ECO ADVANCED FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This page will help answer questions about Eco Advanced, our products, and oil in general. Most people don't know what motor oil is made of, what is different about synthetic motor oil, and what the differences are between fully-synthetic and other types of synthetic oils.
For a good general reference on motor oil, you might want to look at The Motor Oil Bible, written by a long-time industry expert.
If you have a question that we don't answer here, please contact us, and we'll find an answer.
What is motor oil made from?
Motor oil components can be divided in to two major classes: the base stock and the additives. The base stock comprises 80-85% of the volume of the oil and supplies most of the lubricating ability of the oil. The additives are chemical materials added to enhance the basic properties of the base stock, and enable the oil to work better and last longer. To make superior oils like our Forever series, both the base stock and the additives must have superior properties.
What is in the base stock?
There are two general classes of base stock, natural and synthetic. Natural base stocks are made from the portion of crude oil that boils between roughly 388° and 475°F (150-200°C). The suitability of that cut of crude oil for lubricants depends on the structure of the chemical compounds in that cut. Synthetic base stocks are chemicals made from natural gas or other sources to boil at about the same temperature as natural base stocks.
How are synthetic oils different from natural oils?
The best molecules for lubricants look like very long chains of carbon and hydrogen that look like this:
The length of the chain determines the boiling point: the longer the chain, the higher the boiling point. All good lubricants have about the same number of carbon atoms in each molecule. However, petroleum hydrocarbons have some 'branches' on the chain; they may look something like this:
At the high temperatures experienced inside engines, the branches can break off and evaporate out of the engine. This has several adverse consequences: 1) the volume of oil goes down, so there is less to lubricate and cool the engine, 2) because the branchless chains are lighter after the branches break off, they can also evaporate out, decreasing the amount of oil in the engine, and 3) worst of all, some of the branchless chains can combine, leading to sludge that can build up inside the engine, usually in the most inconvenient places.
Besides the problems with branches, petroleum base stocks contain a range of larger and smaller molecules, so some of the lighter molecules may degrade at higher temperatures, and some of the heavier molecules may turn to sludge.
Synthetic base stocks are chemically synthesized to provide long chains with very few branches, so they can handle the high heat of the engine without breaking down. Some synthetics have branches, but are designed so that the branches are very firmly fastened to the chain, and do not break down. Even better, most synthetics are very good solvents, and help keep the inside of the engine clean.
In additions, synthetics can be tailored to all have about the same size, so synthetics do not have the range of molecule sizes typical of petroleum base stocks.
Since synthetics can handle the heat of the engine, they often require lower levels of additives, since many of the common additives are designed to help counter the effects of oil degradation.
What additives are in motor oil?
Here's a table of the most common types of additive and their functions:
| Additive type | What it does | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Pour-point depressant | Lets the oil flow at low temperatures | Not always necessary for synthetics |
| Viscosity improver | Keeps the oil 'thick' at higher temperatures | Always present in multi-viscosity oils |
| Detergent | Helps clean the engine | |
| Dispersant | Keeps dirt particles in suspension in the oil | |
| Anti-foaming agent | Keeps the oil from foaming | |
| Antioxidant | Keeps oxygen from degrading the oil | |
| Corrosion inhibitor | Neutralizes acids formed during combustion | Measured by Total Base Number; higher is better |
| Anti-wear agent | Helps keep metal parts from wearing/eroding | Usually contain zinc and phosphorus |
Not every oil will have all of these types of additives, and synthetic oils typically have lower concentrations of additives than petroleum oils.
What do you mean by "fully synthetic" motor oil?
In an effort to cut the price of their product, some companies blend synthetic base stock with petroleum base stock, to make "synthetic blend" oils. Others highly refine petroleum base stocks to try to make them as much like real synthetic base stock as they can. In either case, the properties of the base stock are not as good as for base stock that is completely synthetic, in other words, tailored for application as lubricant. Eco Advanced uses only fully-synthetic base stocks. Our philosophy is very simple: nothing but the very best is good enough for our customers.