Comparison of the Different Types of Motor Oil

Motor oils are available in various formulas and compositions, including conventional, fully synthetic, part synthetic, and semi-synthetic. When comparing synthetic with semi-synthetic, or semi-synthetic and conventional, what exactly is the difference? Differences in base oils utilized in the formulation distinguish various motor oil classifications, which is what differentiates them from one another.

What is Conventional Motor Oil, and How Does it Work?

It is made up entirely of minerals, acquired by refining crude oil, and is utilized as the base oil in traditional motor oils. High-quality base oil is produced by distilling and cleaning the crude oil in this facility. During the procedure, no significant molecular changes are made to the hydrocarbons in the base oil, which allows this to be accomplished.

How is Synthetic Oil Different From Semi-Synthetic Oil?

Synthetic base oil is created by synthesizing novel base oil components to provide a base fluid that performs better than its natural counterpart.

In a fully synthetic motor oil, these stronger synthesized base oil components make up 100 percent of the base oil composition, making it ideal for high-performance engines.
A blend of synthetic and traditional base oils is utilized in the base oil composition of semi-synthetic or part synthetic motor oils (both names are frequently used interchangeably). In the case of semi- or part-synthetic motor oils, there is no established standard for the amount of synthetic that must be included.

The usage of synthetic base oil can significantly increase the performance of a motor oil’s thermal stability.

Increase the performance of the system at low temperatures
Increase the thermal stability or heat resistance of the system.
Have improved oil burn performance or lower volatility
Make it possible to create motor oils with lower viscosity, such as 0W-20.
It can aid in improving motor oil shear stability and the capacity to resist viscosity breakdown in motor oils.

Semi-Synthetic or Full-Synthetic Oil: Which is Better for You?

Motor oils perform better when they contain a higher percentage of synthetic base oil, which is generally true. Therefore, fully synthetic motor oil that has been designed with a powerful additive system will always perform better than a synthetic blend motor oil. However, well-prepared semi-synthetic motor oil can outperform conventional motor oil in terms of overall performance.

How Long Does Semi-Synthetic Oil Remain on the Market?

Because of the advantages of synthetic base oils, adding synthetic base oil to a motor can result in more potent motor oil. Semi-synthetic motor oil may prevent the consequences of the motor oil to degrade depending on the degree of synthetic in the base oil composition. We always recommend that you follow the car manufacturer’s recommendations for oil service and engine oil drain intervals, even though the addition of synthetic can result in stronger motor oils.