SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life®
SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life®
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SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® can reduce Oil Consumption.
Our customers that have switched to SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® quite often report reduced oil consumption, especially in vehicles which previously recommended "low viscosity oils" such as SAE 5W-20.
How is that possible?
It can be understood by looking at the evaporation rate and volatility of the base oils when compared to SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life®.
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of liquid, which occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, that instead occurs on the entire mass of the liquid.
Evaporation is a type of phase transition; it is the process by which molecules in a liquid (e.g. motor oil) spontaneously become gaseous (e.g. oil vapor).
Generally, evaporation can be seen by the gradual disappearance of a liquid from a substance when exposed to a significant volume of gas.
On average, the molecules in motor oil at room temperature do not have enough heat energy to escape from the liquid. With sufficient heat, the liquid however would turn into vapor quickly, such as when the oil reaches boiling point.
When the molecules collide, they transfer energy to each other in varying
degrees, based on how they collide. Sometimes the transfer is so one-sided for
a molecule near the surface that it ends up with enough energy to escape.
Liquids that do not evaporate visibly at a given temperature in a given gas
(e.g. motor oil at room temperature) have molecules that do not tend to
transfer energy to each other in a pattern sufficient to frequently give a
molecule the heat energy necessary to turn into vapor.
However, these liquids are still evaporating. It is just that the process is
much slower and thus significantly less visible.
Since the molecules in oil that have lower molecular weight "evaporate"
both at lower temperatures and "escape" easier from the liquid, the
remaining liquid will over time increase in relative viscosity as the more
heavy molecules which are also more viscous will remain.
Thus the oil fill get "thicker" over time just because the lower molecular weight molecules are depleted from the bulk fluid by evaporation.
The heavier molecules are more dense and the higher the density the slower is the evaporation rate.
Evaporation rate - Heat increases the collision rate of molecules and evaporation rate as well as the activation energy of any chemical reaction.
The higher activation energy helps overcome the barrier (or natural resistance) molecules have to chemical reactions.
But the activation energy also reduces the tendency of the molecules to "stick together", and thus it is easier for them to evaporate.
Typically molecules of lower molecular weight will evaporate easier and faster than molecules of high molecular weight.
In petroleum oils there are hundreds if not thousands of molecules of differing compositions and of differing molecular weights. That is why from petroleum crude it is possible by conventional refining methods, such as distillation to extract different substances (gases, fluids or solids), that range from Petroleum Gas through Gasoline and Diesel Fuel to Paraffin Wax.
One of those refinery fractions is "Lubricating Oil Base stock", which while it is composed of molecules of relatively high molecular weight, it still contains many molecules that have both lighter and heavier molecular weights.
The molecules in oil that have lower molecular weight "evaporate" both at lower temperatures and "escape" easier from the liquid, thus the remaining liquid will over time increase in relative viscosity as the more heavy molecules which are also more viscous will remain.
The heavier molecules are more dense and the higher the density the slower is the evaporation rate.
The lighter molecules are less dense and the lower the density the faster is the evaporation rate.
Volatility is in chemistry:
The NOACK Volatility Test, otherwise known as ASTM D-5800, determines the evaporation loss of lubricants in high-temperature service.
The more motor oil vaporize, the thicker (more viscous) and heavier the remaining oil becomes, contributing to poor circulation, reduced fuel economy and increased oil consumption, wear and increased emissions (both running crankcase and tail pipe).
Volatility, as measured by either the NOACK or ASTM simulated distillation method, limits on oil volatility is included in the API and ACEA standards because volatility has been shown to correlate with oil consumption in the field [2, 3].
The values were selected to provide acceptable oil economy in the field.
The higher allowable volatility values specified for the lighter viscosity grade oils are an acknowledgment of the difficulties encountered with existing refining equipment and/or processes when manufacturing the lighter base stocks necessary for such oils (e.g. SAE 5W-20).
There is a real need to improve this limit over time, and base oil manufacturers will have to modify equipment and/or processes to satisfy future requirements that will likely be more stringent.
Synthetic base stocks like PAO for example are naturally less volatile, and thus are more suitable for formulation of modern motor oils.
SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® is formulated with SynFluid® PAO which has even lower volatility then conventional PAO based on C-10 monomers.
| Base Oil | Base Oil Saturates D 2007 |
Base Oil Sulfur D 4294 |
Finished Oil NOACK Volatility D 5800 |
Base Oil Viscosity @ 100°C D 445 |
Base Oil Viscosity Index D 2270 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Petroleum |
72.0 | 0.2500 | 16.2 | 5.00 | 102 |
| SynLube Lube‑4‑Life® |
0.0 | 0.0000 | 3.3 | 16.5 | 198 |
| Sample #1 | 75.4 | 0.2049 | 16.9 | 5.61 | 105 |
| Sample #2 | 68.3 | 0.3055 | 18.2 | 4.46 | 100 |
| Sample #3 | 70.7 | 0.3132 | 15.8 | 4.39 | 102 |
| Sample #4 | 70.7 | 0.3132 | 15.8 | 4.39 | 102 |
| Sample #5 | 66.7 | 0.2171 | 16.6 | 4.86 | 104 |
| Sample #6 | 73.9 | 0.3423 | 13.9 | 5.10 | 103 |
| Sample #7 | 84.1 | 0.0740 | 14.7 | 5.47 | 102 |
| Sample #8 | 61.2 | 0.3641 | 16.0 | 4.31 | 96 |
The above table shows results from tests conducted by API using the Sequence IIIF testing.
While average volatility for conventional petroleum motor oils is in 16% range, for fully formulated SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® the NOACK volatility is only 3.3% !
The reason for much lower volatility of SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® is because of the exclusive Syn-Sol chemistry.
For example most modern Motor Oils are quite capable of 7,500 miles service interval without addition of "make-up" oil.
7,500 miles is in typical driving equivalent to about 300 hours, as in USA in mixed City and Highway driving the actual average Miles per Hour speed is only about 25 MPH. The motor oil average Oil Sump temperature in such operation is about 220 °F or just above boiling point of water (104°C) this temperature is considered ideal for conventional engines as it boils of water condensation.
When the operating temperature is however increased to 238°F the conventional lubricant evaporation is increased so much that additional "make-up" oil amounting to as much as one US Quart will be required in only 150 hours or less which translates to 3,750 miles.
Now when using the SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® evaporation rate as well as the NOACK volatility is much less and we have reports from our customers of operating without any addition of "ADD OIL" for as much as 30,000 miles!
Irrespective of your service or engine design the volatility of SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® is about 5 times lower than that of a conventional Petroleum Motor Oil, thus Lower Oil Consumption results in engines that are in good mechanical condition.
NO MAGIC HERE - Just plain Thermo-Chemical Fact
But WAIT !!!
Do you remember the MAGIC #1 ?
There we have demonstrated that most mechanisms lubricated with SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® run "cooler" on the average, due to thermal conductivity and specific heat properties of SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life®.
Typically the "cooler" is at least 25°C that in turn calculates to theoretical reduction in Oil Consumption by as much as a factor of 10! (2*5=10)
NO MAGIC HERE - Just Mathematical Fact
So to sum it all up, SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® at first has a lower Activation Rate than conventional oils and therefore the Evaporation rate at operating temperature is much lower, but secondly because of the typically lower average operating temperature than those, which is experienced in the same mechanism with conventional lubricants.
SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® lasts even longer in service than suggested by Arrhenius equation alone.
The MAGICAL RESULT?
Much Lower Oil Consumption !
SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® is the only "Space Age" Motor Oil on the market that is not just capable, but proven to provide excellent engine protection as well as engine longevity with oil changes as seldom as every 15 years or 150,000 miles (240,000 Km).
References:
2.
Didot, F. E.; Green, E.; and Johnson, R. H.; "Volatility and Oil Consumption of SAE 5W-30 Engine Oil"
(Paper No. 872126), Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, Pennsylvania.
3.
Carey, L. R.; Roberts, D. C.; and Shaub, H.; "Factors Influencing Engine Oil Consumption in Today's Automotive Engines"
(Paper No. 892159), Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, Pennsylvania.
Here are LINKS to other pages on our web that explain the SynLube™ Lube‑4‑Life® MAGIC in detail:
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