Mineral oil or semi-synthetic. Mineral or synthetic oil: reviews

Many car enthusiasts are constantly worried about the same question - how can you extend the reliable and uninterrupted operation the engine of your car. The key to answering this is correct selection And timely replacement quality motor oil is a task from the right decision which directly affects the life of the car.

How to make a weighted and right choice V huge assortment modern lubricants? How is mineral oil different from its synthetic “competitors”? Which lubricant is better and can different types be mixed with each other? And finally, how to choose a high-quality, but not too expensive product? We will try to answer all these questions in one article.

Kinds

Modern materials, which increase the wear resistance of car engine parts, are divided into three main categories - mineral, semi-synthetic and synthetic oils. Let's look at each type of lubricant in more detail.

Mineral

It is produced from a natural mineral - oil, through its distillation, distillation and subsequent refining. There are three main types of mineral oils, which differ in the composition of their hydrocarbons: paraffinic (most suitable for the manufacture of lubricants), naphthenic and aromatic. Sulfur, which is part of the feedstock, increases the oxidizing properties of the final product, so its content in high-quality lubricant should not exceed one percent.

Pure mineral engine oil very quickly loses the necessary properties, so they add to its composition a large number of various anti-corrosion, detergent and wear resistance-increasing “additives”. The material is different high viscosity, which makes it possible to use it in units that have a significant service life and “wear-out” of sealing elements.

Synthetic

It's more modern look lubricants for a car engine, obtained by synthesizing certain substances. There are several types of these products: hydrocarbon, polyester, silicone, polyglycol synthetic oils, as well as oils made on the basis of esters phosphoric acid. Quite complex chemical production requires significant capital investments, which is why the final product itself costs much more than its mineral counterpart.

Naturally, its high cost is compensated by some advantages, namely:

decreased sensitivity to overheating;
preservation operational properties in conditions low temperatures;
increased fluidity, reducing friction between parts;

Synthetic motor oil practically does not oxidize; it can be used in conditions increased loads on the engine and various temperature conditions.

Semi-synthetic

The composition of this product includes mineral oils for the engine (or rather, their basic components), mixed with synthetic components in a ratio of 70 to 30. This lubricant is a kind of compromise between “mineral oil” and “synthetic” - it has fairly good performance characteristics, and costs and not very expensive.

Characteristics of mineral and synthetic motor oil

Let's consider the main characteristics of lubricants for engines internal combustion, summarizing them into a simple and convenient table:

Now, having studied required parameters, let’s try to answer in more detail the question of how mineral motor oil differs from synthetic and semi-synthetic.

How are they different?

Mineral water and synthetics

Already from the name itself it is clear that mineral lubricants are made from natural petroleum hydrocarbons, while synthetic ones are a product obtained as a result of chemical reactions. Why was there a need for a rather complex synthesis? It's all about operating conditions car engines- they are accompanied by a sharp change in speed, a difference in temperature conditions, a change in friction speed, and so on. The basic base of mineral motor oil cannot always ensure maximum stability of the internal combustion engine. The performance of synthetic lubricants is much better, since they are less susceptible to the influence of external factors.

Let's take a closer look at what the difference is mineral oil from synthetic:

origin: the basis of “mineral water” is created by nature itself, “synthetics” is the result of molecular synthesis;
reaction to changes in the temperature conditions of the engine;
preservation of basic characteristics during engine operation: “synthetic” retains its basic parameters much longer;
fluidity: high degree the viscosity of mineral motor oil does not allow its use in ultra-low temperatures;
change in the stability of basic parameters at high temperatures: some “additives” in the composition of a mineral lubricant can simply burn out.

So, the main difference between “synthetics” and mineral motor oil is the higher stability of its characteristics and properties in different temperature conditions, as well as the operating life of the units.

Mineral water and semi-synthetics

Being a product obtained by mixing two bases, “semi-synthetics” have more high performance stability compared to mineral motor oil, slightly inferior to synthetic. It is more often used in cars with significant mileage, which are operated at temperatures not lower than 20 º C.

Which oil is better

Now let's answer one more important question- which oil should we choose, mineral or synthetic? It seems that synthetic lubricants have undeniable advantage in front of their mineral “colleagues”, but let’s not forget that everything in our world is relative. The fact is that the use of “synthetics” is not always an urgent need. For example, we know that platinum conducts better electricity than copper, but this does not mean that the wiring in our apartment should be made of platinum elements. Copper wires are sufficient for use household appliances.

In certain cases, the use of “synthetics” for engine lubrication is generally contraindicated - this mainly applies to units with high mileage. The sealing seals in them, as a rule, are very worn out and synthetic lubricant with high fluidity will not be able to ensure normal operation of the motor - it will quickly leak out or evaporate. If your car is released domestic manufacturer and has a significant service life, do not hesitate - feel free to purchase Russian mineral oils "LUKOIL", "AZMOL" or "TNK" - the quality of these products can ensure reliable protection engine.

The advantage of mineral motor oil is also its ability to gradually “wash” deposits on the internal combustion engine elements, while fluid “synthetics” simply “scrape off” them. In this case, oil lines and filters become clogged with large fractions of soot and soot. If you operate your car in a region where the winter temperature does not drop below 20-25 º C, then there is no urgent need for the mandatory use of synthetic lubricant.

The main thing here is that all the main parameters of lubricants are suitable specifically for your engine. The only point is that mineral or semi-synthetic motor oil requires more frequent replacement. If this condition is correctly fulfilled, no harm will be caused to the engine from the use of “mineral water” and “semi-synthetics”.

Attention! The mineral motor oil in the engine must be replaced at least every 5-7 thousand km of the vehicle.

Is it possible to mix

To conclude our review, let's talk about whether it is possible to mix mineral and synthetic oil for internal combustion engines. This question usually arises when replacing the lubricant in the engine or emergency when you need to urgently top it up. What should we do if we don’t have the brand of motor oil we need at hand, and its level has dropped to a critical level? As always, we will listen to the advice of experts.

Most experts say that mixing various types engine oil is a bad idea. They are sure that the formation of a “cocktail” of different additives contained in motor oils can lead to a chemical reaction resulting in a mixture that does not meet any standards and requirements. However, the very fact of the existence of “semi-synthetics” proves to us that motor oils can still be mixed. Naturally, when performing these actions, you must comply the necessary conditions:

Attention! When mixing motor lubricants use products from one manufacturer, and at the first opportunity, carry out complete replacement oil and be sure to change the filter.

Video about mixing car oils:

So, we still managed to find out whether it is possible to mix synthetic, mineral and semi-synthetic oil without causing damage to the car engine. We have also proven that the use of expensive high-tech motor lubricants is not always justified. We think that we have touched on a rather important topic that worries many car owners and we hope to cover it in more detail in future articles.

If you own a car, you've probably heard about synthetic and mineral oil. There is also semi-synthetic, but it occupies an intermediate place between them, so we will not consider it. What is the difference between synthetic and mineral oils, and what factors to consider when choosing these lubricants?

What are mineral oils?

Mineral motor oil is a product of distillation of fuel oil, but there are also liquids made from industrial crops, but these are rare. Technological process, used for the production of mineral lubricants, is quite simple, so the oils themselves are relatively inexpensive. Among the positive distinctive features similar oils highlight:

composition stability;
efficiency in solving basic problems;
minimal destructive effect on metal surfaces.

In their natural form, mineral liquids are used in rare cases. They have high lubricating properties only in a small temperature range or in the presence of additional additives. The latter are needed to give lubricant composition certain properties:

anti-wear;
anti-corrosion;
detergents.

Modern oils for automobile engines, even mineral ones, not only reduce friction resistance, but also clean the surfaces of engine parts from fuel combustion products, that is, carbon deposits.

Under the influence of high temperatures, the additives present in the mineral water burn out, and when the ambient temperature drops, the lubricant becomes very thick and makes it difficult for the mechanisms to function. To eliminate these shortcomings, synthetic fluids had to be invented.

What is synthetic oil?

Synthetic oils are produced by synthesizing molecules. They are not so susceptible to environmental factors and better maintain a stable state during operation. This is confirmed by the results of an analysis of engine operating cycles, during which the temperature range for the oil is determined. In order for the internal combustion engine to function equally over the entire range of temperatures and operating loads, you need to use good synthetic oil, which is better than mineral oil according to this criterion.

Mineral motor oil is not very popular on the modern market; many motorists prefer synthetics or semi-synthetics. However, most buyers do not know that some famous brands sold under the synthetic brand, a processed mineral mixture.

Mineral motor oils are a product of the processing of petroleum hydrocarbons. Their structure consists of molecules that are heterogeneous in shape and structure - this leads to instability of characteristics motor fluid at different temperature conditions.

Mineral oil, unlike synthetic and semi-synthetic lubricants, is of natural origin; natural additives are used for its production. Manufacturers of motor oils improve the structure of mineral mixtures using two methods:

Removing impurities of harmful resins, acids, and sulfur compounds from liquids. This method makes it possible to obtain an oil base without harmful substances, but the viscosity of the mixture at high and low temperatures will change.
More effective method The processing of mineral liquids is considered to be hydrocracking technology. Thanks to it, not only are they removed from the base harmful substances, but the length of the hydrocarbon chains also changes. Thus, hydrocracking technology makes it possible to obtain products with stable viscosity characteristics to temperature changes. Hydrocracking oil will better retain its properties throughout operational period(than pure mineral), it will practically not differ from synthetic mixtures.

Synthetic lubricants are produced using the synthesis of hydrocarbon compounds; their cost is much more expensive than hydrocracking products. If you are looking to purchase a completely synthetic car oil, and not a product of processing a mineral base, synthetics differ in the designation in classifications, and also note: the inscription on the canister “Full-synthetic” means completely synthetic.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main and most important difference between mineral motor oil and synthetic or semi-synthetic oil is the stability of the mixture to different temperature conditions of the power unit. In winter, mineral water begins to crystallize at very low temperatures and cannot ensure normal pumping of fluid through the lubrication system, as well as starting the drive without warming up. In summer, this engine oil thins out when high temperatures overboard the car and cannot form a stable protective oil film on the engine elements.

Unlike other basic foundations, in mineral liquids there are no additives necessary for normal operation majority modern engines.

Synthetics and semi-synthetics differ from mineral water in the following characteristics:

Fluidity. Mineral water is too thick for use in modern engines.
Molecular structure. The heterogeneity of the molecular structure of mineral mixtures leads to a decrease in their resistance to crystallization and liquefaction.
Additives. The additives in synthetics and semi-synthetics are better; they do not break down at high temperatures outside the car. In contrast, mineral water uses additives of natural origin that burn out at high temperatures.
The difference is in replacement times; synthetics change much less frequently.
Mineral water forms large quantity deposits during engine operation.

Among the advantages of mineral motor oil are:

These fluids work better in high mileage engines. Unlike synthetics, which have great cleaning properties, mineral mixtures do not lead to separation of carbon deposits from drive units and do not cause clogging of the lubrication system and engine channels. Mineral water removes carbon deposits from internal elements motor gradually.
Mineral water, unlike synthetics and semi-synthetics, interacts less aggressively with the rubber surfaces of components lubrication system and drive, does not lead to their destruction.
Improves the performance of worn power units. Mineral oils are quite thick, they are able to fill large gaps in friction units of engines with high mileage.

Conclusion

Mineral motor oils are inferior in viscosity characteristics to synthetic and semi-synthetic fluids. But there are power units in which only the use of mineral water is possible, for example, only mineral oil has been poured into the engine for several years or the drive has a significant leak. In such situations, the use of synthetics or semi-synthetics is unacceptable due to the large amount of carbon deposits inside the engine.

When choosing mineral oil, consider the requirements of the car manufacturer, engine type, basic foundation mixture that was previously poured into the engine.

We mentioned the owners of used cars for a reason, because all the car maintenance problems fall on their shoulders. Another thing is a brand new foreign car, which requires virtually no maintenance. But, if you want the car to serve you long years, then the first thing you need to take care of is the engine oil.

During engine operation, the piston in the cylinder constantly moves from TDC to BDC. Friction is created between the cylinder walls and the edges of the piston, which increases wear on the entire group. Engine oil settles in the form of a film, significantly reducing friction. Correctly selected oil can significantly extend engine life, reduce fuel consumption and improve dynamics.

The owner must carefully consider the choice of oil, because any mistakes can provoke serious damage power unit, which will result in expensive repairs.

Oils are usually divided according to their composition:

mineral;
semi-synthetic;
synthetic.

There is also a classification according to SAE, which determines viscosity in different temperature conditions. For example, if there is a 10w40 marking. The first digit determines operation in low temperature conditions (subtract 35 from the first digit). Thus, if the temperature is below -25 degrees, the car will have difficulty starting. The second indicator is combined and shows viscosity at high temperatures.

Mineral motor oil: advantages and disadvantages

This motor oil is made by distilling fuel oil, that is, from natural petroleum products. During the manufacturing process, various additives are added that significantly improve it. performance characteristics. It is believed to ideally withstand changing temperatures during engine operation.

Attention! Mineral motor oil is most often used in cars with low mileage. During break-in, if you use synthetics, the so-called “grinding in” of parts does not occur, so you can lose power in the process. In turn, mineral oil ensures optimal grinding of parts.

Advantages:

low price;
optimal solution during the break-in period.

Flaws:

instability of additives at high temperatures;
frequent formation of deposits;
forms a slight oil film;
not suitable for harsh conditions operation.

Synthetic oil: all the pros and cons

Synthetic oil is a standard of quality, because it is produced in laboratory conditions. Here is the optimal composition of hydrocarbons, which does not occur in nature. His high price, perhaps main drawback, but it can easily cope with harsh operating conditions. This perfect solution For .

Attention! If a used car was previously operated on mineral oil, then defects in the CPG can be filled with additives. If you completely flush the system and fill it with synthetic, the engine may “knock.” For used cars, it is better to choose oils with high viscosity to reduce the gap between the cylinders and pistons.

Advantages:

large operating temperature range;
withstands high loads;
reduces friction of parts;
optimizes fuel consumption;
Virtually no deposits are formed.

Flaws:

there are many fakes on the market;
high price.

Semi-synthetic oil: the golden mean

As you noticed, each oil has its own characteristics, but they have “ golden mean", and many experts will agree that it is semi-synthetic. Various proportions of mineral and synthetic oil are used for production (usually 40% mineral and 60% synthetic oil).

Advice! The question of which engine oil is best will be answered by technical manual vehicle. The manufacturer has taken everything into account specifications power unit in operating conditions with specific oils, so take this factor into account when choosing.

But, as experts say: “Choose semi-synthetic oils and you can’t go wrong!” Thus, semi-synthetics are the optimal solution if your car has a mileage of 60-200 thousand km, it is operated in a moderate cycle, and in winter the thermometer does not drop below -30 degrees.

Advantages:

the car works well at low and high temperature conditions (unlike mineral);
costs significantly less than synthetics;
increases dynamic characteristics power unit;
ICE is consumed to a lesser extent;
availability and wide range.

This oil has virtually no disadvantages. It can cope with almost any operating cycle, but if you are the owner of a “supercar”, then synthetic is best.

As a result, it is very difficult to answer the question of which engine oil is better, because each of them is optimized for a specific operating cycle. Mileage, engine power, and manufacturer's recommendations must be taken into account.

How to choose engine oil for a car - video

Every responsible driver knows that engine oil plays a vital role in big influence to the engine. Power unit consists of a large number of parts that during operation are subject to serious loads, both mechanical and thermal.

As for the oil, lubricating fluid forms on mating surfaces protective film, avoiding dry friction and accelerated wear. The lubricant also performs a cleaning function and also cools the surfaces of parts in the friction zone.

The choice of motor oil is quite wide; today you can find a large number of different products. In this case, oils are mineral,... Also, in some cases, synthetics are usually further subdivided into fully synthetic PAO oils and hydrocracking.

Let's take a closer look at what mineral engine oil is, its characteristics and differences of this product from other analogues. Also in this article we will talk about what advantages and disadvantages “mineral water” has compared to semi-synthetic or synthetic lubricating fluids.

Read in this article

What kind of engine oil is best to fill?

First of all, we immediately draw your attention to the fact that the best oil The engine will have a lubricant that is suitable for a specific internal combustion engine, taking into account all the tolerances and recommendations of the car manufacturer. Such recommendations are specified separately in the operating instructions.

Let's move on. It is important to understand that any motor oil is a base oil base, to which a package of additives is added to provide the necessary performance properties and characteristics. Such a base can be either mineral or synthetic. Semi-synthetics are actually a mixture of mineral and synthetic bases in a certain proportion.

Regardless of which base was used, the engine oil must first of all be able to pump well during cold starts, and the oil film must remain stable under conditions high loads and temperatures. Also, the oil must protect parts not only from wear, but also from corrosion, have the ability to “wash” the engine from the inside and not lose its declared properties throughout its entire service life.

Pros and cons of mineral engine oil

As for mineral oil, the special thing is that this product is natural. In other words, the mineral base is obtained from petroleum through distillation and purification. This technology for the production of motor oil is the simplest, as a result of which mineral oil is distinguished by the most affordable price Compared to semi-synthetic, hydrocracking or synthetic lubricants.

Mineral petroleum oils form a stable oil film, which has good stability. It is also worth highlighting the ability to delicately clean engine parts from various deposits and contaminants. Mineral oil, like any other, contains a package of active additives that improve the anti-wear and detergent properties of the lubricant, protect the engine from corrosion, neutralize fuel combustion by-products, etc.

The main disadvantage of “mineral water” is considered to be the fact that in conditions low temperatures The viscosity of mineral oil changes significantly. In simple words, in cold weather such lubricant becomes too thick and...

As a result, the engine becomes difficult to start, since it is “hard” for the starter to turn in the thickened lubricant. Also, after startup, viscous lubricant does not reach the parts in full, which causes heavy wear power unit.

Also, after the engine reaches operating temperatures, the additives added to the mineral base quickly burn out and are used. This means that such oil ages faster and loses its properties. In other words, the service life of mineral oils is noticeably shorter than that of synthetics and semi-synthetics; such lubricants need to be changed more often.

Synthetics and hydrocracking: what you need to know

Now let's take a look at the properties of synthetic oils to compare them with mineral ones. Let's start with the fact that such products are manufactured using a special and rather complex technology. We also note that in the case of hydrocracking (HC), oils are often positioned as synthetic, but this is not entirely true.

In fact, hydrocracking oil is also made from petroleum, but undergoes complex processing, which allows the initially natural base to be as close as possible to synthetic at the molecular level.

If we talk about pure synthetics (PAO oils), this is a product of high-tech synthesis base oil from ethylene gas. As a result, PAO oils largely have best characteristics compared to basic mineral lubricants, and are also superior to hydrocracking products.

In other words, fluidity is maintained in cold weather, when heated, such a lubricant does not burn out, anti-friction properties are also improved, there is an increased service life and a lesser tendency to oxidation and aging.

Simply put, the performance characteristics of synthetics last longer, the lubricant of this type is not afraid of both low temperatures and high heat.

Given the above information, it may seem that the best option is exclusively synthetic PAO the basis. Please note that in many cases, even with modern engines, there is no need to fill in full synthetic motor oil. Moreover, for some internal combustion engines such a lubricant is not suitable at all.

The fact is that the need to use pure synthetics arises only when:

low-viscosity oil is prescribed by the power unit manufacturer itself;
the engine is operated in extremely low temperatures;
The motor constantly experiences heavy loads and operates in modes high speed etc.

In other cases, if winter period the temperature does not drop below -30 degrees Celsius, it is quite possible to use hydrocracking; when the temperature drops at least -20, semi-synthetics are suitable; up to -15, you can also use high-quality mineral water.

By the way, if the engine already has a certain wear and tear, and the mileage is about 120-150 thousand km, instead of “liquid” synthetics or hydrocracking in summer period or given the “mild” winter, many use semi-synthetics or even a mineral base.

First of all, if the engine is worn out, the increased fluidity of synthetic oil often leads to... Also, low-viscosity oils form a stable but thin oil film. An engine using such oil may wear out more.

The pressure in the lubrication system may also be low, causing oil starvation and engine failure. For this reason, mineral oil for used engines or semi-synthetic is preferable. Let’s also add that synthetics clean the engine more aggressively, washing away deposits from parts. As a result, there is an increased risk of becoming clogged with dirt. oil channels. Mineral oils “wash” the engine more slowly and do so in stages, retaining washed-off deposits, which are then removed from the engine when the oil is changed.

Let's sum it up

As you can see, high-quality semi-synthetic or mineral oil is quite suitable for many engines. Moreover, many drivers note that even from the factory, some automakers quite often fill the engine with “mineral water” rather than expensive synthetics.

For example, this situation occurs with Japanese cars, which are also operated in Japan. Technological and quite advanced Japanese engines work quite normally on mineral and semi-synthetic oil, since the climate of this country (lack frosty winters) allows the use of such lubricants in internal combustion engines while maintaining the planned one.

As for the CIS countries, the issue of oil selection must be approached differentiatedly, that is, take into account individual characteristics operation of the vehicle (make allowances for oil change intervals, fuel quality, degree of temperature drop in winter, etc.). Let us also add that in Europe, the USA or Japan, synthetic oil, on average, can be changed every 20 or even 25 thousand km. Cheaper “mineral water” is also quite capable of reaching up to 10 thousand.

It is important to understand that in the CIS fuel Low quality Often, any oil “kills” much earlier than the stated period, both mineral and high-quality synthetics. This means that in our conditions, expensive synthetic lubricant will still need to be drained after a maximum of 13-15 thousand km, it is advisable to replace mineral oil after 5-6 thousand, semi-synthetic oil after 7-8 thousand km, hydrocracking hardly reaches 10 thousand

It turns out that if the manufacturer allows the use of mineral oil in an engine, it may turn out to be the most rational choice in terms of quality and price. The main thing is to change such lubricant on time. Finally, we note that when purchasing lubricants for the engine, transmission and other components,.