Pennzoil Platinum - Made from or with NG?

[RevvCats]

I'm surprised you entered the Mobil-1 AFE oils and omitted the EP oils, as having high GTL content. I would have rated them..... EP - ESP - with AFE having a lowered amount of GTL.

From the MSDS, which aren’t perfect but give some idea what the base oils are

0w20 EP: 50-75% Grp3, 10-25% PAO
5w20 EP: 25-50% GTL
5w30 EP: 10-25% Grp3

They also all have a touch <3% of group 2 in there.

This is also assuming the following interpretation is correct.

Severely hydrotreated heavy paraffinic distillate = Group 3, solvent dewaxed heavy paraffinic distillate = Group 2, 1-decene homopolymer hydrogenated = PAO, distillates heavy c18-50 branched cyclic and linear = GTL

Compare that to 0w20 x2 ESP which lists 50-75% GTL, 10-25% PAO, plus some Ester because the ESP line shows high baseline oxidation.

The ESP and AFE oils all show GTL in their MSDS, as do the EP High Milage oils and Supercar. Some of the Euro FS oils too.

I’ve started using 0w30 ESP as my goto oil to put in everything because a GTL/PAO/Ester blend for under $30 a 5 quart jug is hard to beat.

 

[bobdoo]

Actually, a lot of keen DIY oil guys have seen additives at the bottom of some PP containers. I saw it with the euro 0W40 but I would shake the bottle to get it back into suspension.

I've seen it in my PP plat / ultra plat bottles. Clumps, that didn't disperse. I just dumped them into the engine. I assume heat and 6,500 RPM will re-disperse it!

 

[kschachn]

Pretty sure 100% GTL would be terrible for additive solvency, like a majority PAO oil you’d want some Ester or Group 2 blended in.

Valvoline EP High Milage has a very high GTL content along with a number of Mobil 1 oils especially their ESP and AFE lines. I’m sure there are other companies using GTLs too, Pennzoil just makes a point to advertise it.

Why would you think that? GTL derived Group III base stocks are chemically similar if not identical to any other Group I, II or III. Not like PAO. The difference comes in the VI and sulfur content, not molecular structure.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It’s much safer to say “ with “ in case some layer wants to start a class action suite.

 

[RevvCats]

Why would you think that? GTL derived Group III base stocks are chemically similar if not identical to any other Group I, II or III. Not like PAO. The difference comes in the VI and sulfur content, not molecular structure.

If I understand things correctly, mostly from watching Lubrication Explained, a PAO oil is basically pure paraffins. Does a lot of things great but has terrible additive solubility.

Oil out of the ground is a chemical soup of paraffins and a lot of other stuff. As oil is refined from crude -> group 1 -> 2 -> 3 it becomes more paraffinic. Keep the paraffins, toss out the other stuff, but the solubility goes down which is why you’ll see small amounts group 2 oils pop up in blends.

GTLs while starting off as natural product end up being highly paraffinic like a PAO. PAO performance on the cheap, awesome, but the solubility sucks. Something needs to be added to blend the additives in. That could be an Ester, or AN, it could be a dash of good old Group 2, or a blend but something needs to be added.

 

[kschachn]

If I understand things correctly, mostly from watching Lubrication Explained, a PAO oil is basically pure paraffins. Does a lot of things great but has terrible additive solubility.

Oil out of the ground is a chemical soup of paraffins and a lot of other stuff. As oil is refined from crude -> group 1 -> 2 -> 3 it becomes more paraffinic. Keep the paraffins, toss out the other stuff, but the solubility goes down which is why you’ll see small amounts group 2 oils pop up in blends.

GTLs while starting off as natural product end up being highly paraffinic like a PAO. PAO performance on the cheap, awesome, but the solubility sucks. Something needs to be added to blend the additives in. That could be an Ester, or AN, it could be a dash of good old Group 2, or a blend but something needs to be added.

I'm not sure what you are saying there. I have a minor in Chemistry, but only that.

Group I, II and III are all the same, chemically. All Group III base stocks are hydrocracked and end up with a similar structure. PAO is non-polar and that is where the solubility issues arise. Yes a Group III would have less solubility due to less saturates but it isn't going to be like PAO. It would depend on the degree of hydrocracking too, there are other Group III base stocks other than GTL that have a similar VI and level of saturates. It's not restricted to GTL derived stocks and it's not due solely to the method of manufacturing.

But perhaps you know more.

 

[ndarkside93]

If I understand things correctly, mostly from watching Lubrication Explained, a PAO oil is basically pure paraffins. Does a lot of things great but has terrible additive solubility.

Oil out of the ground is a chemical soup of paraffins and a lot of other stuff. As oil is refined from crude -> group 1 -> 2 -> 3 it becomes more paraffinic. Keep the paraffins, toss out the other stuff, but the solubility goes down which is why you’ll see small amounts group 2 oils pop up in blends.

GTLs while starting off as natural product end up being highly paraffinic like a PAO. PAO performance on the cheap, awesome, but the solubility sucks. Something needs to be added to blend the additives in. That could be an Ester, or AN, it could be a dash of good old Group 2, or a blend but something needs to be added.

Pennzoil Ultra Platinum uses a borate esters as its solubility agent if I recall correctly. Definitely uses the ester. And nothing besides gtl is listed as a base oil for it.