There are now two different types of oils used in the automotive industry: mineral and synthetic. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options, as well as loyal supporters. In fact, the answer to the question of which oil is better - mineral or synthetic, must be given based on the characteristics of the car and the characteristics of driving.

Mineral oils are produced by processing fuel oil or agricultural oilseeds. These methods are relatively simple, and therefore have long been used by people to create technical oil mixtures. Mineral products are characterized by low cost, high efficiency and hydrolytic stability.

Supporters of the use of mineral oils often note the weak mechanical interaction of the solution with the engine parts. This reduces wear and tear and improves engine performance. Another common argument in favor of mineral solutions is a good anti-corrosion coefficient.

However, all these positive traits oil mixture demonstrates during operation at temperatures from + 10˚ to + 25˚C. To expand this range, it is necessary to add synthetic additives to the natural product. However, these inclusions burn out at high temperatures and increase the oil viscosity at low temperatures.

To expand the operating temperature range, semi synthetic oil... In it, natural and artificial bases are mixed in proportions of 50 to 50 or 70 to 30.

Synthetic engine oil

These technical fluids produced by organic synthesis of refined products. Unlike mineral ones, to obtain synthetic mixtures, raw materials are subjected to deeper processing.

The wide possibilities of organic synthesis allow the creation of synthetic oils with a very different composition. There are products based on polyalphaolefins, synthetic hydrocarbons, glycols, polyorganosiloxanes, esters and esters, etc. Regardless of this, they have high viscosity-temperature properties, are chemically stable and resistant to oxidation when heated. Equally important is the fact that synthetic oils practically do not settle on engine parts after high-temperature decomposition.

Characteristic advantages of a synthetic petroleum product:

• increased antifriction qualities;
• stable work at low temperatures;
• the evaporation coefficient is lower than that of mineral analogues;
• functional additives are added during production.

Despite the high price, synthetic oils are a more practical and reliable option for cars that operate at low ambient temperatures.

Which oil is better, can they be mixed

Thrifty experienced driver knows what to say directly, what is better: synthetics or mineral oil, strange. If there is no need to drive a car at temperatures below + 5˚- + 10˚C, it is not necessary to overpay extra money for synthetics. Because there will be no significant difference in engine performance and wear. Even with more frequent replacement, mineral mixtures are more economical.

In some conditions, it is even advisable to give preference to semi-synthetics. For example, with a high engine mileage, the synthetic product quickly burns out due to wear of the sealing glands. Semi-synthetic oils, in most cases, work confidently at temperatures not lower than -10˚- -15˚C.

One of the advantages of "mineral water" is the gradual "washing" of deposits from engine elements. Synthetic grease "scrapes" them off with large particles, and because of this, oil filters and oil lines are quickly clogged.

The question of permissibility of mixing arises, as a rule, in emergency situationswhen it is not possible to fill the engine with oil of the appropriate type and marking. On the one hand, experts say unequivocally that this is a bad idea. First, due to mixing, an insoluble precipitate is formed. It increases wear on internal combustion engine parts and clogs filters. Secondly, the components of the additives can enter into chemical reaction and completely ruin your lubricating solution.

On the other hand, the presence of semi-synthetics on the market is a clear example of the opposite. Therefore in special cases you can mix two products. The main thing is to drain this mixture as soon as possible and replace it with normal oil.

• When choosing a lubricant for an internal combustion engine, it is recommended to first of all rely on the recommendations of the car manufacturer.
• To preserve the physical and chemical properties of the oil, it is necessary to prevent the access of moisture, air, dust and foreign objects, using a sealed storage vessel.
• Lubricant varies with vehicle mileage and in accordance with the mixture manufacturer's recommendations. At the same time, worn out engines require a slightly more frequent replacement due to operation in more severe conditions and the formation of a large volume of friction products.
• Each time the oil is changed, a new one must be installed. oil filter.
• The current lubricant level should always be within the normal range established by the car manufacturer.
• Keep a can of the same oil in the car to maintain the lubricant level.

With the advent of various types of oils, the debate about which oil is best for the engine of your car does not stop. Each type of oil has many supporters, but often their arguments are based on myths, so the choice of the type of oil for a car engine needs to be approached a little more thoroughly. Mineral or synthetic oil? Or maybe semi-synthetics in general? This article will show the differences between the types of motor oils, what is the difference between them, and whether lubricants of different composition can be mixed.

Engine oil to engine - purpose

The primary purpose of engine oils is to remove heat from rubbing parts inside the engine, as well as, if possible, remove metal particles that form during friction. By and large, nothing has changed for a long time, and at the moment the fulfillment of these tasks is presented when choosing an oil. However, it is worth considering the fact that with the advent of semi-synthetic and synthetic lubricants on the market, motorists begin to argue actively about the temperature at which the ambient air can be used. The large number of lubricant manufacturers and their well-structured marketing campaigns to attract new customers only make matters worse.

Mineral engine oil

For the production of mineral oil, agricultural crops are used or it is obtained from the processing of fuel oil and the subsequent purification of processed products. Since this technology is quite simple and for many years people have successfully tried to simplify this process, this explains the low cost of mineral lubricating oils. As a positive effect from the use of mineral oil in a car engine, one can single out high efficiency in use, hydrolytic stability and a small mechanical effect when interacting with moving parts of the engine. In addition, mineral oil can be mixed with other identical oils and natural oils have an excellent anti-corrosion coefficient.

But all these positive properties of mineral oils are often achieved with a comfortable temperature range 10 to 25 degrees Celsius. The use of mineral oils at low or high temperatures requires the use of various additives. But this is the obvious disadvantage of using mineral motor oils: at high temperatures, additives burn out, and at low temperatures, the use of mineral oils is difficult due to their high viscosity coefficient.

Semi-synthetic engine oil

This intermediate type of engine oil can be obtained by diluting synthetic mineral oil. Experts recommend using proportions of 50% to 50% or 70% mineral to 30% synthetic motor oil.

Synthetic engine oil

Engine coolant is produced by the synthesis of molecules. So, during operation, synthetic oils show better indicators of stability and do not depend so much on the impact low temperatures... It is advisable to choose a synthetic oil according to individual parameters: the region of residence and the presence of high or low temperatures during the use of the car, the nature of driving and starting, etc. Of course, it is worth considering the fact that such oil cannot be found in nature unchanged, but it has become so firmly established in the everyday life of modern life that people do not think about its origin. The price of synthetic oil is the most expensive of all the materials presented above, but in the presence of very low ambient temperatures, it is a necessity rather than a privilege.

The advantages of using synthetic petroleum products include:

• Increased antifriction properties.
• There is practically no need to use additives, since the main part was added by the manufacturer at the production stage.
• Lower evaporation coefficient compared to mineral oil products.
• Use at low temperatures.

The advantages of various lubricant formulations over others

Synthetics and mineral composition - which oil is better: these petroleum products differ at the molecular level. The molecular structure of synthetics was achieved through long-term tests to achieve the required properties, and the molecular structure of mineral oil products was laid by nature. If in some component synthetic oils are worse than mineral lubricants, then continuous work is underway on this. But the fact is that mineral mixtures clean the engine continuously and with approximately the same efficiency, while synthetics, due to their viscosity, cleanse quickly enough. Because of this effect, the oil filters and oil lines are literally clogged with particle deposits from the engine. In this case, if the elements of the oil system are improperly monitored, the effect of "oil starvation" and subsequent engine failure may appear.

Therefore, the main differences between the two main types of oils can be distinguished:

• Different molecular structure.
• Different nature of the reaction of oils to change temperature regime, in this synthetic is much better than mineral.
• Different fluidity of oils: due to low temperatures, mineral oil becomes thick, synthetics are much more versatile in use.
• Stability lies in the burnout of mineral oil additives, which leads to a change in engine performance or engine failure.

Mineral or synthetic oil? The answer will depend only on the car owner of a personal car.

Which oil is better: synthetic or semi-synthetic? What do the terms stability and stability mean when using synthetics? This means that exposure to low or high temperatures practically does not reduce the viscosity, and therefore the effectiveness of the oil over a long time. When choosing in favor semi-synthetic oil it should be noted that in some cases its use is more reasonable than synthetics. For example, with a large impressive engine mileage, synthetics can give a high carbon monoxide, as well as when using a car at comfortable temperatures in winter time year - up to -20 degrees Celsius. However, the replacement of this oil is required to be produced more often than synthetic.

In addition to the molecular structure, oil products for engine cooling are usually broken down into seasonal use: summer, winter and all-season oil. Summer oil, due to its viscosity, is reasonable to use up to 0 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, there is a high probability that the engine will not be able to start or will fail. Summer oil marking: SAE 20, SAE 30 and so on up to 60. The designation of the numbers indicates the viscosity of the oil at operating temperature engine, the higher the numerical designation, the thicker the oil when heated.

Winter oils are marked from 0 to 25 units with the prefix W - winter (winter). Discreteness in 5 units. The minimum threshold of the used temperature regime is determined by subtracting 40 units from the specified number. For example, for petroleum products marked 5 W, the minimum temperature at which the correct pumping of the oil system is ensured will be -35 degrees Celsius. But for winter oil products it is also necessary to know such a selection criterion as oversteer. To determine this parameter, 35 must be subtracted from the given number, while it is safe to say that for oil 10 W, the lower limit for safely starting a car engine is 25 degrees Celsius.

Multigrade oils. Lubricant marking is indicated by a combination of letters and numbers for winter and summer oil... As an example, 5W - 30 can be deciphered as follows: winter marking 5 W and summer marking 30 indicates that safe engine start can be performed at a minimum ambient temperature of -35 degrees Celsius and a maximum admissible viscosity with a working engine will be 30 units. What is the difference between 5W-30 and 5W-40? The whole difference lies in the fact that the first of the presented types of lubricants in the summer season has a more liquid consistency. Therefore, if in the region of residence most of the year are positive temperatures, then for the proper operation of the motor, it is necessary to purchase a lubricant with a higher viscosity. In winter, these oils will ensure trouble-free engine starts at -35 degrees Celsius. Engine oil classification viscosity table:

Small and useful recommendations for choosing oil for a car from specialists:

• Before purchasing a lubricant for the engine of your car, you should carefully read the recommendations for using a particular type of oil directly from the manufacturer.
• Storage of lubricants is allowed with a tightly closed container lid, which prevents air, moisture or other foreign objects from entering the oil used.
• Operating more expensive oils is not always a smart choice, as this can lead to a violation of the stability of the entire oil system.
• You should not fall for the tricks of sellers, and buy oil only hoping for their advice. It must be understood that all lubricants, including mineral or synthetic oil, are produced using approximately the same technology. The whole difference lies in the quantity and quality of the additives added.
• The oil change should be carried out within the terms specified by the manufacturer in terms of time or vehicle mileage. However, it is worth taking into account the situation that the oil of a worn out engine should be changed a little earlier. This is due to the need to remove more friction products and much more severe operating conditions.
• Always change the oil filter when changing the oil, this operation costs little money, but helps to ensure high-quality filtration of the lubricant.
• Can I mix 2 different types lubricants directly in the engine? The unequivocal answer is no! This leads to the formation of an insoluble precipitate.
• Closely monitor the state of the oil level in the engine, do not allow it to go beyond the upper or lower limits, which are marked on a special dipstick.
• If the engine is filled with synthetics (for example, 10W - 40 of a certain brand), then the best option in case of a necessary addition, carry with you a small container of the same oil. However, it is allowed to add a lubricant from another manufacturer, but with the same marking.
• Sometimes arrange for cleaning the oil system of the car engine using special means and lots of oil. This completely renews the lubricant in the engine and completely removes metal wear products.
• Before purchasing lubricant for the engine, you need to study its expiration date on the individual packaging. Tip: to prevent the acquisition of substandard fake oil it is most reasonable to buy it from official suppliers or trusted sellers in sealed metal packaging. This does not exclude the possibility of counterfeiting, but minimizes it.

Conclusion.

Now, many inexperienced car enthusiasts will be able to replenish their knowledge base on the topic of whether it is possible to mix and what is the difference between different types of oils. What kind of oil is best to pour into your car can be determined based on your knowledge of the properties and markings of these lubricants, as well as on the nature of behavior at different times of the year, and not on the advice of annoying sellers and television advertisements. And also determine the type of lubricant for cars with high mileage, because it is far from always reasonable to use expensive oil instead of cheaper, but effective in a particular case.

Mineral oils are petroleum products. They are obtained by distilling fuel oil. Therefore, they are characterized by unstable performance and a high level of volatility. They are based on mineral origin.

In addition, industrial crops can be used in the production of mineral oils. Taking into account the fact that the process of making mineral oils is quite simple, the prices for them are therefore more acceptable than for other types of synthetic oils.

What is mineral oil?

It is quite difficult to find a field of application where mineral oils are used in their pure form. To make it work more efficiently, it is used in a composition with stabilizing additives. They make mineral oils more anti-wear and anti-corrosion.

In addition, stabilizing additives can significantly improve the detergent properties of mineral oils. The thing is that the operating characteristics of oils do not make it possible to withstand high temperatures. At low and sub-zero temperatures, mineral oils thicken quickly enough.

If oils are used at a temperature of 80 degrees, then the car engine will instantly become clogged with the products of its combustion. It is because of the above indicators that oils of mineral origin contain 12 percent of stabilizing additives in their composition.

Good mineral oils are derived from high quality petroleum products and are rigorously refined before being marketed.

What is contained in mineral oil

The mineral water contains the following substances:

• Paraffins (alkaline and cyclic)
• Alkane and unsaturated hydrocarbons (in the minimum amount)
• Cyclonic (about 80%)
• Aromatic (about 10%)
• Cyclano-aromatic hydrocarbons (about 15%)

Also, the oil contains hydrocarbons of oxygen and sulfurous origin, and some formations that are resinous-asphalt in nature. As for the lubricating oil, these generators are not included in its composition in a large number... The fact is that lubricating oils are highly refined.

The base oils can have different viscosities, but regardless of this, it contains a variety of additives that serve to improve performance.

They are also a disadvantage of the lubricating fluid. The problem is that when exposed to high temperatures, the additive in the oil burns out in a very short time. And then, mineral water is already changing its main characteristics and properties. The changes become very noticeable on vehicles with significant mileage.

Viscosity properties of "mineral water"

Viscosity is a very important indicator for both mineral and synthetic oils. As for engine oils, their viscosity can change under the influence of temperature: the lower it is, the higher the viscosity of the fluid.

In order for the engine to work more than properly, the viscosity of the oils must be at the specified level: not higher than it, not lower than it. This suggests that when starting an unheated engine in frost, the viscosity of the engine oil should not be very high, and vice versa, when a warm engine is started in hot weather, the oil cannot be liquid enough.

Properties of oils of mineral origin

In addition to the viscosity property itself, such an indicator as the viscosity index is of great importance. It shows the relationship between viscosity and temperature. The viscosity index is an immeasurable quantity that does not have any units of measurement. The index indicates the level of dilution of the mineral oil.

The higher the index, the better. In this case, the best performance of the car engine is ensured. If the composition of "mineral water" does not include any stabilizing additives, then the viscosity index is in the range of 85-100. If additives are present, then the indicator can go up to 120.

There is a very low viscosity index, which indicates that the engine will be problematic to start at low and minus temperatures, and at high temperatures, the engine will be poorly protected from wear. When choosing an engine oil, you need to clearly understand that its viscosity changes in inverse proportion with temperature. The higher the temperature, the lower the viscosity of the mineral oil and vice versa.

This dependence is due to several indicators. Consideration must be given to the raw materials from which the oil was made and the manner in which it was made. The thickness of the oil film between two contacting surfaces directly depends on the viscosity of the "mineral water". Subsequently, this has a direct impact on the efficiency of the machine motor.

In order for the engine to serve its owner faithfully for a long time, it is necessary to take care that it does not wear out. For this reason, in addition to additives that provide viscosity, EP additives are also added to oils of mineral origin.

This is necessary to create a film of the desired thickness, otherwise it will be impossible to prevent wear of engine parts. Different additives are added to mineral oils, depending on the manufacturer. Sometimes in practice it may turn out that they are not compatible with each other.

Mineral oils, in addition to basic oils, have several other important characteristics.

1. For low-boiling fractions, such an indicator as the flash point is of great importance. It indicates how quickly the oil evaporates during vehicle operation. If low quality oil is used, then it has a very fast flash point. And this means that the oil will be consumed faster than usual.
2. Another important indicator is the pour point. It indicates the temperature at which the mineral oil will harden rather quickly and lose its fluidity.
3. The third indicator is the base number. It indicates how much the oil is able to neutralize the effects of harmful acids using the additives available.
4. The last indicator is called the acid number. It indicates the presence of products that are formed during the oxidation of mineral oils.

Mineral oils have their drawbacks. They consist in the instability of some of their parameters when changing temperatures. Indeed, because of this, oils are quickly oxidized and destroyed, and this, in turn, leads to a negative effect on the operation of a car engine.

The big plus of mineral oils, of course, is their price. Usually, mineral oil is used as a mechanical lubricant. Every manufacturer who is interested in selling a quality product offers detailed instructions, on the use of mechanical oil.

The most commonly used oil is of synthetic origin, but its price is much higher than the price of mineral oil. Most often, mineral oil is used to operate old engines or engines that have significant mileage and only at positive temperatures.

Today, among car owners, there are many disputes about which oil is best to fill in the engine. Some prefer mineral liquids, others recommend taking, and still others do not choose anything but semisynthetics. In addition, many companies are created that advertise their products as the most modern and optimal. In this article, we will look at several criteria for choosing a lubricant and find out which oil is best for filling the engine.

Viscosity

The first thing to look at is the viscosity of the lubricant. Often, the characteristics of motor oils are divided into two types - summer (that is, those that should be filled in in summer) and winter (well, everything is already clear here). So, each manufacturer, be it Opel or domestic GAZ, initially indicates in the operation manual the exact one that needs to be filled in at one time or another of the year. There are no exact indicators here, since each company sets its own optimal data range, and the difference between them is very large.

Car mileage

The answer to the question of which oil is better to pour into the engine directly depends on the service life of the machine, that is, its total mileage. Many masters recommend that motorists use synthetic oil only for new cars. Well, for the old, there is nothing better than mineral liquids. Also worth noting is the exception - if you are the host sports car, who is 5 or more years old, it is better to give preference to "synthetics", since the engine in such machines operates at very high speeds.

What liquid was it before?

The examination of engine oils has shown that in many respects the choice of the necessary fluid (in particular, on used cars) depends on the lubricant on which their engine was previously operated. For example, if during the last 50-80 thousand kilometers the engine has been running on "mineral water", then this time it is best to pour "synthetics" into it. Why? The thing is that the first type of oils, by their properties, forms various cracks and deposits in the units, which can only be washed out by the second type of lubricant (it has stronger acidic properties, so this is very useful for the engine). But it is not excluded that the "synthetics" will also wash out useful deposits, so it should not be poured a second time. But then what kind of oil is better to fill in the engine after the synthetic fluid? In this case, it is best not to immediately switch back to "mineral water", but to use a compromise - semi-synthetic lubricant... Due to its special properties, it will not harm the operation of the engine and at the same time will prepare it for the next consumption of "mineral water".

As you can see, there is no unambiguous answer to the question of which oil is best to pour into the engine. Each car is special, and you only need to pour into it that liquid that will not inhibit the operation of the engine (we just listed these cases). Therefore, take care of your iron friend and pour only high-quality liquids into him!

Engine oil is an oily substance that is used to maintain vehicle parts. Also, modern oils are also responsible for cleaning engine parts from fuel combustion products. How is mineral oil different from other types of this product?

What is Mineral Motor Oil?

Mineral motor oil is a distillation product of fuel oil. Some species are made on the basis of industrial crops. In general, their production is simplified as much as possible, which makes them so cheap.

Mineral oils are efficient in use, stable in action and have minimal destructive effect on parts. In its pure form, it is practically not used, therefore, about 10% it consists of an additive. But the presence of the additive makes its anticorrosive, detergent, antiwear properties more pronounced.

What is the difference between synthetics, semisynthetics and mineral?

There are differences between mineral, semi-synthetic, synthetic oils. Mineral responds poorly to changes in temperature conditions - with an increase in the temperature threshold, the additive begins to burn out, and with a decrease, the composition acquires a viscous consistency, which significantly reduces the efficiency of the mechanisms. But synthetic analogs are less responsive to temperature changes, and therefore work stably if the composition is of high quality.

A synthetic agent from a mineral one, first of all, differs at the level of molecular structure. It does not require additives in such quantities, since the composition synthesizes the necessary properties even when creating a liquid. But if this type "washes" the engine parts, then the synthetics simply scrape off the carbon deposits. High fluidity and this approach to cleaning often provokes clogging of filters, oil lines, which provokes engine failure due to lack of oil. But synthetics are still considered the best option.

Semi-synthetic is an intermediate option between synthetic and mineral. It is usually preferred in cases where the car has a high mileage, which prevents the appearance of such a factor as the increased carbon content characteristic of synthetics. Also, semisynthetics can be preferred in those conditions when the temperature threshold does not fall below 20 degrees. But you will have to change semisynthetics more often.

Can mineral motor oils be mixed?

In general, mixing them is not recommended, as different products may have different viscosities. But if there is an urgent need, then mineral with mineral can be combined. Moreover, it is necessary that they have approximately the same composition.

Can synthetic oils be mixed with mineral oils?

It is undesirable to mix. There are extreme cases when mineral is mixed with semi-synthetics and hydrocracking. Synthetic and mineral oils can also be mixed, only if PAO is present in synthetics. You can also mix "mineral water" into synthetics or semi-synthetics, but in small quantities.

How to identify synthetic oil or mineral oil?

Synthetic oil is more fluid as mentioned above. In temperature conditions from 15 to 20 degrees "mineral water" will become more viscous.

How to replace mineral oil with synthetic oil?

There are two methods of replacing oils with synthetics from "mineral water".

• To replace one tool with another, you need to act according to a certain scheme. It will not work just to drain the old composition and fill in the new one. Initially, the "mineral water" is drained, then the oil passages are washed with automobile shampoo for the engine. After the shampoo is drained, and synthetics are already poured.
• The second option for replacing with synthetics - it is necessary to fill in mineral oil, but the highest quality... Next, it will be necessary to roll a mileage of 500-1000 km, and only then fill in synthetics. Such a transition is considered the most gentle for car owners and their cars.

At what temperature does mineral oil freeze?

Mineralka does not tolerate a drop in temperatures. If you live all year round in conditions where the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees, then you should not worry. But with a decrease in temperature, the oil becomes viscous. It freezes depending on the composition. But in general, the mark fluctuates between -30-40 degrees.

Looking for where to buy mineral oil - interesting offers from oil and auto chemical stores in the catalog