rcy

So...I went to castrol.ca and they have a link called 'ask the expert'. I'll bite, I thought, and asked if Castrol 0W30 was a true synthetic. Specifically, in my question I asked if the 0W30 was a PAO oil or a 'hydrocracked' oil. Here is the 'expert' answer: Your guess is as good as mine as to whether the 0W30 (made in Germany) Syntec is a PAO or not.

___________

Castrol Syntec is a 100% fully-synthetic motor oil, as is the Syntec
0w-30 available from Germany. Synthetic motor oil starts with synthetic
base oil. There are many different chemical processes available to make
synthetic base oil due to advances in the technology of synthetics.
These chemical processes are different than the simple refining
techniques used to make conventional base oils. For conventional base
oils the process is simply a separation and subtraction process. Once
the base oil is separated, the subtraction process cleans and removes
impurities and undesirable compounds, such as wax and sulfur.

Synthetic processing uses select crude components that are chemically
converted to create molecules that are different from the starting
material. Synthetic processing rearranges, builds up and breaks apart
molecules.

This chemical processing produces synthetic base oils that are
engineered to provide consistent and predictable superior performance
over conventional base oil counterparts. Synthetic base oils exhibit
superior performance at both extreme hot and cold temperatures.

Synthetic base oils are then mixed with specialized additive systems
that can be engineered to meet more demanding performance specifications
than what is achievable from conventional motor oils. The combination
of synthetic base oils and choice additive systems offers many benefits
for your engine.

Consumer Relations
Castrol North America
1-800-462-0835
castrol@idea-factor.com



-----Original Message-----

Sent: February 10, 2004 6:15 AM
To: castrol@idea-factor.com
Subject: Ask The Expert

Date Created:
2/10/2004

Prefix:
Mr



Year, make , model, and mileage of your car (optional):
Year:
1992

Make:
Nissan

Model:
Maxima

Current mileage:
184000km

Comments:
Can you tell me if the 0W30 Syntec that states 'made in Germany' on the
back is a true synthetic. That is to say, is it a PAO oil, or a Type
III hydrocracked oil? If it's not, does Castrol make any
'true' (PAO) synthetic oils?
Thanks.

Who changes the oil in your car:
DIY

Do you currently use any Castrol products:
yes

Which of the following products have you purchased in the last 12
months:
Syntec, Superclean

Mizeree_X

iTrader: (9)

Sounds to me that they take a cut of the crude and react it to produce a more consistent set of molecules in the mix, whereas a conventional oil is merely a very-refined cut of the crude (aka no reactions involved). My feeling is that this is inferior to taking pure PAOs and then adding additives, but I'm not an oil expert, just a chemical engineer.

iwannabmw

iTrader: (3)

PAO's are better.