Mobil 1 0w20 EP New Formulation?

I just picked up some for my Camry a few weeks ago. I have been running it for 10k/6 months (good bit of highway driving; little short-tripping, simple engine with no DI or anything similar), and this oil seems as good as any for that sort of use. I've used the new 20k formula the past two oil changes, and, unsurprisingly, it comes out light in color and still completely full after 10k and around 6 months. It runs as smoothly as the TGMO or Mobil Super that I've used in the car previously, or the previous formula of the same oil. For the (relatively) cheap price at Walmart, it seems to be a fantastic product and the 20k guarantee provides a bit of a cushion for longer drain intervals - I plan to stick with it indefinitely for this car, though I'd have no objecting switching to the regular M1 0w20 that's a couple bucks cheaper.
 
Homopolymer is made from a single type of monomer, such as 1-decene, which is 10 carbons long. A copolymer is made from two kinds of monomers, like 1-decene and 1-hexene. A tetrapolymer is made from 4 types of monomers. These polymers are all polyalphaolefins (PAOs), an important component of synthetic motor oils. They can be the main base oil, and viscosity modifiers that give the chemists and engineers control of the low and high temp viscosity as desired for a given application.

Strictly speaking, a tetramer is 4 monomer units linked together. An ethylene (C2H4) tetramer is 8 carbons long, usually as 1-octene, which can be polymerized into a homopolymer or a copolymer.

There really is no reason to care which type of PAO is used. Just be sure it is from a quality manufacturer with good R&D, like ExxonMobil. They know what kind and how much PAO to use for desired properties. In the end, if they highlight having homopolymer or "tetramer", or 'derived from natural gas' it's just marketing. FYI - virtually all monomers and polymers are derived from natural gas, or crude oil. The molecules are the same either way.
 
TXMustGT said:
Homopolymer is made from a single type of monomer, such as 1-decene, which is 10 carbons long. A copolymer is made from two kinds of monomers, like 1-decene and 1-hexene. A tetrapolymer is made from 4 types of monomers. These polymers are all polyalphaolefins (PAOs), an important component of synthetic motor oils. They can be the main base oil, and viscosity modifiers that give the chemists and engineers control of the low and high temp viscosity as desired for a given application.

Strictly speaking, a tetramer is 4 monomer units linked together. An ethylene (C2H4) tetramer is 8 carbons long, usually as 1-octene, which can be polymerized into a homopolymer or a copolymer.

There really is no reason to care which type of PAO is used. Just be sure it is from a quality manufacturer with good R&D, like ExxonMobil. They know what kind and how much PAO to use for desired properties. In the end, if they highlight having homopolymer or "tetramer", or 'derived from natural gas' it's just marketing. FYI - virtually all monomers and polymers are derived from natural gas, or crude oil. The molecules are the same either way.
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I was gonna ask the question which is better.
 
painfx said:
I was gonna ask the question which is better.
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Yeah, I figured that's what you really wanted to know, but I'd have to say neither is better overall, and you just have to trust the product engineers to use what's best for a particular application. You can also be sure they have tested it thoroughly, and spent millions on research that led to their latest and greatest product. If you really want to get deep technically, you can read their patents, which may or may not make anything clear.

Again, marketing. Octene from 'tetramer' is no different than octene from crude oil, natural gas, or even coal.
 
TXMustGT said:
Yeah, I figured that's what you really wanted to know, but I'd have to say neither is better overall, and you just have to trust the product engineers to use what's best for a particular application. You can also be sure they have tested it thoroughly, and spent millions on research that led to their latest and greatest product. If you really want to get deep technically, you can read their patents, which may or may not make anything clear.

Again, marketing. Octene from 'tetramer' is no different than octene from crude oil, natural gas, or even coal.
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Very informative. Thank you.
 
TXMustGT said:
Homopolymer is made from a single type of monomer, such as 1-decene, which is 10 carbons long. A copolymer is made from two kinds of monomers, like 1-decene and 1-hexene. A tetrapolymer is made from 4 types of monomers. These polymers are all polyalphaolefins (PAOs), an important component of synthetic motor oils. They can be the main base oil, and viscosity modifiers that give the chemists and engineers control of the low and high temp viscosity as desired for a given application.
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That's not the way I am reading it. The SDS says "1-DECENE, TETRAMER AND TRIMER HYDROGENATED", which I read as tetramers and trimers of just one monomer, 1-decene. In other words 6 cSt PAO. This language is more specific than simply saying homopolymers of 1-decene.
 
Tom NJ said:
So long as it meets your desired W grade and has sufficient HTHS viscosity for your engine, comparing VI points is an unnecessary effort.
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Thank you Tom, however, we know that in severe condition, the engine oil may run exceeding 100 degree Celcius, so isn't that cause a concern if the VI is way lower ?In this case seems Mobil 1 AFE 0w20 or Mobil 1 EP 5w20 will withstand better on slightly elevated temperature (e.g. 110 Celcius) due to higher VI, or is there anything else to consider with the new technology that the higher VI concept is no longer applicable ?
 
The HTHS viscosity test is run at 150°C, as is the Sequence III engine test which has wear specifications. Also VI is calculated from low shear viscosities and so does not reflect the shear stability of the oil and hence its actual operating viscosity in critical engine regions. For these reasons I discount VI as a performance parameter, and focus instead on W grade (very low temperature flow with and without shear) and HTHS (very high temperature viscosity under shear) as well as proof (certification) of passing the series of severe and carefully controlled engine tests required for API SP.
 
Tom NJ said:
The HTHS viscosity test is run at 150°C, as is the Sequence III engine test which has wear specifications. Also VI is calculated from low shear viscosities and so does not reflect the shear stability of the oil and hence its actual operating viscosity in critical engine regions. For these reasons I discount VI as a performance parameter, and focus instead on W grade (very low temperature flow with and without shear) and HTHS (very high temperature viscosity under shear) as well as proof (certification) of passing the series of severe and carefully controlled engine tests required for API SP.
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Thanks Tom, is it true that API does not really use HTHS as parameter but it is defined on ILSAC-GF6A ?
 
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