All Oils Are Not Created Equal

There are HUGE differences between petroleum and synthetic oils. They may look similar, smell similar and even feel similar. But as far as your engine is concerned, there is a world of difference. First, a couple illustrations:

The symbols between the load surfaces are a crude representation of oil molecules. Note that in the left example (petroleum), they are not identical or uniform. In petroleum oil, the molecules are not uniform.

Also note that only a few molecules are in contact with both load surfaces. This demonstrates that load bearing is less efficient than it could be. It is also obvious that some of the shapes are irregular. This represents the fact that some petroleum molecules contain nitrogen and sulphur atoms which contribute to oil contamination and breakdown.

The thin outline of each shape shows that the molecules are not inherently stable - that is, they break down readily under exposure to higher temperatures and oxygen.

Conversely, in the right illustration, the oil molecule shapes ARE uniform. PAO oil (short for Polyalphaolefin, used in Amsoil), forms a solution of identical molecules. Not only are they uniform, but they do NOT contain sulphur, nitrogen or oxygen atoms which means they are very stable (resistant to oxidation and temperature breakdown).

See our Technical Page for more details

SUMMARY:  For these and other reasons, synthetic oils are typically superior to petroleum mineral oils

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