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Hydrocracking technology. Choosing motor oil

Today on the market of motor and transmission oils, as well as working fluids for all kinds of hydraulic systems, there are products that differ in a number of characteristics. As for engine oil, car enthusiasts are accustomed to dividing motor oils into. This division is formed taking into account the basic basis of a particular product.

Relatively recently, hydrocracking oils have also appeared on the market. Naturally, drivers began to wonder what hydrocracking is. engine oil and why it is better or worse than the others. In this article we will look at the main features and differences of this product, and also answer the question of what is better to choose, hydrocracking oil or synthetic.

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What is hydrocracking (HC synthesis)

Let's start with the fact that the main difference between hydrocracking lubricants and conventional mineral water or synthetics is their production technology. More precisely, we're talking about about the production technology of the basic base.

As you know, the base determines only some of the properties of the product, while the rest of the most important characteristics are provided by combining such a base with packages of powerful active chemical additives. Let us add that, as a rule, the overall service life of the lubricant directly depends on the base oil base.

At the same time, for the correct selection, you should, first of all, rely on the manufacturer’s tolerances and recommendations for fuels and lubricants. Only after this can you pay attention to what base was used for a particular product (mineral, semi-synthetic, synthetic or hydrocracking).

Let's return to the features of hydrocracking and compare it with other types of bases. To begin with, it should be recalled that for a long time so-called “natural” mineral oils were used quite successfully in internal combustion engines. At the same time, the main problem of such a basis can be considered a strong dependence on temperature.

In simple words, the mineral base becomes very sticky and loses its fluidity in the cold, and a change in properties also occurs with high heating (the lubricant becomes very liquefied, the protective film on the parts is thin). Taking into account the fact that engines were becoming more powerful and high-speed, and the engineers themselves sought to make the engines as reliable and easy to operate as possible, there was an urgent need for a different type of product.

For this reason further development industry in the production of fuel and lubricants led to the emergence of synthetic oils. At the initial stage, such products were used to start aircraft engines in extreme cold, and then began to be used in the automotive industry.

Simply put, a synthetic base oil is an artificial copy of a mineral base, while at the molecular level the key parameters that are of particular importance for normal operation power unit.

The main difference between synthetics and mineral water can be considered the stability of viscosity regardless of temperature. For example, such products remain fluid during severely cold temperatures. The result is stability and ease of starting a cold engine. When exposed to high heat, the synthetic base also provides better protection for rubbing pairs.

Another advantage can be considered the increased service life of synthetics, since the artificial base ages more slowly in the engine and is not so susceptible to third-party influences. chemical processes(oxidation of lubricant, etc.). The main disadvantage of synthetic oil is the complexity of production, as a result of which the final cost is quite high.

In order to create a more affordable product, which at the same time surpasses the mineral base in quality, but is also cheaper than synthetics, semi-synthetic motor oil was created. Without going into details, semi-synthetics are a mixture of mineral and synthetic bases in certain proportions.

And now about hydrocracking. This technology appeared in the mid-70s in the USA; the base base is obtained from a mineral base through complex chemical processing and subsequent purification. As a result, it is possible to bring the processed mineral base as close as possible in terms of characteristics and parameters to the artificial synthetic one.

It turns out that hydrocracking is the processing of a natural petroleum mineral base to such a form that then nothing remains of the molecular structure of the mineral, that is, hydrocracking oil is more close to synthetics.

Let us add that such a hydrocracking base is cleaner than a mineral one, has noticeably improved properties, but is still inferior in quality to fully synthetic products. However, there is one important difference. The fact is that the cost of producing a hydrocracking base is much lower than the synthesis of a completely synthetic one.

As a result, hydrocracking oils are better than mineral oils, do not differ much from synthetics in a number of basic properties, and are noticeably cheaper than synthetic products.

Just look at hydrocracking from the perspective of the needs of the average consumer. These products are in many cases the optimal “golden mean”, since they are manufactured taking into account compliance with standards and quality classes under specifically specified tolerances of global auto manufacturers.

If we consider hydrocracking oils, almost everyone has a list of such products major manufacturer Fuel and lubricants, and such proposals occupy a fairly wide niche.

Why hydrocracking oil is often called synthetic

As a rule, motor oil manufacturers themselves do not seek to separately focus consumer attention on the basic basis of their products. Moreover, the API (American Petroleum Institute) has equated hydrocracking oils with synthetic ones.

For this reason, some manufacturers indicate that the oil is obtained using HC synthesis (Hydro Craking Synthese Technology), while others may simply indicate that the oil is synthetic or made using synthetic technologies.

Some manufacturers do not indicate at all what base is used in a particular product. It turns out that the top best hydrocracking motor oils or lubricants on a completely synthetic basis, it may not have any additional designations in the catalogs of many companies.

The point is that for modern consumer It is much more important to choose the right oil, taking into account all the tolerances and classifications of the engine manufacturer, and also to choose the most suitable product for the price. In other words, only indirect signs will indicate an oil base.

Based on the characteristics of production, it becomes clear that the mineral base will be the cheapest, while fully synthetic oil will be the most expensive. Typically, semi-synthetic oils are more expensive than mineral oils, while hydrocracking oil is more expensive than semi-synthetics.

Also, the origin of the oil base is indicated by such an indicator as viscosity. In practice, the “thintest” oils are usually synthetic (for example, 0W10 and 0W20), often hydrocracking, 10W40 is semi-synthetic or mineral oil, 15W50 is usually mineral oil.

What's the result?

As you can see, hydrocracking is a technological feature of the production of base oil, allowing you to obtain a result close to a synthetic lubricant. Also, many manufacturers, not without reason, position hydrocracking oil on the same level as synthetic oil.

Let us remind you once again that when choosing engine oil, you need to purchase the right one. It is not so important whether it is mineral or synthetic oil. The main criterion in this case is the ICE manufacturer’s tolerances.

The service life of the lubricant and the ease of operation of the engine depend more on the base, that is, one or another oil change interval is determined. Cheap mineral oil needs to be changed more often; it can thicken in winter if there is a significant cold snap, it does not cope with the function of protecting parts under maximum loads on the internal combustion engine, etc.

Hydrocracking allows you to increase the service interval (such oil ages and oxidizes more slowly); it has more stable viscosity-temperature indicators compared to mineral water and semi-synthetics. The best option In terms of service life and the dependence of viscosity on temperature, synthetic oil will be the most expensive.

Finally, we would like to add that you should not rely on the stated oil change intervals. When taking into account operation on domestic fuel and constant driving on dusty roads or in “start-stop” mode in large cities, any lubricant becomes contaminated faster than it ages. Also, low fuel quality leads to the fact that the life of any oil is noticeably reduced.

In other words, it is advisable to change mineral oil and semi-synthetics every 6-7 thousand km, and hydrocracking or synthetics no later than 10 thousand. In the case of hydrocracking oils, it also becomes obvious that more affordable price makes such a product optimal for many modern engines against the backdrop of expensive synthetic oils.

All “synthetics” and “minerals” are made from petroleum

The raw material for the production of mineral oils is oil. Synthetic oils, or so-called "PAO materials", are synthesized from petroleum gases– from butylene and ethylene. The question is, what does hydrocracking oil have to do with it? Let us remember that it is obtained from liquid petroleum.

Estimating the flash point

Flash point typical for different materials, will be different:

PAO molecules – 250 C, in some cases – 280 C;
The best hydrocracking oils are slightly lower than 225 C.

This, in fact, is the first difference. “Synthetics” wins here.

“Semi-synthetics” are made as follows: 30-50% “synthetics” are mixed into the mineral base. Semi-synthetic oil will be inferior in its parameters to hydrocracking products.

Small note:

HC-synthetics– the same as “hydrocracking product”;
PAO-synthetics– completely synthetic material.

Note that the Shell concern can synthesize fuels and lubricants from a mixture of methane and propane. Ester oils are also popular - they are obtained from plant components, and nothing else!

Where does “hydrocracking” overtake “synthetics”?

You can compare different fuels and lubricants on the same engine. Let them be made on different bases - synthetic and hydrocracking.

One stand for all tests

What was compared:

HC: SINTOIL Ultra, MANNOL Extreme;
PJSC: ENEOS Gran-Touring, TOTEK-Astra Robot.

What happened:

Power: MANNOLExtreme – best of all (+3.04%), Astra Robot – in last place (+0.9%);
Fuel consumption: “synthetics” are ahead (-5.7% and -6.8%), “HC-synthetics” are slightly behind (-3% and -4%);
Emissions: To reduce hydrocarbon content, use “synthetics”. SINTOIL oil will slightly pollute the atmosphere with CO gas, but the MANNOL brand material can be called neutral.

As we can see, the lubricating properties of HC-type materials can be better than those of PAO. The proof is line “1” in the last list.

Strange: the labels say “Synthetics”

The American API organization classifies all HC synthetics as a subtype of “conventional synthetics.” The fact of belonging to the “HC” class may not be indicated on the packaging...

Advantages of “pure synthetics”

Weak resistance to oxidizing agents is a typical property of any “mineral water”. It will also be characteristic of hydrocracking products. In total, if we compare with “synthetics”, we get the following list:

HC materials oxidize faster;
They, that is, “HC-synthetics,” are characterized by slightly higher volatility, measured using the PLA method;
Resistance to overheating was discussed above (see chapter “1”).

We do not specifically consider the question of what hydrocracking oil consists of, how it is obtained, etc. It will be more important to know about the properties. These, in turn, have just been discussed, including durability.

Installation for evaporation measurements

Review of the method called “hydrocracking” on video

Very often in Lately The concept of hydrocracking is closely associated with motor oils. Is this really innovative technology or a cunning trick by car oil manufacturers? What is hydrocracking and what it is eaten with - in this article.

Hydrocracking is...

Hydrocracking is a catalytic biochemical process that has recently been used in oil refineries. High boiling hydrocarbons convert crude oil into different kinds more valuable products - kerosene, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The process itself takes place under hydrogen-enriched conditions, in the presence of catalysts, at temperatures from 250 to 425 ° C and pressure from 5 to 30 megaPascal. Catalysts are selected accordingly; they influence the high final yield of the main base component of oils with already inherent antioxidant resistance and a high viscosity index. The correct parameters of the technological regime make it possible to remove harmful nitrogen, sulfur and other compounds almost completely at the molecular level. They form hydrogen sulfide gas with ammonia, which can be easily removed from the mixture. Changes occur in the formulas of organomineral compositions: polycyclic aromatic compounds are hydrogenated, naphthenic rings and paraffin chain compounds disintegrate, and isomerization of products occurs. To put it simply, it is simply a modification of mineral raw oil, which allows us to obtain a base oil with properties and quality similar to the most modern synthetic base oil. Paraffin hydrocarbons are the main composition of hydrocracking oils.

Synthetic or hydrocracking?

The main advantage of synthetic oils is thermal-oxidative stability. This property minimizes the creation and accumulation of carbon deposits and varnish. In our case, varnish is a transparent, fairly strong film, which practically cannot be dissolved by anything. They consist of oxidation products and settle on hot surfaces.
Also, the advantages of synthetics are minimal evaporation and waste losses. These advantages reduce mechanical losses and wear of engine parts. Of course, it is worth noting that the service life of synthetic oil is 5 times greater than mineral oil. But the price of synthetic oil is 4-5 times higher than that of mineral oil. Of course, the middle option used to be semi-synthetics.
An alternative can now be a highly refined mineral base oil—hydrocracked oil. Recent scientific and technological developments have made it possible to obtain base oils from petroleum whose viscosity, structure and properties are not inferior to those of polyalphaolefins (PAO). These alpha olefin fractions are most often used in synthetic base oils. The hydrocracking process is much simpler and cheaper at cost than producing synthetic oil. This is why hydrocracking oils of the highest quality are relatively inexpensive.

Underwater rocks

Everyone knows that oils are synthetic, semi-synthetic and mineral. Well, what type are hydrocracking oils classified as? The price is like mineral water, and the quality, according to the manufacturer, is like synthetics. What's the catch? After all, if everything were exactly like this, it would become unprofitable to produce synthetic oils.
Synthetic oils are a product of gas synthesis, mineral oils are a product of petroleum distillation, semi-synthetics are a mixture of them in different proportions. The method for producing hydrocracking oil is identical to the mineral base at the first stages of production, then the oils undergo deeper and more thorough purification using hydrocracking.

Hydrocracking technology

Oil, which is a mixture of hydrocarbons, is sent for atmospheric distillation, resulting in fuel oil, which undergoes vacuum distillation for the finest division of hydrocarbon chains and rings. The heaviest fractions with a vacuum residue after this processing stage are suitable for the production of base motor and transmission oils with high viscosity. Lighter ones are the basis for the production of light industrial and transformer oils. Of course, a lot of impurities remain in the oil; vacuum distillation does not end it all. The additional cleaning process begins. The main impurities remain sulfur, solid paraffins, organic acids, resins, polycyclic compounds, and unsaturated hydrocarbons. These impurities cause corrosion, varnish and carbon deposits, and increase the pour point. This is why purification of base oils is so important in production.

Cleanliness is the key to engine health

Physico-chemical methods are used to remove impurities from mineral oil; dewaxing prevents the liquid from solidifying, but it is almost impossible to completely get rid of impurities using such methods. Unsaturated hydrocarbons accelerate the aging of oil, but it is hydrotreating that helps get rid of them. Hydrocracking is an even more advanced cleaning method - several different reactions happen simultaneously. Molecular compounds in the form of rings and chains of different lengths are split into shorter ones, intermolecular bonds are saturated, and this is exactly what is necessary for an oil with an ideal structure. In general, oils are hydrocarbons with a certain number of atoms. Carbon atoms can be connected in the form of a chain, long or short, or branched. The ideal structure for oil is a straight chain. With this form of compounds, the oil will have the best properties and characteristics. It is during the process of catalytic hydrocracking that the chains are straightened and rearranged. This process is called isomerization. Synthetic oil is obtained from gases, so the length of the chain is increased during the production of synthetic oil.

Let's sum it up

Catalytic hydrocracking “discards” everything unnecessary and the properties of oils are regulated by additives. Certainly. This process is not ideal; some impurities may remain in minimal quantities, because it is very difficult to filter out absolutely all impurities. Therefore the appearance small quantity carbon deposits are quite possible. But the high viscosity index, antioxidant properties, resistance to shear deformation and, especially, wear protection - in some cases even prevail over synthetic oils. On the other hand, synthetics have more homogeneous hydrocarbon compounds, this advantage is especially important in winter time. The degree of perfection of hydrocracking and synthesis can be constantly increased.
I noticed that some companies classify hydrocracking oils as mineral, while others classify them as synthetic or semi-synthetic.
Still, price-quality is one of the main criteria for selecting oil, after recommendations and approvals. The price of hydrocracking oil is good, but synthetics are synthetics. The choice is yours.

Hydrocracking

The hydrocracking process has been known relatively recently, only since the mid-sixties of the last century. Although it should be noted that practical use was established only in the mid-seventies in the United States of America.

Hydrocracking— hydrocatalytic processing of raw materials to produce base oils with a high viscosity index (100 and above), low content of sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons. Oils required quality are obtained without removing undesirable components from raw materials (as is the case with purification with selective solvents, adsorption purification and hydrotreating), but by converting them into hydrocarbons of the required structure due to the reactions of hydrogenation, cracking, isomerization and hydrogenolysis (sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen are removed), which affects the stability of the resulting oils. Hydrocracking produces high-quality bases wide range commercial lubricating oils: hydraulic, transformer, motor, energy, industrial, etc. In terms of their physical and chemical properties, HA oils are superior to “classical” mineral oils.

Hydrocracking synthetics, semi-synthetics or mineral water?

Let's try to figure it out. It would be more correct, after all, to classify HC oils as a special class of oils, although motor oil manufacturers, in order not to frighten motorists with complex and unusual terminology, and also taking advantage of the fact that the American Petroleum Institute has recognized hydrocracking oils as synthetic, write on the packaging something like “ synthetic technologies" etc. Some manufacturers do not write on their packaging the method of producing the base at all, and in essence, HA oils are an improved mineral water.

Semi-synthetic a is, by definition, a mixture of mineral and synthetic base oils. The synthetic base is usually poly-alpha-olefins (PAO) or esters, or a mixture of them. In GC oils, mineral oil is replaced with cracked oil. Mineral base is the cheapest. This is a product of direct distillation of oil, consisting of molecules of different lengths (the length of hydrocarbon chains is 20...35 atoms) and different structures.

Because of this heterogeneity:

instability of viscosity-temperature properties
high volatility
low oxidation resistance.

Mineral base- the most common motor oil in the world. PAO is the basis; these are hydrocarbons with a chain length of about 10...12 atoms. It is obtained by polymerization (connection) of short hydrocarbon chains - monomers of 3...5 atoms. The raw materials for this are usually gasoline molecules or petroleum gases - butylene and ethylene. Advantages of PAO: do not harden down to -60C, high resistance to temperature changes, aging, low volatility. This oil base is 4.5 times more expensive than a mineral one. Esters are esters - products of neutralization of carboxylic acids with alcohols. The raw materials for production are vegetable oils, such as rapeseed or even coconut. Esters have a number of advantages over all other known bases. Firstly, ester molecules are polar, that is electric charge distributed in them so that the molecule itself “sticks” to the metal. Secondly, the viscosity of esters can be set at the stage of base production: the heavier alcohols are used, the greater the viscosity.

The disadvantages of traditional synthetic components are not limited to high prices. The fact is that both PAO and esters dissolve additives in them less easily, without which it is impossible to produce modern motor oil. As for esters, they are distinguished by increased sensitivity to the ingress of water and, especially, water vapor. A very successful attempt to combine the high qualities of synthetics with the non-aggressiveness of mineral water and, most importantly, at an affordable price, was the technology of hydrocracking, or “HC-synthesis”.

Raw materials for GC oils, unlike PAO, in not short hydrocarbon molecules- monomers, but heavy, long hydrocarbon chains of 20...35 atoms or more. Long chains are broken (cracking) into shorter “oil” chains with a homogeneous structure, the breaks occur in new shortened molecules are saturated with hydrogen(hydrogenation). Hence the name - “hydrocracking”. As a result of hydrocracking, a base oil with very high viscosity-temperature characteristics is obtained - their viscosity index (VI) reaches 130 - 150 units. For comparison, the VI of the best mineral bases is no more than 100. In addition, NS oils do not corrode seals, are less “afraid” of water ingress, and are much better compatible with additives than PAOs and esters. And the most important thing! Hydrocracking base costs only 2 times more than mineral base, i.e. 2.5 times cheaper than PAO and 3-5 times cheaper than esters. Therefore, the hydrocracking base has become widely used in the production of synthetics and semi-synthetics because it is better than mineral and cheaper than PJSC.

Also, another interesting technology appeared not so long ago: Shell GTL Pure Plus, simply put, this is the synthesis of the molecules we need with the properties we need from natural gas. It has little in common with the production of “regular oils” and today it can be called completely synthetic.

The fact is that GTL oils have all the advantages of PAO and at the same time do not have their disadvantages, including prices. And accordingly, their performance characteristics are higher than those of oils based on hydrocracking, at least because semi-synthetics are not made from them and a mineral base is not added. As for the price, it is at the level of “synthetic hydrocracking” oils from other well-known manufacturers, and the advantages are obvious.

I would like to note that the Shell line includes, and stands separately (HX8 and HX7), synthetic and semi-synthetic oils based on hydrocracking, produced using XHVI technology. And it is this technology that allows us to produce HA oils with an ultra-high viscosity index, unlike other manufacturers of HA oils.

Despite the fact that the consumer properties of modern lubricants are determined by the amount of additives, its basic qualities directly depend on the base. These include service life and the dependence of viscosity on temperature.

All car enthusiasts know that there are two types of foundation:

Mineral oil (extracted from petroleum);
(produced artificially).

The difference in quality and cost led to the creation of a compromise oil: semi-synthetic. Everything is clear here: we mix two types of base in a certain proportion, and we get a composition that is not too expensive, but with acceptable characteristics.

It seems simple: three main types. However, manufacturers have given us another challenge: hydrocracking oil. Depending on the country of origin, it is classified either as a mineral water or as a synthetic.

To understand what hydrocracking is, consider the production technology

The illustration shows a typical process of primary oil refining.

To obtain lubricants, petroleum distillation products such as gas oil and fuel oil are used. Motor oil base produced by hydrocracking is produced from gas oil. For this purpose, a hydrocracking unit is being built at the refinery.

This is a large-scale structure, the costs of its construction are comparable to the price small refinery full cycle. However, the product obtained with its help is so popular that all costs are recouped in a short time.

For your information

Hydrocracking reactors purify gas oil produced from crude oil using wax. Harmful impurities are removed: nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus. After which, long 8-12 atomic chains are broken (this procedure is called cracking).

Short molecules with a homogeneous structure are connected back together. But no longer chaotically, but with the help of hydrogen molecules (the process is called hydrogenation). Hence the word "hydro".

What is the advantage of short hydrocarbon molecules?

Such connections depend little on ambient temperature, that is, the viscosity changes smoothly, without harm to the final product (oil);
The production and further use of hydrocracking products is environmentally friendly, since no toxic reagents are used: only natural hydrogen;
Most harmful impurities are not removed, but are converted into useful ones.

What is hydrocracked oil, synthetic or non-synthetic?

Why is hydrocracking oil called synthetic? This has nothing to do with reality. From the point of view of the chemistry of the process, only a product whose molecules are obtained artificially can be considered 100% synthetic.

How hydrocracking appeared - video

In the process of obtaining a hydrocracking base, hydrocarbon molecules are first split (crushed) and then glued back together.

do we get New Product? Definitely yes. An argument in favor of those who consider hydrocracking to be a synthesis;
Are new molecules created artificially? Definitely no. This is a chemical transformation, not a pure synthesis.

Then why did such an ambiguous interpretation of seemingly clear terminology arise? The answer is simple. If this concerned science in its purest form, no one would call hydrocracking synthetic. But the oil sells, so marketing comes to the fore.

Synthetic oil has a cost that is significantly higher than mineral, and even semi-synthetic. The consumer pays for high quality and characteristics. When the base obtained through the hydrocracking process appears, it turns out that final product not much worse than pure synthesis. It is possible to sell synthetic oil at competitive prices.

An inscription like “fully synthetic” appears on the packaging, and the happy (but not very deceived) buyer saves money by receiving a truly high-quality product. A slight deception lies in the terminology: after all, 100% synthetics are made from gas molecules.

Then national legislation comes into force. In some European countries, the abbreviations HC (hydrocracked) or PAO (synthetic) are mandatory. It seems like the buyer should receive reliable information.

Other national legislation requires voluntary notification: for example, you can indicate on the label HC - synthetic, whoever knows will understand.

American and Japanese manufacturers convinced certification bodies that the splitting and new joining of molecules is also a synthesis. Therefore, in these countries, the hydrocracking product is rightfully classified as synthetic.

The only fact real deception can only appear on shelves retail chains. Initially, the manufacturer determines the cost of hydrocracking to be significantly lower than that of synthetics. But unscrupulous sellers can sell HC-synthetic at the price of 100% synthetics, taking advantage of the lack of reliable information on the packaging.

Let's figure out which oil is better: hydrocracking or synthetic

We know the following about mineral oils: high temperature dependence, poor stability under load, short service life. At the same time, they have excellent lubricating properties (as long as they do not change during operation), and, of course, low cost.

Hydrocracking or synthetics, which is better - video

The properties of synthetic oils are also well known. Duration of operation, heat flashes, stability of characteristics, low dependence on temperature.

The engine starts easier and its power increases. Wherein high price, poor ecology, no savings in fuel consumption, characteristics are lost not gradually, but like an avalanche (the replacement period cannot be exceeded).

And finally, hydrocracking oil. The main advantage is the lower (compared to “fully synthetic”) price. In addition, this basis has balanced indicators viscosities that are suitable for almost any engine. A distinctive feature of this basis is increased efficiency.

Disadvantages - hydrocracking oil is not as versatile in terms of temperature of use. It evaporates: for some engines, topping up will be required between service periods.

How to distinguish hydrocracked motor oil from synthetic?

If you specifically need a hydrocracking product, look for the inscription “HC-Synthese”.

Manufacturers who want to pass off a hydrocracking product as a pure synthesis, on the contrary, will try to hide information about the production method. From the point of view of the Consumer Protection Law, there is no deception, therefore, only a high price or the honesty of the seller can be a sign of pure synthetics. Today, no self-respecting auto shop will sell HC at the price of synthetics.

Reliable information can be obtained if the oil was produced in one of the European Union countries. Then the abbreviation HC will be on the label. There may be no information about the mineral base, but 100% synthetics are necessarily labeled with the appropriate inscription.
Asian countries (Korea, Japan) accept hydrocracking as synthetics. Accordingly, on the packaging you will see only 3 gradations: synthetic, semi-synthetic, mineral water. We focus on price.
Russia also does not believe that synthetics cannot be produced from liquid petroleum products. Therefore, again mineral water, semi-synthetic, and two categories (synthesis and hydrocracking) have a common denominator.

Important! There are no ways to check engine oil base at home (garage). Only professional chemical laboratory.

Advantages and disadvantages

In fact, there is no point in wasting time and money on examination. It is fundamentally important to have pure synthetics in the engine crankcase only for highly boosted and high-speed engines. And for such cars, the choice of lubricants is strictly regulated by the manufacturer. Usually 2-3 brands that will definitely be synthetic.

Advantages and disadvantages of motor oils with different bases - video

For other cars, hydrocracking oil is the best choice. With modern production culture and technology, the quality of the base obtained from oil (and then gas oil) is not inferior to that completely synthesized from natural gas.

The difference only appears in extreme conditions. And this is actually a racing mode. Actually, drivers who push their cars to their limits are the category of buyers of pure synthetics. The rest can save with a clear conscience.