ExxonMobil - 500 Blends a Month

[buster]

https://mobiloil.com/en/article/why-the-...on-of-motor-oil

"About 500 blends a month are created at the center. Each blend consists of 15 to 20 different components on average, and by volume breaks down as 75-85 percent base stocks and 15-25 percent wear additives and friction modifiers. Real-world testing begins in the motor shop, where blends are run in cradled engines to obtain high-speed, high-load and high-temperature performance numbers. After testing, engines are disassembled and digital microscopes are used to inspect part surfaces for wear.

In another area of the center, vehicles of every make and model are strapped to dynamometers to test oil blends, sometimes against competitive brands. Cycles can be custom-programmed to generate data for high speeds, stop-and-go traffic, long durations, or any combination of driving conditions."

 

[ARCOgraphite]

And BP still cleans their clock?

Tell then to give the oil to ME to try. Run poor gas and high misfire with humid conditions with high fuel dilution U'll see that thing wear out

 

[buster]

LOL

 

[MolaKule]

And it is much more impressive if you use a British speaking or Aussie speaking announcer! WooHoo!

 

[buster]

 

[HTSS_TR]

Big oil companies have money to do this exhaustive tests every day/month, that why their quality is very consistence. There is no reason to spend more for boutique oils for mundane vehicles.

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Big oil companies have money to do this exhaustive tests every day/month, that why their quality is very consistence. There is no reason to spend more for boutique oils for mundane vehicles.


Very true.

 

[fredfactory]

If Mobil is doing this in NJ, what was all that talk about how hurricane Katrina about 9 years ago screwed up Mobil to the point where it was blamed for maybe throwing their formula off so they didn't meet cam wear performance targets of basic SM ?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: fredfactory
If Mobil is doing this in NJ, what was all that talk about how hurricane Katrina about 9 years ago screwed up Mobil to the point where it was blamed for maybe throwing their formula off so they didn't meet cam wear performance targets of basic SM ?


The PAO plant got rocked by the hurricane IIRC.

 

[Clevy]

And this is why I'll happily buy Mobil/castrol/pennzoil on sale and never even waste a seconds thought about whether some boutique is in some way better.

Pretty sure these guys are trying every possible combination using new and old tech in order to find the most synergistic combinations.

Where's deven. Bet royal purple isn't advancing the entire industry like this.

 

[fredfactory]

I'm not clear on how what Mobil is doing there.
Anybody know? >>>> Once you know your fixed formula passes LL-01, dexos1, MB229.5, SN, whatever it is, then you are fixed. Then its just a matter of blending in the correct components, each individually tested for correct properties prior to blending (like is that PAO really quality stuff, etc.) . Then you run with that for 5 years until the specs change.
Thats where this "500 blends a month" confuses me.
Maybe someone can educate us on that.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: fredfactory
I'm not clear on how what Mobil is doing there.
Anybody know? >>>> Once you know your fixed formula passes LL-01, dexos1, MB229.5, SN, whatever it is, then you are fixed. Then its just a matter of blending in the correct components, each individually tested for correct properties prior to blending (like is that PAO really quality stuff, etc.) . Then you run with that for 5 years until the specs change.
Thats where this "500 blends a month" confuses me.
Maybe someone can educate us on that.


For the large manufacturers like Mobil, they are able to approve their oils (self-certify) in house for non-OEM approvals.

So for SN and that stuff, they can re-blend and re-approve the product as many times as they want.

A product like M1 0w-40 likely doesn't get reformulated often. But for testing new formulations, testing against next-generation specs and revising existing formulations, like their high mileage stuff for example, this is where that figure comes from.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: fredfactory
I'm not clear on how what Mobil is doing there.
Anybody know? >>>> Once you know your fixed formula passes LL-01, dexos1, MB229.5, SN, whatever it is, then you are fixed. Then its just a matter of blending in the correct components, each individually tested for correct properties prior to blending (like is that PAO really quality stuff, etc.) . Then you run with that for 5 years until the specs change.
Thats where this "500 blends a month" confuses me.
Maybe someone can educate us on that.




What it means is they are testing new formulations using new add packs or adjusting older versions in order to advance the science rather than just sit on their hands waiting for someone else to make forward progress.


Today's oil specs really don't mean much. It's tomorrow they are formulating for.

Think on it. Who wouldn't want a partner like Mobil when developing engines. They've got tons of data so when engine development starts you can access their huge files.
I'll bet they've already got zero wear engine lubricants out there but what's the return on that.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: fredfactory
I'm not clear on how what Mobil is doing there.
Anybody know? >>>> Once you know your fixed formula passes LL-01, dexos1, MB229.5, SN, whatever it is, then you are fixed. Then its just a matter of blending in the correct components, each individually tested for correct properties prior to blending (like is that PAO really quality stuff, etc.) . Then you run with that for 5 years until the specs change.
Thats where this "500 blends a month" confuses me.
Maybe someone can educate us on that.




What it means is they are testing new formulations using new add packs or adjusting older versions in order to advance the science rather than just sit on their hands waiting for someone else to make forward progress.


Today's oil specs really don't mean much. It's tomorrow they are formulating for.

Think on it. Who wouldn't want a partner like Mobil when developing engines. They've got tons of data so when engine development starts you can access their huge files.
I'll bet they've already got zero wear engine lubricants out there but what's the return on that.
For the oil companies, plenty. Who wouldn't buy the stuff and keep using it?

 

[Al]

Buster..didn't you say you would rather give your money to Ashland..lol. (j/k) Thank for the info.

Seriously again this puts in perspective that large oil comanies have the ability (and do) to run mega tests in mega engines. Even though I use Subaru oil (Idemitsu) oil..there is every reason to use the highly tested oil.

You can go to http://www.exxonmobilchemical.com/Chem-E...basestocks.aspx and determine which of their base oils work with infinium add packs to produce specific oil grades. And you can bet smaller blenders do this. But you can also bet Mobil has and uses proprietery blends and techniques in their own oils. That's why I have always been somewhat of a Mobil 1 fan.

 

[C4Dave]

500 blends a month tells me that a basic understanding of how oils and additives work is lacking.

Or maybe they are trying to find the absolute cheapest way to barely meet a certain standard.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: C4Dave
500 blends a month tells me that a basic understanding of how oils and additives work is lacking.

Or maybe they are trying to find the absolute cheapest way to barely meet a certain standard.


Yes, the largest oil company in the world, and co-owner of Infineum, one of the largest oil additive companies in the world, doesn't understand how oils and additives work

It is amazing that they are also the largest manufacturer of PAO, POE and AN's as well given their obvious ineptitude.

I think the lack of basic understanding here is relative to the scope of the market this company caters to, how many OEM's it works with, how many different formulas it would be testing for any of the major OEM's it serves at any given moment and that they are a GLOBAL operation.

This isn't some tiny operation where some guy comes up with one product that works and then he sells that same product unchanged for the next 50 years (like MMO for example). Mobil manufactures oils for everything from Jet turbines to food tables. Their involvement in the automotive sector is unprecedented, as is their relationship with a plethora of racing teams in basically every single venue under the sun. They are blending and testing oils for a massive scope and in that context, 500 blends a month really doesn't seem like a large number.

 

[Oil Changer]

Yea. Ashland is tip of the spear.

Originally Posted By: C4Dave
500 blends a month tells me that a basic understanding of how oils and additives work is lacking.

Or maybe they are trying to find the absolute cheapest way to barely meet a certain standard.

 

[splinter]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
..A product like M1 0w-40 likely doesn't get reformulated often..

Yeah seems M1 packaging with the ‘Tri-Synthetic’ and ‘SuperSyn’ nomenclature has been superseded.
Might be almost the same stuff inside the bottles, though.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: C4Dave
500 blends a month tells me that a basic understanding of how oils and additives work is lacking.

Or maybe they are trying to find the absolute cheapest way to barely meet a certain standard.


That was essentially what Terry offered on one of the majors (not Mobil), was that they had the best equipped labs and equipment, but were using it to "meet" specs at minimum cost...that's what businesses do.

edit...Oil Changer beat me to it.