Oils that have Group V alkylated naphthalene (AN) according to Oil-Club Russia

[Gokhan]

Exxon Mobil markets their Synesstic Group V alkylated naphthalene (AN) base stocks as having excellent cleaning properties but without increasing wear as the Group V polyol ester (POE) base stocks do, as the POE fights for the metal surfaces with the AW/EP/FM additives but the AN doesn't.

Mobil 1 oils do not use esters except in the European formulations (M1 FS 0W-40, M1 ESP, etc.) according to Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) oxidation numbers.

Oil-Club Russia claims to have found the spectral signature of the Group V AN base stocks, which is comb-shaped. They list the following oils as using the AN base stocks among what they tested. It looks like all non-Euro Mobil 1 oils are using AN instead of esters.

Mobil 1 0W-20 API SN; ILSAC GF-5; Dexos1 Gen2
Mobil1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy
Mobil 1 5w20 Advanced Full Synthetic
Mobil1 X1 5W-30
Mobil1 Racing 0W-30
Mobil1 Extended Performance 5W-30
Mobil Delvac1 5W-40
Mobil Delvac1 SHC 5W-40
Motul 300V Trophy 0W-40
Motul 300V Ester Core 5W-40
Rolf 3-Synthetic 5W-30
Rolf 3-Synthetic 5W-40

Their thread is below but you need to translate using the Google Chrome browser:

https://www.oil-club.ru/forum/topic/24076-masla-s-dobavleniem-alkilirovannyh-naftalinov-an/

Below information about Group V AN base stocks is from Exxon Mobil's advanced synthetic base stocks guide. You can see that AN outperforms esters in oxidation stability, wear protection, and fuel economy:

 

[Gokhan]

Notes: According to the FTIR oxidation numbers, the amount of esters in Euro Mobil 1 oils (FS, ESP, etc.) are in the range 5 - 15%, with the ESP having more esters. Non-Euro Mobil 1 oils have no esters. The amount of PAO in Mobil 1 oils varies according to the MSDSs. According to its patent, Valvoline Premium Blue Restore cleaning engine oil's base oil is 62.5% POE, 25.0% PAO, and 12.5% AN.

 

[sloinker]

Interesting. I'm thinking that the AN's are probably more widely used than people think. I wonder if they are a cheaper method of attaining the desired results than traditional mixtures.

 

[aquariuscsm]

That Valvoline stuff sounds like a serious motor oil! I don't think I've ever seen it before.

 

[OVERKILL]

Very interesting information which I have not seen before, particularly the XOM Chemical stuff. Thanks for the share

 

[nascarnation]

Is this sort of the Russia version of BITOG?

 

[y_p_w]

I recall that AN was supposed to be the third base oil used in the "Tri-Synthetic" formula with PAO and esters as the first two.

 

[sloinker]

Originally Posted by nascarnation
Is this sort of the Russia version of BITOG?


I wonder is Russians get on the site and ask about the proper oil and change interval for their pristine Trabant?

 

[irekm]

No Trabants In Russia, wrong country

 

[sloinker]

Originally Posted by irekm
No Trabants In Russia, wrong country

Wealthy Stalinist's would import them from East Germany to impress their friends.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted by sloinker
Originally Posted by irekm
No Trabants In Russia, wrong country

Wealthy Stalinist's would import them from East Germany to impress their friends.


Didn't the Wall come down last year?

Wait - I just recently awoke from a coma, dating back to Nov 91'.... sorry!

 

[burla]

I'm sure when people put that in oils that cost a little more the oil guys here will certainly hate it no matter what the benefit it.

 

[burla]

and yes, very good find, thanks for posting it.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
I recall that AN was supposed to be the third base oil used in the "Tri-Synthetic" formula with PAO and esters as the first two.


That's correct. It was PAO/POE/AN

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted by sloinker
Originally Posted by nascarnation
Is this sort of the Russia version of BITOG?


I wonder is Russians get on the site and ask about the proper oil and change interval for their pristine Trabant?


Probably a Lada more likely. Trabant was East German and U2 ZooTV:

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted by Gokhan
Notes: According to the FTIR oxidation numbers, the amount of esters in Euro Mobil 1 oils (FS, ESP, etc.) are in the range 5 - 15%, with the ESP having more esters. Non-Euro Mobil 1 oils have no esters. The amount of PAO in Mobil 1 oils varies according to the MSDSs. According to its patent, Valvoline Premium Blue Restore cleaning engine oil's base oil is 62.5% POE, 25.0% PAO, and 12.5% AN.


But oxidation numbers aren't always indicative of base oil esters by volume or percentage since many additives have oxygen linkages.

Many additive components are also esterified so trying to determine the amount of say, Esterex TMP ester(s) would be rather difficult without additional C-NMR or H-NMR analysis.

 

[burla]

Originally Posted by MolaKule
Originally Posted by Gokhan
Notes: According to the FTIR oxidation numbers, the amount of esters in Euro Mobil 1 oils (FS, ESP, etc.) are in the range 5 - 15%, with the ESP having more esters. Non-Euro Mobil 1 oils have no esters. The amount of PAO in Mobil 1 oils varies according to the MSDSs. According to its patent, Valvoline Premium Blue Restore cleaning engine oil's base oil is 62.5% POE, 25.0% PAO, and 12.5% AN.


But oxidation numbers aren't always indicative of esters by volume or percentage since many additives have oxygen linkages.

Many additive components are also esterified so trying to determine the amount of say, Synestic TMP ester would be rather difficult without additional C-NMR or H-NMR analysis.


Thank you, I have been wondering about this.

 

[buster]

Thanks for sharing this Gokhan. I need to read up on AN's a bit more. I've been reading articles here and there on them. I'm not sure how much of what XOM is saying about AN's offering better performance than POE's is true or not. Based on what XOM is showing, AN's offer great performance attributes.

I know the ESP line and 0w40FS/ESP are probably their top tier oils, overall. I've always found it interesting that the PDS for the 0w40 stated exceptional cleaning power and good for cleaning dirty engines. I assume this is due to the POE in the oil.

 

[JAG]

I wish we could hear from XOM's formulators why a few Mobil 1 oils use a small but significant amount of ester when they have so frequently made documents like Gokhan displayed above, singing the praises of AN completely at the expense of esters. What I mean is that if ANs are that superior to esters according to them, why do a few of their oils use them? XOM has been making documents like that for many many years. I recollect them to have started making such documents in the early 2000s.

 

[Bjornviken]

Thanks