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Conventional and Synthetic Motor Oil Formulation

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The Anatomy of Motor Oil: Formulation Breakdown 

At its core, motor oil is not just a lubricant; it is a sophisticated chemical mixture designed to protect, clean and cool an internal combustion engine. Whether synthetic or conventional, the recipe is generally divided into two main components: 

  1. Base Stocks (75%–90%): The primary fluid that provides lubrication.
  2. Additives (10%–25%): Chemicals added to enhance base stock performance or add new properties, such as detergents, dispersants, anti-wear agents (like ZDDP), viscosity index improvers, and anti-oxidants. 
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Motor Oil Classifications

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Understanding Vehicle Motor Oil Classifications: Choosing the Right AMSOIL Synthetic

Navigating the world of motor oil can be overwhelming, but selecting the correct oil is the most critical decision for engine longevity. Modern engines are more complex, requiring advanced, high-performance lubricants. Motor oil classifications—set by organizations like the American Petroleum Institute (API), the International Lubricant Standardization Committee (ILSAC), and ACEA—are designed to help you choose the right product.

For 2026 and beyond, superior protection means choosing 100% synthetic, specifically products that exceed the latest API SP and ILSAC GF-6 specifications. AMSOIL synthetic lubricants are designed to not only meet these standards but to consistently outperform them, providing superior protection against engine wear, sludge, and heat.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) uses a two-letter system to define oil performance.

1. API Service Categories (The “S” and “C” System)

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Motor Oil Formulation

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The last issue of maxxTORQUE Lube Notes explained the regimes of lubrication including Hydrodynamic Lubrication, Boundary Lubrication and Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication. As promised, I will now talk about the formulation of motor oils and why we put all those additives in our oil. Before we get into the formulations of the motor oils, we better take a look at the functions of motor oil. If we understand what oil is doing, then we can better understand why we choose certain base stocks and additives.

Motor oil must perform the following functions:

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Petroleum Oil Production and Petroleum vs Synthetic Motor Oil

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Comparing Synthetic Oil vs Conventional Oil

If you read the first two installments of Lube Notes, you have probably come to realize that I am gradually equipping you to evaluate lubricating products including a comparison between synthetic oil vs conventional oil. I am convinced that understanding some basic principles of lubrication can free us from believing everything that we read or hear. In this issue, I will briefly explain how petroleum oils are refined, introduce synthetic base oils and explain motor oil’s classification system used to assign quality levels to finished base stocks.

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Gear Lubes and Synthetic Gear Oil

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In this issue of Lube Notes, I will respond to the numerous questions I receive from month to month about gear lubes. From the questions I receive, I realize that folks are not really sure what gear lubes are or exactly why they are different from motor oils. I want to briefly introduce gear lubes and discuss their classification system. Then we will look at proper applications for gear lubes.

First, a little knowledge of gears is important in order to understand the function of gear lubes (please refer to Figure One on the next page for this discussion). Gears transmit motion and power from one rotating shaft to another rotating shaft providing multiple applications of power transmission. There are several types and various geometric shapes for gears but I will only address automotive applications. In Figure One, spur gears, bevel gears and hypoid gears are displayed; sun and planetary gears will be discussed with automatic transmission systems. Spur gears are simple gears with easily meshing gear teeth that transfer power between parallel shafts. Bevel gears allow intersecting shafts to transmit power. Hypoid gears facilitate the transfer of power between non-intersecting shafts at right angles. The important concept to grasp in these gear sets is the action of contact and sliding motion. The spur and bevel gears are engaging and rolling in motion whereas the pinion and ring in the hypoid gears are contacting and sliding. This sliding action allows the Hypoid gears to transmit greater power (the force is distributed over the sliding area), providing for smaller differentials in auto and truck applications.

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Synthetic: The Great Fraud

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For so many years the term synthetic (in lubrication) was understood to be defined as:

  • The process of chemically reacting materials of a specific chemical composition to; produce a compound with planned and predictable properties (Practical Handbook; of Lubrication 2nd Edition).

Also:

  • Man made products created by chemically combining specific compounds, producingsubstances with specialized lubricating qualities to meet specific objectives (The Lubrication Engineers Manual, AISE).

These definitions were ignored in the late 1990s during a dispute between Mobil Oil Co. and Castrol Inc. Castrol was using Group III Hydrocracked oil as synthetic and Mobil challenged this as fraudulent advertising. A hearing was conducted by the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau. In this hearing it was decided that Synthetic was a Marketing Term, NOT a technical or chemical term. As a result, Group III Hydrocracked oils could be marketed as synthetic.

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