants’ Category

This is a great piece that was put together by Paratherm Corporation regarding the importance of analyzing your heat transfer fluid.  Click the link below to receive a pdf version of this great overview of analyzing heat transfer fluid.

Thermal Fluid Analysis

About Pynergy Petroleum Company

Pynergy Petroleum Company was founded in August 1999 when it acquired three Conoco Branded retail locations in the Denver, CO area.  Since then, Pynergy has been devoted to providing high quality fuels, lubricants, diesel exhaust fluid, equipment and service to the automotive, heavy duty and industrial markets.  Please visit us at www.pynergypetroleum.com

By Brandon Prentice

So what is the difference between synthetic and conventional motor oil?  I wish the answer to that question was simple and straight forward with little need for dusting off the old chemistry lab coat.  No, this is not your former high school chemistry teacher seeing if you were paying attention in class.   However, just in case I am let’s don that coat and head over to our trusty microscope to find the answer to our question.

If I look into my microscope at a sample of synthetic motor oil I will find a product that has molecular uniformity.  Meaning, all of the synthetic oil molecules are the exact same size and shape.  A benefit of molecular uniformity is each molecule displays the same characteristics when exposed to heat, cold, etc., making it more predictable in its performance inside our engine.  What is the process that synthetic motor oil undergoes to create molecular uniformity?  The process consists of a more complex refining and manufacturing process then is used to produce conventional motor oil.  Now let’s replace our slide with one that has conventional motor oil on it.  Does anything look different?  Yes, we find an enormous amount of variation in the overall size and shapes of the individual conventional motor oil molecules.  In addition we can also find contaminate molecules such as sulfur and wax.  This variation is a result of crude oil being derived from various sources around the world, as well as refining processes that is only able to purify the motor oil base stock to a certain levels.

Now that we have a basic understanding of how these products are different, some questions might be starting to pop into your head.  Below are some of the typical questions I am asked by friends and customers regarding the differences between synthetic and conventional motor oil.

Is having motor oil with molecular uniformity better in my vehicle then having a product without?

To put it bluntly, YES!  When you have motor oil that shares similar characteristics it becomes a much more predictable and stable product.  Synthetic motor oil has some very distinct advantages over conventional motor oil as a result of its molecular uniformity.  For example, synthetic motor oil has increased performance capabilities over conventional motor oil when exposed to extreme hot and cold temperatures.  For example, Synthetic motor oil maintains viscosity at lower temperatures and has a lower overall pour point then conventional motor oil.  This benefit along can dramatically decrease engine wear over time, or prevent a catastrophic failure due to no oil flow.  On the other end of the spectrum, synthetic motor oil is more resistant to thermal breakdown.  This is why you often find certain types of vehicles, ex. performance cars that have high operating temperatures, require synthetic motor oil.

If I switch my engine over to using synthetic motor oil will I notice the difference?

Yes and No!  Typically speaking you will not notice the difference between using synthetic or conventional motor oil.  However, some vehicle enthusiasts might notice some of the following benefits: overall increase in horsepower, decrease in emissions due to improved product stability, improved engine idling and lastly some might see a slight improvement in overall fuel economy.

Does my vehicle require a Synthetic Motor Oil?

Possibly, but I will tell you how to find out.  The easy way to verify whether or not your vehicle requires synthetic motor oil is to review your owner’s manual.  If for some reason you have misplaced your owner’s manual any of your local area automotive parts retailers or local petroleum distributors should be able to verify what your vehicle requires.

Once I start using synthetic motor oil I can never go back to using conventional motor oil?

No, that is not true!  You absolutely can go back to using conventional motor oil.  The only difference that you will have is your vehicle is no longer receiving the increased benefits of synthetic motor oil.  One of the primary reasons people make the switch to synthetic motor oil is the ability to increase the overall life of the engine.  Just look at some of the motor oil guarantees out in the marketplace right now, it is no coincidence that the best guarantees are for customers using synthetic motor oil.

If I switch to synthetic motor oil I will not have to change my oil as often?

Yes and No!  That really depends on the type of driving you conduct on a daily basis.  A typical driver will operate their vehicle under severe driving conditions which will often reduce the drain interval of your motor oil.  Be sure to look in your owner’s manual to review the proper oil drain intervals based upon the type of driving you do.  When in doubt, or if you’re looking to keep your vehicle for an extended period of time fall back on the traditional 3,000 mile drain interval that we have all been following for years.  Changing your oil a bit more frequently is the best form of insurance you can have, and is a lot less expensive than having to overhaul or replace your engine down the road.

Now go ahead and take off that lab coat, place it in the closet and go forth into world with an increased level of knowledge about synthetic and conventional motor oil.  If nothing else, you now have another discussion topic for all of your parties this holiday season.

About Brandon Prentice

Brandon Prentice is Division Sales Manager for Pynergy Petroleum Company based in Denver, CO.  He has spent the last 8 years working within the Oil & Gas industry specializing in helping customers within the aviation, automotive, heavy duty and industrial markets.  He can be reached via email: bprentice@pynergypetroleum.com

About Pynergy Petroleum Company

Pynergy Petroleum Company was founded in August 1999 when it acquired three Conoco Branded retail locations in the Denver, CO area.  Since then, Pynergy has been devoted to providing high quality fuels, lubricants, diesel exhaust fluid, equipment and service to the automotive, heavy duty and industrial markets.  Please visit us at www.pynergypetroleum.com