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Synthetic motor oils can provide a variety of benefits that help keep your
engine running at optimal performance for years to come.
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To understand synthetic motor oils, let’s look first at the origins of all
motor oils.
Conventional oils come from crude oil that is pumped from the ground. Crude
oil is made up of a complex mixture of molecules that form chains and rings of
different sizes and shapes. Long chains of carbon atoms produce a thick,
viscous fluid that flows slowly. Shorter chains produce fluid that flows more
readily.
In an oil refinery, crude oil is separated into various fractions. These
become the basis for lubricating oils and fuels. Thick tangled masses of
carbon chains become asphaltic materials used in roofing tar and road work.
Very short chains and ring compounds of carbon are volatile and can be refined
to produce gasoline and other products.
While petroleum refining is an advanced science, small amounts of
contaminants, such as sulfur and reactive hydrocarbons, cannot be completely
removed from petroleum, and may end up in motor oil base stocks.
All motor oils are made up of base oils and additives. In general, fully
synthetic motor oils contain non-conventional, high-performance fluids.
Synthetic blends usually use some non-conventional, high-performance fluids in
combination with conventional oil.
To meet the demanding requirements of today's specifications (and our
customers' expectations), Mobil 1® uses high-performance fluids, including
polyalphaolefins (PAOs), along with a proprietary system of additives. Each
Mobil 1 viscosity grade uses a unique combination of synthetic fluids and
selected additives in order to tailor the viscosity grade to its specific
application.
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