Synthetics deliver on performance and lower emissions
Engine design has evolved significantly over the last 30 years to keep up with the demands of increasingly stringent regulations. With each change, new demands have been placed on the lubricating oil. With tighter tolerances between components, today’s advanced engine technologies achieve greater efficiency, but are more sensitive and run much hotter than previous designs.
Like most things, too much heat can stress the oil. It makes it more vulnerable to breakdown, which can cause it to degrade. Severely oxidised oil will become much thicker than when the oil was new, and can also become acidic and attack internal components. Oxidised oil also contributes to deposit formation in places like the turbocharger and power cylinder. High temperatures can also cause oil evaporation, which can impact oil consumption.
It’s helpful to understand the difference between conventional and synthetic oils. Conventional oils are made from refined crude oil and undergo further processing to remove harmful impurities and to further tailor their properties. In contrast, synthetic base oils are purposely built chemicals that are synthesised to deliver high performance. Synthetic base oils are generally less volatile, and more chemically stable than conventional base oils. Yet, they are particularly robust at low temperatures as well.
With the trend toward smaller, technologically advanced heavy-duty engines, we have seen a parallel trend toward lower viscosity lubricants. This is leading logically to the wider use of synthetic blends, and ultimately, fully synthetic engine oils.
