What are synthetic lubricants?

Engines, transmissions, and other mechanical systems contain hundreds of moving parts. Though the metal surfaces of these parts look smooth, they are actually full of microscopic peaks and valleys. When the peak of one surface touches its mating surface, it causes wear. Wear may lead to costly component damage or failure. Wear reduction and failure prevention are the primary functions of lubrication.

Refined Oils

Conventional oils—the oils most people are familiar with—are refined from crude oil. Refining is a process of physically separating light oil components for heavy ones.

Crude oil contains a full range of differnt kinds of molecules. Many are similar in weight, but not in structure. The refining process cannot distinguish such molecules, so a wide assortment of molecules is present in a finished lubricant made from crude oil stocks.

Many crude oil molecules are not beneficial to the lubrication process. For example, paraffin causes refined lubricants to thicken and flow poorly in cold temperatures. Molecules containing sulfur, nitrogen, and other elements invite the formation of sludge and other products of lubricant breakdown, especially in high temperature applications. Sludge and breakdown by-products significantly increase wear rates.

The assorted molecules of refined lubricants also have differnt shapes, making lubricant surfaces irregular at the molecular level. As lubricant layers flow across one another during the lubrication process, these irregularities create friction, which consumes power, reduces fuel efficiency and increases wear and tear.

Synthetic Lubricants

Synthetic lubricants are chemically engineered from pure chemicals rather than refined from crude oil. That gives them significant advantages over refined oils.

Pure

The base stocks from which synthetic lubricants are made contain no sulfur, nitrogen or other elements that invite the formation of sludge and other products of lubricant breakdown. Synthetic lubricants can be used in higher temperatures thean refined lubricants without breaking down. Their resistance to breakdown also allows them to be used longer than refined lubricants can be used. Lubricated systems stay cleaner and last longer with synthetics.

Uniform

The base stocks from which synthetic lubricants are made feature uniform and smooth molecular structures, which ensures low friction as lubricant layers slide across one another. Reduced friction increases energy through, but for greater fuel efficiency and power and reduces heat and wear for longer equipment life.

Molecular uniformity also helps synthetics resist thinning in heat and thickening in cold, which helps them protect better than refined oils over a system's operating temperature range and helps ensure secure sealing.

Designable

Many different kinds of base stocks may be used to create synthetic lubricants, allowing a synthetic to be designed for virtually any application. Some base stocks are ideal for use in extremely cold environments, others are perfect for use in extreme heat. Some are extremely safe in applications in which refined oils simply do not offer the design flexibility synthetics offer.

The designability of synthetics also allows them to be tailored very specifically to the needs of everyday applications, such as automotive engines, commercial equipment, or industrial machinery. That specificity helps ensure long life and peak power, performance, and fuel economy from the lubricated system, as well as extended lubricant life.

Why are Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants the best?

High Temperature Protection and Performance

Amsoil synthetic lubricants are much more stable in high temperatures than are refined oils and other synthetic oils. Their superior heat stability reduces the rates of oil consumption, lubricant breakdown, and lubricant oxidation, which keeps oil consumption low, equipment clean, protected and running right, and extends lubricant life.

Cold Temperature Protection and Performance

Amsoil synthetic lubricants remain fluid in temperatures far below zero, allowing dependable engine start-up, fast lubrication, dependable protection, and maximum fuel economy in severe cold operations.

Increased Efficiency

Amsoil synthetic lubricants are superior to refined oils and other synthetic oils in reducing friction, helping lubricated systems use fuel energy for work, not for overcoming drag. Superior friction reduction, as well as lower volatility rates, also helps keep exhaust emissions low.

Longer Engine and Equipment Life

Amsoil synthetic lubricants heat stability and friction reducing ability keep wear rates low, which helps increase the time to first tear-down, increases the interval the interval between tear-downs, and increases overall equipment life.

Extended Lubrication Drain Intervals

Amsoil synthetic lubricants offer up to eight times the service life offered by refined lubricants and sometimes even more. The long life of Amsoil synthetic lubricants reduces costs, downtime, waste, and environmental damage.

Product Line

Amsoil manufactures synthetic lubricants, advanced filtration systems, fuel additives, and coolant for virtually every commercial, industrial, and automotive application.

Quality Control

Amsoil synthetic lubricants are manufactured from top quality synthetic base stocks and performance additives according to a stringent quality control protocol in computer controlled Amsoil manufacturing facilities. Amsoil synthetic lubricants may be counted on to deliver the same top quality performance and protection every time they are used, no matter where in the world they are purchased.

Experience

Amsoil formulated the first API synthetic motor oil in the world and has more experience formulating synthetic lubricants than any other manufacturer in the world. Amsoil leads the industry in product quality and innovation.

Amsoil products will save you money!

They will:

• reduce maintenance;
• extend drain intervals, which prevent the disposal of additional waste oil;
• create less downtime;
• make equipment last longer; and
• encourage better fuel economy. 

If you would like more information on Amsoil products or information on becoming a dealer, please email us at: johnsperformanceshop@udata.com or call us Monday through Friday, 8-5, and Saturday, 9-3, at (419) 396-6201.