It's All In The Formulation

By Author: Jim Franks
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

Motor oil was just plain base oil in the early days of automotive lubrication. Today's motor oils contain a wide variety of additives designed to improve their protection and performance capabilities. Motor oil additives serve three functions: protect metal surfaces, expanding the lubricant's application range and extending the lubricant's life.

Surface Protection Additives effectively address issues related to metal surfaces:
Anti-wear agents protect against friction, wear, scoring and seizure
Friction modifiers alter the oil's coefficient of friction
Detergents keep surfaces free of deposits
Corrosion and rust inhibitors protect internal metal parts against corrosion and rust
Dispersants prevent insoluble contaminants from agglomerating by keeping them dispersed in the lubricant

Performance Additives:
Viscosity modifiers help reduce the rate of viscosity change when temperatures rise or drop
Seal swell agents help swell elastomeric seals by causing a chemical reaction in the elastomer
Pour point depressants modify was crystal formation and enable oils ...
... to flow at lower temperatures

Protective Additives extend the service life of the lubricant:
Anti-foamants reduce surface tension and speed the collapse of foam
Metal deactivators reduce the catalytic effect of metals on the oxidation rate, further slowing oxidation
Anti-oxidants reduce the oxidation rate by decomposing peroxides and terminating free-radical reactions

Combining the indurstry's premier synthetic technology with AMSOIL premium additives, Amsoil Synthetic motor oils exceed the high performance demands of today's engines, withstanding the stress of higher horsepower, higher heat and complicated emission control systems. AMSOIL synthetic motor oils consistently outperform competitive conventional and synthetic motor oils for superior protection and performance over extended drain intervals.