What is Hydrocracked Engine Oil. Hydrocracked engine oil. All the truth. How to distinguish hydrocracked engine oil from synthetic

Hydrocracking oil, a novelty in the motor fluids market, received a mixed assessment among car owners. Some consider this lubricant to be the best modern development. Others pay attention to the peculiarities of the production of the material and speak negatively about it. Before making final conclusions, it is worthwhile to figure out what hydrocracking oil is, what are its advantages and disadvantages, and whether it is worth choosing a lubricant of this quality for your own car.

What is Hydrocracking Oil

Hydrocracking is a method of processing a base oil to produce base oils with high viscosity characteristics. The NS synthesis technology was developed by American chemists in the 1970s. During hydrocatalytic processing, the “bad” oil fractions are converted into carbohydrates. The transformation of ordinary "mineral water" into "synthetics" of a higher quality occurs under the influence of chemical processes. On the one hand, HC oil is produced from petroleum, like mineral oil, and on the other hand, the molecular structure of the base changes dramatically. The resulting composition completely loses the characteristics of a mineral oil.

There are several types of hydrocracking

Production technology

The study of production technology will allow you to get a complete picture of HA-oil. Hydrocracking is a method for refining a mineral base oil, which makes it possible to approximate the characteristics of the final product to synthetics. The basis of the oil is oil, the molecular structure of which is changed using special chemical processes. Cleaning consists of three stages:

Dewaxing. Removal of paraffins from oil increases the freezing point of the composition.
Hydrotreating. At this stage, the hydrocarbon components are saturated with hydrogen and thereby change their structure. The oil acquires resistance to oxidation processes.
Hydrocracking - removal of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. At this stage of purification, the rings are split, the bonds are saturated and the paraffin chains are broken.

Three-stage cleaning allows you to get rid of oil from unnecessary impurities and obtain an oil composition that differs from the usual mineral, synthetic or semi-synthetic. Therefore, manufacturers classify HC oil as a separate category of lubricants.

Hydrocracking technology

After the refining procedure, synthetic additives are introduced into the oil to give it the final properties and capabilities of high quality lubricants.

Basic properties

The base of motor oils affects their viscosity. The thickest oils are mineral, the thinnest are synthetic. Hydrocracking oil, along with semi-synthetic oil, is in the middle position. The peculiarity of this grease is that in terms of production technology it is closer to mineral, and in physical and chemical properties - to synthetic.

This type of oil has the properties of both mineral and synthetic

The base created by hydrocracking technology has improved properties compared to the mineral one. In terms of purity, such oils are close to synthetic ones, but they have a much lower cost.

It is important! HC-synthesis makes it possible to obtain a grease with a viscosity index of 150 units, while mineral greases have a viscosity of only 100 units. The introduction of additives brings hydrocracking compositions as close as possible to synthetic ones.

Advantages and disadvantages

Multi-stage oil distillation with subsequent enrichment with additives makes HA fluid a high-quality lubricating oil. The advantages of this grease are as follows:

Effective work under mechanical or thermal overload;
Minimal aggressiveness to elastomers;
Resistant to deposits formation;
Resistance to deformation;
Optimum viscosity;
Low coefficient of friction;
High solubility of additives;
Environmental friendliness.

Hydrocracked oils have distinct advantages and disadvantages

With obvious advantages, this type of oil has a number of significant disadvantages:

Increased volatility;
The tendency to provoke the formation of corrosion;
Rapid aging and, as a result, the need for frequent replacement.

Despite some disadvantages, many car owners speak of its use quite positively. In terms of quality, it is slightly inferior only to high-quality synthetic oils with the maximum cost. The advantage in comparison with synthetics of similar characteristics is a much lower price.

HC or synthetic: what to choose and how to distinguish

At the end of the chemical transformation of the base, the HA is significantly ahead of mineral oil in characteristics, but does not reach the level of high-quality "synthetics". The main idea of \u200b\u200bthe developers of the new oil is to be closer to synthetic varieties while reducing production costs. Theoretically, strict ideal adherence to all technological processes can guarantee a product that practically does not differ from a synthetic one. However, such complexity will immediately affect the price, so the goal is unlikely to be justified. Therefore, manufacturers prefer the “golden mean”: the new product does not have properties of mineral lubricants, but it is not yet synthetic.

The oil should be chosen taking into account the needs of the car engine

But the chemical industry cannot yet offer anything ideal to car owners. Synthetics and hydrocracking have their own advantages and disadvantages:

Synthetic oil can withstand incredible overloads, high revs, getting into the fuel without compromising quality. "Synthetics" works twice as long as GK and can withstand overheating.
However, in terms of stability during temperature extremes, hydrocracking has a clear advantage. This product retains its viscosity at both high and abnormally low temperatures. Therefore, it can be used fearlessly in winter and summer. It is enough just to change or add lubricant more often than "synthetics".
When using HA-oil, engine start parameters and characteristics of its power are improved. The product has better lubricating properties in comparison with "synthetics". however, the declared properties of the additive lose quite quickly, and the lubricant ages.

It is important! When choosing a lubricant for the engine, you should focus on the characteristics of the car's motor specified in the operating manual. It is necessary to take into account the operating conditions of the vehicle: in some regions, the condition of the roads affects the rate of oil clogging, so it is not advisable to purchase an expensive product for long-term use.

Switching from synthetic to hydrocracking oil

The technology of the procedure for switching from synthetic oil to hydrocracking oil depends on the age and condition of the engine. On an old car, after draining, it is better to remove the sump and remove all the dirt and carbon deposits, which no rinsing can help get rid of.

The oil change procedure is simple and within the power of any car owner

In relatively new cars, a double oil change is sufficient. After draining the synthetics, hydrocracking is poured in and travel 200-300 km. Then this portion of oil is drained and a new one is poured.

It is important! Many experts believe that when changing from an oil of a higher class to a lower one, a simple replacement is enough, without flushing and re-filling.

How to distinguish hydrocracked oil from synthetic oil

If the car owner opted for hydrocracking oil, he may have some difficulty in identifying it. The only reference point for most inexperienced consumers is the corresponding inscription on the packaging. Some manufacturers use the Latin abbreviation HC for hydrocracking. But often there is no such identification mark on the packaging, so the consumer should get acquainted with the distinctive features of the product:

Cost. The cost of production of a HA product is much less than "synthetics", so the price of the final product is much lower. At the same time, this oil is several times more expensive than mineral oil.
Vague characteristics. The American Petroleum Institute equated hydrocracking oils with synthetic ones, so many manufacturers introduce some ambiguity in the designation of the product category: they do not put the “Synthetics 100%” mark on the label, but write about the use of “synthetic technologies”. If there is a similar wording on the can, the HC oil is in front of the buyer.

To distinguish hydrocracking oil from synthetic oil, you need to know some nuances.

These indicators only indirectly indicate the basis used by manufacturers. In reality, hydrocracking can be distinguished from synthetics only in a laboratory way. But there are several clear indicators that you should pay attention to when choosing a lubricant:

The word "Vollsynthetisches" is sufficient when the lubricant is manufactured in Germany: here the concept of synthetic oil is clearly defined at the legislative level;
Oils marked 5W, 10W, 15W, 20W are most likely "hydrocracking" or "semi-synthetic";
ZIC oils and almost all original lubricants for Japanese cars are exclusively hydrocracked.

Video: HC lubricants

Due to their value for money, hydrocracking oils are gaining in popularity. Experts predict that with the constant improvement of production technology, this type of lubricant may overtake the "synthetics" in terms of frequency of use.

Despite the fact that the consumer properties of modern lubricants are determined by the amount of additives, its basic qualities directly depend on the base. Among them are the service life and the dependence of viscosity on temperature.

All car enthusiasts know that there are two types of base:

Mineral oil (extracted from oil);
(artificially produced).

The difference in quality and cost led to the creation of a compromise oil: semi-synthetics. Everything is clear here: we mix two types of base in a certain proportion, we get a composition that is not too expensive, but already with acceptable characteristics.

Everything seems simple: there are three main types. However, manufacturers gave us another challenge: hydrocracking oil. Depending on the country of origin, it is classified as either mineral water or synthetics.

To understand what hydrocracking is, consider the production technology

The illustration shows a typical primary oil refining process.

To obtain lubricants, such refined products as gas oil and fuel oil are used. The hydrocracked engine oil base is made from gas oil. For this, a hydrocracking unit is being built at the refinery.

This is a large-scale structure, the costs of its construction are comparable to the price of a small full-cycle refinery. However, the product obtained with its help is so popular that all costs are paid off in a short time.

Note

Hydrocracking reactors purify crude petroleum-derived gas oil using wax. Harmful impurities are removed: nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus. After that, long 8-12 atomic chains are broken (this procedure is called cracking).

Short molecules with a homogeneous structure are connected back. But it is no longer chaotic, but with the help of hydrogen molecules (the process is called hydrogenation). Hence the word "hydro".

What is the advantage of short hydrocarbon molecules?

Such compounds depend little on the ambient temperature, that is, the viscosity changes smoothly, without harm to the final product (oil);
The production and further use of hydrocracking products is environmentally friendly, since no toxic reagents are used: only natural hydrogen;
Most of the harmful impurities are not removed, but converted into useful ones.

What is hydrocracked oil, synthetic or non-synthetic?

Why is hydrocracked oil called synthetic? This has nothing to do with reality. From the point of view of the chemistry of the process, only the product whose molecules are obtained by artificial means can be considered 100% synthetics.

How hydrocracking appeared - video

In the process of obtaining a hydrocracking base, hydrocarbon molecules are first split (crushed) and then glued together again.

are we getting a new product? Definitely yes. An argument in favor of those who think hydrocracking is a synthesis;
are new molecules created artificially? Definitely not. This is a chemical transformation, not a pure synthesis.

Then why did such an ambiguous interpretation of the seemingly clear terminology arise? The answer is simple. If this concerned science in its purest form, no one would call hydrocracking synthetics. But the oil is on sale, so marketing comes to the fore.

Synthetic oil has a cost that is significantly higher than mineral, and even semi-synthetic. The consumer pays for high quality and performance. With the appearance of the base obtained in the hydrocracking process, it turns out that the final product is not much worse than the pure synthesis. There is an opportunity to sell synthetic oil at competitive prices.

An inscription like "fully synthetic" appears on the packaging, and a happy (and not too deceived) customer saves money by getting a really high-quality product. A little deception lies in the terminology: after all, 100% synthetics are made from gas molecules.

Further, national legislation comes into force. In some European countries, it is mandatory to indicate the abbreviations HC (hydrocracking), or PAO (synthetics). It seems like the buyer should receive reliable information.

Other national legislation requires voluntary notification: for example, you can indicate HC - synthetic on the label, who knows - he will understand.

The American and Japanese manufacturers have convinced the certification authorities that the cleavage and re-combination of molecules is also synthesis. Therefore, in these countries, the hydrocracking product rightfully belongs to synthetics.

The only fact of real deception can occur only on the shelves of retail chains. Initially, the manufacturer estimates the cost of hydrocracking to be significantly lower than that of synthetics. But unscrupulous sellers can sell HC - synthetic at the price of 100% synthetics, taking advantage of the lack of reliable information on the packaging.

Let's analyze which oil is better: hydrocracking or synthetic

We know the following about mineral oils: high temperature dependence, poor load stability, short service life. At the same time - excellent lubricating properties (as long as they have not changed during operation), and, of course, low cost.

Hydrocracking or synthetics, which is better - video

The properties of synthetic oils are also well known. Long service life, high flash point, stable performance, little temperature dependence.

The engine starts easier and its power increases. At the same time, high cost, poor ecology, there is no saving in fuel consumption, characteristics are lost not gradually, but like an avalanche (the replacement period cannot be exceeded).

And finally, hydrocracked oil. The main advantage is the lower (in comparison with "fully synthetic") price. In addition, this base has a balanced viscosity rating that suits almost any motor. A distinctive feature of this framework is increased efficiency.

Disadvantages - Hydrocracked oil is not as versatile in terms of application temperature. It evaporates: for some engines, refilling will be required between service periods.

How to distinguish hydrocracked from synthetic motor oil?

If you are looking for a hydrocracked product, look for the “HC-Synthese” label.

Manufacturers who want to pass off a hydrocracked product as pure synthesis, on the contrary, will try to hide information about the production method. From the point of view of the Law on Consumer Protection, there is no deception, therefore only a high price or honesty of the seller can become a sign of pure synthetics. Today, no self-respecting auto shop will sell HC at the synthetic price.

Reliable information can be obtained if the oil is produced in one of the countries of the European Union. Then the abbreviation HC will be on the label. There may not be information about the mineral base, but 100% synthetics are necessarily marked with the appropriate inscription.
Asian countries (Korea, Japan) accept hydrocracking as synthetics. Accordingly, you will see only 3 gradations on the packaging: synthetics, semi-synthetics, mineral water. We focus on the price.
Russia also does not believe that synthetics cannot be produced from liquid petroleum products. Therefore, again mineral water, semi-synthetics, and two categories (synthesis and hydrocracking) under a common denominator.

Important! There are no ways to check the base of an engine oil in a home (garage) environment. Only a professional chemical laboratory.

Advantages and disadvantages

In fact, there is no point in wasting time and money on expertise. It is fundamentally important to have pure synthetics in the crankcase only for highly accelerated and revving engines. And for such cars, the choice of lubricants is strictly regulated by the manufacturer. Usually 2-3 brands that will definitely be synthetic.

Advantages and disadvantages of engine oils with different bases - video

For other vehicles, hydrocracking oil is the best choice. With a modern production culture and technologies, the quality of the base obtained from oil (and then gas oil) is not inferior to that completely synthesized from natural gas.

The difference is only apparent in extreme conditions. And this is actually a racing mode. Actually, the drivers who squeeze the maximum capabilities out of their cars are the category of buyers of pure synthetics. The rest can save money with a clear conscience.

There is a lot of controversy, talk and discussion around hydrocracking oils. There is no way consumers can come to a consensus. They were divided into completely opposite ones. Some consider them the best modern development, others respond negatively due to the peculiarities of production. Someone thinks that they are unjustifiably expensive, and opponents focus on the fact that such compositions are much cheaper than synthetic oils with similar characteristics. To understand the essence of hydrocracking oils and what they are, you should study this issue in more detail. Having dealt with the production technology, technical characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of HA oils, everyone will be able to draw certain conclusions for themselves.

Hydrocracked engine oil is a refined product.

What did hydrocracking lead to?

Typically, manufacturers receive refined engine oil as a result of processing petroleum products. Considering its properties and characteristics, the grease is superior to the traditional mineral fluid. But it does not quite reach the level of synthetic compounds. This is when compared with synthetics of the highest level, made according to all the rules and using modern technologies. In parallel with this, hydrocracking is considered a cheaper technology in terms of implementation. Again when compared to the manufacture of synthetic engine lubricants. HA technology can have varying degrees of efficiency. First, consider the potential of hydrocracking, that is, the theory. If we take the developed technology for the synthesis of petroleum products as a basis, competently use production capacities and have the most modern equipment, the output will be an oil that is absolutely not inferior to synthetics.

But the theory is still theory and remains. In reality, this approach would be too expensive. As a result, the process of manufacturing HA oils will turn out to be costly, and the finished products will be sold at a price not lower than synthetics. But the essence of the HA is to make an oil close to synthetic, but at a much lower price. From here we get the reality of what is happening with hydrocracking technology. The approach is less thorough, due to which it is possible to create oils that are significantly superior to mineral oils, but still they cannot be called an analogue of high-quality synthetics.

The technology was developed back in the last century, around the 70s. Then there were only the first prerequisites for the creation of something meaningful and in demand. Now the GC is used by almost every manufacturer. This is due to three factors:

availability of production;
high demand;
good oil quality.

Whether or not to use hydrocracking oil depends not only on the desire of the car owner, but also on the requirements of the engine of his car for the quality and characteristics of the smear. Nowadays, hydrocracking products are treated with special attention. These are oils that can replace expensive synthetic compounds, thereby helping motorists save on maintenance costs without compromising quality.

Features of production technology

Now we need to more specifically understand what kind of technology it is and what its peculiarity is. Here we will look at hydrocracked oil from a manufacturing perspective. Hydrocracking (HC) is a modern method for the production of motor oils, in which the properties of the base mineral oil are refined and improved. This allows us to bring their characteristics closer to synthetics. In the manufacture of HA oils, oil is used, as is the case with classical oils. Then special chemical processes are used, with the help of which the molecular structure changes almost completely. Therefore, almost nothing remains of the basic properties and characteristics that are relevant for mineral water. This deep refining and synthesis is needed to reduce the amount of unnecessary impurities present in the base oil. The treatment results in an oil component that cannot be characterized as mineral, synthetic or semi-synthetic. Therefore, the Civil Code is usually attributed to a separate category.

In total, there are three stages of purification, due to which impurities are removed and the final molecular structure of the liquid is created:

Processing begins with dewaxing. From the name you already understood that at this stage. They increase the pour point of the lubricating engine oil. Due to this technology alone, it will not be possible to get rid of all impurities. Therefore, further manipulations are required.
The second stage is hydrotreating. When hydrocarbons are saturated with hydrogen, their structure changes. This is called hydrogenation. As a result, the oil increases its resistance to oxidative processes.
The production is completed with hydrocracking. Several different reactions occur during processing. With their help, nitrogen and sulfur compounds are removed, rings are split, bonds are saturated and paraffin chains are broken.

Further, the corresponding oils are added to the composition of the HA. With their help, the final list of properties, capabilities and characteristics of the lubricant is created. The more technologically advanced and complex the additives are, the higher the price tag for hydrocracking rises. Therefore, such fluids can be quite expensive. Although again, in comparison with synthetics, HA will always be cheaper, all other things being equal. If we compare the process with traditional synthesis, which is relevant in the manufacture of synthetic motor oils, hydrocracking requires less technological and time costs. This predetermines the lower cost of the finished product. You now more accurately understand what hydrocracked engine oil is and what is the essence of its production.

Classification problem

So far, experts have not fully decided how to properly classify such oils and where to refer them. Representatives of API (American Petroleum Institute) currently classify hydrocracking compositions as Group 3. This includes premium base greases that are petroleum based. In many countries, they are not called fully synthetic. This is due to the fact that they do not meet the main requirement of synthetics, that is, they do not consist of 100% artificial components. At the same time, according to the quality level of HA oils, they cannot be compared with mineral lubricants. They surpass them many times over. In comparison with PAO oils, that is, synthetic fluids, HA are slightly inferior and only by some criteria. Therefore, it is now relevant to use the new term HC synthetics, that is, hydrocracking synthetic oils. Most importantly, the essence does not change from the name. Therefore, you can call these lubricants whatever you like.

How to distinguish from synthetic oils

When a car owner comes to a store that sells motor lubricants in order to purchase hydrocracking oil, there is a certain difficulty in finding it. After all, it is not always possible to immediately identify this type of material. It is possible to distinguish hydrocracked motor oil by the most objective criterion, that is, by the corresponding inscription on the package. Some manufacturers indicate what type of lubricant it is by applying the designation HC-synthetic. But you shouldn't expect that everyone will write this. Therefore, when there is no inscription on the label, look for indirect signs. There are several of them. Start with cost. Taking into account the technological features of HA oils, they cost significantly less than synthetics at the output, but also several times more expensive than mineral oils.

Not all manufacturers of motor lubricants want to introduce confusion in the designations and indices of their oils, therefore they simply put the category of synthetic oil on the label. But with some peculiarities. They do not indicate that it is 100% synthetic (Fully Synth), but make the notation more vague. Therefore, if you see an inscription about the synthetic technology used in the manufacture of lubricants, then most likely the GC is in front of you. Please note that at present, the technology of hydrocracking production is strictly classified by each manufacturer. Therefore, no one will display detailed information on the labels.

Technical specifications

From the above, an objective conclusion can be drawn, according to which HA oils are an intermediate solution between mineral and synthetic lubricants. Therefore, relevant questions arise regarding the technical characteristics of the compositions. Although HA is very close to synthetic oils, they do not have the same outstanding performance when compared to the highest quality 100% synthetics. But after all, not the most outstanding synthetic oils are available on the market, which HA will significantly surpass. This is already a relative concept. In parallel, hydrocracking has clear advantages in terms of high temperature properties and antioxidant capabilities. These formulations guarantee optimal viscosity, which can be used in winter, summer, throughout the season in extreme heat and extreme frost.

It is important to note the objectively weak point characteristic of hydrocracking. Despite the use of advanced technologies for processing the mineral base, it is impossible to completely clean the mineral water in our time. Therefore, GC is in demand due to the availability of production technology. This makes the lubricants optimal in terms of price-performance ratio. For relatively little money, you buy a full-fledged motor oil that remains resistant to chemical attack, temperature extremes, oxidation and corrosion. Take as an analogue a synthetic fluid similar in properties, and you will see how much more affordable hydrocracking oil is in terms of cost.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like all other solutions, hydrocracked oils have their own objective advantages and disadvantages. You cannot say that they are better than the rest. Just as it is impossible to assert about the total superiority of synthetics over hydrocracking. Everything is relative and can only be learned by comparison. According to their characteristics, both types of compositions are very close. Therefore, the manufacturers of motor fluids themselves do not hesitate to call them the same. But let's take a closer look at everything. Yes, the characteristics and properties are at a high level. At the same time, the rather complex concept of hydrocracking hides a mineral base processed using a special technology. This is not considered a disadvantage. Rather, the main advantage, since it comes with an affordable cost. Take synthetic fluids for comparison. Their production requires a very complex synthesis technology. And since it is difficult, it is also expensive. In terms of cost, hydrocracking objectively wins.

The rest of the positive aspects of HA oils include:

excellent viscosity indicators and the possibility of their application in various operating conditions;
resistance of hydrocracking to the formation of deposits;
minimal aggressive action in relation to oil seals and seals used in the engine design;
resistance to oxidative processes and corrosion;
the ability to effectively reduce friction between rubbing surfaces;
the inclusion of a large number of additives;
wide range of;
the possibility of using GK on modern engines, demanding on.

These merits have been carefully studied and verified, which allowed to prove the validity of such claims. On the negative side, hydrocracked oils have some disadvantages.

Basically, there are such disadvantages:

predisposition to a faster evaporation process;
shorter life cycle than synthetics (HA begins to age faster);
the need to change the lubricant more often;
the composition is not adapted for very harsh operating conditions.

If we take all the voiced advantages of using hydrocracking oils, compare them with the disadvantages and the price tag, then the disadvantages look quite tolerable. You can put up with them, because in their environment, GCs behave great. If you are not involved in auto racing or the temperature in your area does not drop to extremely low values \u200b\u200bin winter, these lubricating motor fluids will do their best. Don't forget that manufacturers are different. Some of them create GCs in accordance with all the canons and rules, use the most advanced technologies and modern equipment. Others cannot afford it. This is where a significant difference arises between hydrocrackers of different brands. Choose only the best. They are as close as possible to synthetic oils.

When choosing an oil for your engine, and considering the option of purchasing a GK-composition, you should pay attention to several main points.

Car and engine manufacturer. The owner's manual contains specific recommendations on the choice of engine oil. Not all car companies have GK-lubricants recommended as recommended ones, since they are not able to fully satisfy the needs of the power unit. To take risks and experiment, replacing synthetics with hydrocracking, is not worth it in such situations.
The financial side. Yes, synthetics are significantly more expensive than HA, but sometimes these are justified costs. If you have a choice between the two technologies, as confirmed by the automaker, then there is no point in spending more money.
Oil producers. As mentioned earlier, HA or HC oils do not always have decent performance characteristics. It depends on the applied technology, equipment and technical base of the company. Therefore, carefully study the manufacturer, read about the additives used in the HA and compare them with the requirements of your car manufacturer.

The technology, although not entirely new, is only now beginning to fully develop. It is possible that in the future hydrocracking will be actively developed, improved and modernized. Currently, thanks to the GC, we get an excellent opportunity to save on consumables without compromising the quality, reliability and durability of the engine. The only question is whether the automaker allows such oils to be used on their engines.

Any engine oil is a mixture of a base oil and an additive package. Nowadays, base oils are usually divided into five main groups.

First group - common mineral water, obtained from heavy oil fractions in the presence of various solvents.

Second group - improved mineral oils that have undergone a hydrotreated procedure that increases the stability of the base oil, and better purified from harmful impurities. They have their own niche, mainly in the field of freight transport, heavy marine and industrial diesel engines - they are used where oil consumption is huge and the use of expensive synthetics is ruinous.

Third group - base oils obtained by hydrocracking technology (HC-technology). On Internet forums "specialists" scornfully call these oils "crack", although they occupy the bulk of the market. Some firms position them as semi-synthetic (although they themselves admit the incorrectness of the very term "semi-synthetics"), some call them NS synthetics. In fact, this is also a mineral oil obtained from the corresponding fractions of oil, but improved - both in purity and in molecular structure.

Fourth group - Full Synthetic, or fully synthetic oils. They are based on polyalphaolefins (PAO). PAO molecules are a purely synthetic product that is obtained as a result of chemical reactions mainly from petroleum gases - ethylene or butylene. Such oils are "harvested" as a constructor, and therefore their properties are more predictable than those of mineral water. The disadvantage of PJSCs is the high price. Therefore, little tricks are used: why not mix twenty, thirty or forty percent PAO with "crack" and call such an oil completely synthetic? After all, the share of PAO in synthetics is not specified anywhere! The trick can be deciphered only by the flash point, which is indicated in the technical description of the oil: for PAO it tends to 250 ° C and even higher (sometimes 280 ° C), and for pure HC synthetics - about 225 ° C.

Fifth group base oils are united by everything that was not included in the first four. And the main one that entered this group and has become actively used in the production of commercial oils is the base oil based on esters.

Esters - fully synthetic compounds obtained not from oil, but mainly from plant materials, mainly from rapeseed oil. It is a purely synthetic product with complete stability. Its molecules are charged, due to which they adhere to metal walls and reliably reduce wear. Unfortunately, it is impossible to make an oil consisting of esters alone: \u200b\u200bfriction losses will be great. Therefore, oils of the fifth group are also a mixture, most often of esters and PAOs, but at the same time, since for pure synthetics, part of the performance properties can be set at the stage of base oil assembly, the volume of the additive package can be significantly less.

WHAT'S NEW?

The coolest group is the fifth, from which we took three ester oils, each with its own zest.

Cupper SAE 5W-40 Full Ester

The most ester, if I may say so: according to the manufacturer, contains up to 80% of esters and only 2.5% of additives with special metal-cladding (fr. Laquer - cover) components.

XENUM WRX 7.5W40

Ester with boron nitride microceramic additives. In fact, boron nitride is a powerful abrasive, but a very fine fraction is used here, which, it is claimed, is an analogue of solid lubricants in friction zones. Note the unconventional, "fractional" SAE class and a considerable price.

KROON Oil Poly Tech 10W-40

Here, the so-called OSP technology is used, in which up to 30% of special polyesters - polyalkylene glycols (PAG) - are included in the base oil based on PAO and esters. They are completely soluble in oil and contribute to better dissolution of the additive package. Note the high viscosity index of PAG (over 180 units), which provides good starting properties at low temperatures. The approximate price is 5000 rubles for 5 liters.

A curious couple from the third and fourth groups were taken to the esters.

TOTEK Astra Robot 5W40

RAVENOL HCS 5W-40 API SL / SM / CF

We will take this hydrocracking synthetics as a starting point. The price is ridiculous.

The task of testing is to see how these oils perform under identical bench test conditions: what to expect and what to hope for? At the same time, we will not compare oils of the fourth and fifth groups with each other: it is not they who compete, but the principles of development of the directions of modern "oil building".

LONG RIDE

Almost all oil producers declare energy-saving features, reduced wear, exceptional parts cleanliness, and extended oil life. This can only be verified and compared during long-term bench tests that ensure identical working conditions for each product. The technique is run-in.

The heart of the research facility is a bench engine based on the VAZ-2111, and the operating conditions for the oil in it are specially toughened. In particular, the compression ratio is increased and oil cooling of the pistons is introduced: the oil is heated additionally. The samples were examined in the chemotological laboratory of the Department of Engines, Cars and Tracked Vehicles of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and in the North-West Expertise Center.

Under such conditions, each oil spent 180 hours in a mode typical for a car driving on a highway (a normal car would have covered about 15,000 km during this time); except that the number of warm-up starts was much less.

During the tests, we took samples of the oil to track the history of its aging. Power, fuel consumption and exhaust gas toxicity were measured in parallel. After each cycle, the motor was disassembled to assess its condition - in particular, the degree of wear.

The Torment of Hydrocracking

Oil was poured into the bench motor first, designed to set the initial reading level. It is HC synthetic RAVENOL HCS 5W ‑ 40. Everything was fine, but 130 hours after the start of testing, the viscosity fell out of the upper limit determined by the declared SAE class (16.3 cSt), which we always equate with a formal refusal. Mileage (in terms of) - a little more than 11,000 km. A sharp increase in viscosity determined a noticeable deterioration in engine performance: power decreased by 3%, fuel consumption increased by 7%.

WILL BE THE FOURTH?

The fourth group of base oils in our test was represented by the "most" synthetic motor oil - "TOTEK Astra Robot 5W40". And, admittedly, very successful. Against the backdrop of hydrocracked oil, the benefits of PAO-based full synthetics were clearly visible.

First of all, this is a resource. The conditional 15,000 km of oil worked easily, its parameters remained within the specified limits. The aging rate even under the proposed harsh conditions turned out to be noticeably lower than that of the oils of the "younger" groups. And the motor characteristics at the end of the tests were not too different from the initial ones.

Secondly, this oil surprised with its low-temperature properties: -54 ºС - this is the freezing point! The high viscosity index (under 170) provides a good viscosity-temperature characteristic, which guarantees optimal oil performance both at high temperatures under loaded conditions and at cold start.

Burnout for the entire test cycle was minimal. Affected by low volatility, which is indirectly confirmed by the highest flash point among all oils in this group. As well as the results of measurements of the toxicity of exhaust gases: the yield of residual hydrocarbons is noticeably less than when the engine is running on other oils - non-fuel, that is, the oil component of toxicity has noticeably decreased. How do we know what exactly oil is? From there, that the fuel component with the same gasoline and the same adjustments gives a difference only within the margin of error.

The level of contamination in the engine is typical for synthetics: not large, but still noticeable.

COPPER IN OIL

The first representative of the fifth group was Cupper 5W40 Full Ester oil. A new original additive package containing copper must provide metal-cladding properties. What does this mean? A thin copper film will form on the working surfaces of the parts, smoothing out roughness, as well as protecting friction units from scuffing and wear. The oil withstood 15,000 km. After opening the engine, we saw that the surfaces of the cylinders began to resemble Karelian birch veneer - both in color and pattern. This is copper. And the weighing of the parts was generally shocked: instead of loss, a steady increase in mass was observed on the bearing shells! The minimum, at the level of a few milligrams - but an increase! Has copper from the oil transferred to the working surfaces of the liners? And one more miracle: the base number in the fresh (before testing) oil sample was only about 3 mg KOH / g instead of the usual 6-10 KOH / g. Error? We measured it several times - that's right! And after the tests, it decreased only slightly. This is what the combination of an ester base and a metal-cladding additive package gives. There were no miracles with the rings, but the rate of wear is actually less than on the reference hydrocracking synthetics.

The service life is worse than that of TOTEK Astra Robot oil based on pure PAO, but much better than that of the reference hydrocracking. This is understandable: the additives work intensively, but there are not many of them - therefore, the oil resource cannot be infinite. But we remind you: the conditional 15,000 km of oil has honestly worked out.

MOTOR ESSTER OIL: WHITE ON BLACK

"Estero-ceramic" oil Xenum WRX 7.5W40 with microceramic gave a record low wear rate of piston rings and cylinders, in addition, the wear rate of bearings also decreased. Boron nitride "solid lubricant" works! The energy-saving effect in the oil manifested itself precisely where ordinary motors have a particularly hard time - in maximum modes and, which looks strange for non-professionals, in idle mode. In the first case, all parts are subject to maximum loads that the oil must withstand. In the second, there are no loads, but the speed of the relative movement of parts, forcing them to "float" on the oil layer, is very low. Therefore, not all oil works, but mainly its additives.

But it was not without tar.

First of all, the aging rate of this oil from the ester group turned out to be noticeably higher than that of Cupper oil - Xenum lost even to TOTEC oil from the PAO group. The test cycle was passed, but the resource reserve at its end was minimal. In our opinion, this is a consequence of the more severe operating conditions of the oil film in the presence of ceramic microparticles. Focal local temperatures in friction zones, where solid microparticles work, can increase, and this inevitably spoils the oil base.

Secondly, the low-temperature properties of this oil were also not so hot. However, the non-standard "7.5" in the SAE classification did not promise anything else. And further. After the oil samples had stood on the shelf for some time, a badly washed off sediment was found in them! Even long agitation of the sample did not remove it from the bottom of the bottle. Miracles do not happen: ceramics are heavy, it is impossible to keep it in the volume of oil for a long time. Of course, there was not much sediment, but it somehow made me uneasy. The only thing that calms down is the fact that oil has been on our market for a long time, but no "horror stories" related to it seem to have been found.

Note that the color of the samples changed intensively. Initially, the oil resembled kefir in color: white-white. After 40 hours, it already looked like ordinary oil - dark, but the sediment was still whitish. Boron nitride, however.

"POLY TECH" IN POLYTECH

The tests were carried out in the laboratory of the Department of Engines of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute. How do you get past the oil with such a familiar name - KROON Oil Poly Tech? The only oil of the PAG group on our market as a whole confirmed what the description read. The main thing is that when we opened the engine after 180 hours of operation in hard modes, we found almost clean pistons! There were virtually no high-temperature deposits, and the piston groove area was clean. And this means that the rings on this oil work normally, no occurrence should be expected.

Low temperature deposits were found to be lower than other oils. It looks like the oil's polyalkylene glycol base is dissolving them as promised by the manufacturer. And everything is fine with the resource: 15,000 km of oil "passed" with a margin of several thousand more kilometers.

As for the engine resource and wear protection, everything is also very worthy, at the level of the best ester samples and much better than that of the base HC synthetics. But with "cold" properties it is not so unambiguous. The pour point is below minus fifty, and this is one of the best indicators, but the viscosity index is not the highest. It is not for nothing that SAE class 10W-40 is indicated.

OILS FROM THE FUTURE

Who said that all engine oils come from the same barrel? During the tests, we made two important discoveries for ourselves.

First, HC oils work quite well for their price and are not capable of spoiling even the most modern engine.

Secondly, there are more interesting options than the third group, the most common on the market. And each of the oils considered has its own advantages with the only drawback - a high price. But it's not a sin to pay for a good thing, especially since the overpayment most often does not exceed the cost of one or two refueling. If we take into account the effect of energy saving (saving gasoline by an average of 2–4%), improving the dynamics of the car, starting properties and reducing the rate of engine wear, then the overpayment does not look scary at all.

Any of the oils we tested can be safely poured into the engine. According to our information, the same Xenum is very fond of racers. Cupper with its copper still seems to be something inexplicable, but it survived! There are no questions about TOTEK oil. And polyalkylene glycol oil KROON Oil Poly Tech generally disperses with a bang. In short, use it boldly - of course, if the quality group of the selected oil is consistent with the requirements of the vehicle operating instructions.

Xenum WRX 7.5W40

price, rub. from 6000

Volume, l 5

KROON Oil Poly Tech 10W ‑ 40

Estimated price, rub. 5000

Volume, l 5

OUR COMMENT

There are only a few manufacturers of base oils and additives, and therefore the variety of final products has nowhere to come from. The oils we tested are produced in small volumes. New solutions are being tested on such products. Kroon Oil is a former Shell subsidiary, XENUM is often used in motorsport, Cupper and TOTEC are Russian-made novelties. It can be difficult to attribute oil to one group or another: the manufacturer does not advertise its composition. The main part is HC oils, the rest, approximately equally divided, are cheap mineral water (popular overseas and in the Middle East) and the so-called full synthetics.

Hydrocracking

The hydrocracking process is known relatively recently, only from the mid-sixties of the last century. Although it should be noted that the practical application was established only by the mid-seventies in the United States of America.

Hydrocracking - hydrocatalytic processing of raw materials to obtain base oils with a high viscosity index (100 and higher), a low content of sulfurous and aromatic hydrocarbons. Oils of the required quality are obtained not by removing unwanted components from the feedstock (as in the case of purification with selective solvents, adsorption purification and hydrotreating), but by converting them into hydrocarbons of the required structure due to hydrogenation, cracking, isomerization and hydrogenolysis reactions (removal of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen ), which affects the stability of the oils obtained. Hydrocracking produces high-quality bases for a wide range of commercial lubricating oils: hydraulic, transformer, motor, energy, industrial, etc. HA oils surpass “classic” mineral oils in their physical and chemical properties.

Hydrocracking synthetics, semisynthetics or mineral water?

Let's try to figure it out. It is more correct, nevertheless, to classify HA oils as a special class of oils, although the manufacturers of motor oils, in order not to frighten motorists with complex and unusual terminology, and also using the fact that the American Petroleum Institute has recognized hydrocracking oils as synthetic, write on the packages something like “ synthetic technologies" etc. Some manufacturers do not write on their packaging at all the method of production of the base, and in essence, HA oils are an improved mineral water.

Semi-synthetica is, by definition, a mixture of mineral and synthetic base oils. The synthetic base is usually poly-alpha-olefins (PAO) or esters, or their mixture. In HA oils - mineral oil is replaced by cracking oil... The mineral base is the cheapest. It is a product of direct distillation of oil, consisting of molecules of different lengths (the length of hydrocarbon chains is 20 ... 35 atoms) and of different structures.

Due to this heterogeneity:

instability of viscosity-temperature properties
high volatility
low resistance to oxidation.

Mineral base - the most common engine oil in the world. PAO is the base; these are hydrocarbons with a chain length of about 10 ... 12 atoms. It is obtained by polymerization (connection) of short hydrocarbon chains - monomers of 3 ... 5 atoms. The raw material for this is usually gasoline molecules, or petroleum gases - butylene and ethylene. Advantages of PAO: do not freeze down to -60C, high resistance to temperature extremes, aging, low volatility. Such an oil base is 4.5 times more expensive than a mineral base. Esters are esters - products of the neutralization of carboxylic acids with alcohols. Raw materials for production are vegetable oils, such as rapeseed, or even coconut. Esters have several advantages over all other known bases. Firstly, the ester molecules are polar, that is, the electric charge is distributed in them so that the molecule itself "sticks" to the metal. Secondly, the viscosity of esters can be set even at the stage of base production: the heavier alcohols are used, the higher the viscosity is obtained.

The disadvantages of traditional synthetic components are not limited to the high price. The fact is that both PAO and esters, additives dissolve worse in them, without which the production of modern motor oil is impossible. As for esters, they are distinguished by increased sensitivity to the ingress of water and, especially, water vapor. A very successful attempt to combine the high quality of synthetics with the non-aggressiveness of "mineral water" and, most importantly, at a reasonable price, was the technology of hydrocracking, or "NS-synthesis".

Raw materials for GC oils, unlike PAO, in not short hydrocarbon molecules - monomers, and heavy, long hydrocarbon chains of 20 ... 35 atoms and more. Long chains are broken (cracked) into shorter "oil" ones with a homogeneous structure, break points in new shortened molecules saturated with hydrogen (hydrogenation). Hence the name - "hydrocracking". As a result of hydrocracking, a base oil with very high viscosity-temperature characteristics is obtained - their viscosity index (VI) reaches 130 - 150 units. For comparison, the VI in the best mineral bases is no more than 100. In addition, HC oils do not corrode seals, are less "afraid" of water ingress, and are much better compatible with additives than PAO and esters. And the most important thing! The hydrocracking base costs only 2 times more than the mineral base, i.e. 2.5 times cheaper than PJSC and 3-5 times cheaper than esters. Therefore, the hydrocracking base has become widely used in the production of synthetics and semisynthetics because it is better than mineral and cheaper than PAO.

Also, not so long ago, another interesting technology appeared: Shell's GTL Pure Plus, in other words, it is the synthesis of the molecules we need with the properties we need from natural gas. It has little to do with the production of "conventional oils" and it is it that, today, can be called fully synthetic.

The fact is that GTL oils have all the advantages of PAO and, at the same time, do not have their disadvantages, including prices. And accordingly, their performance characteristics are higher than those of oils based on hydrocracking, at least because they do not make semi-synthetics and do not add a mineral base. As for the price, it is at the level of "synthetic hydrocracking" oils from other well-known manufacturers, and the advantages are obvious.

I want to note that in the Shell line there are, and stand separately (HX8 and HX7), synthetic and semi-synthetic oils based on hydrocracking, produced using the XHVI technology. And it is this technology that makes it possible to make HA oils of an ultra-high viscosity index, in contrast to other manufacturers of HA oils.

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