Restore and Protect; How does it clean?

[VersatileGuy]

I'm pretty certain that is not how it works.

And I also do not think that is what is happening, but I do I agree that a chlorinated anything has no place in an engine.

It's a solvent. The oil is the solute. The oil's adherence and affinity for the metal or other similar surface is weakened far more greatly than with other solvents.

Maybe you're a organic chemist, then you could given the full breakdown that you've seen under the microscope. But I do know thing. A surface formerly coated with oils and wiped with perc is going to be bone dry after cleaning, as if the oil was never there. I even wiped my phone clean of transmission fluid with some perc very carefully and the glass essentially had a factory finish.

 

[kschachn]

It's a solvent. The oil is the solute. The oil's adherence and affinity for the metal or other similar surface is weakened far more greatly than with other solvents.

Maybe you're a organic chemist, then you could given the full breakdown that you've seen under the microscope. But I do know thing. A surface formerly coated with oils and wiped with perc is going to be bone dry after cleaning, as if the oil was never there. I even wiped my phone clean of transmission fluid with some perc very carefully and the glass essentially had a factory finish.

Post in thread 'Restore and Protect; How does it clean?'

Mar 6, 2025

I think there is more than one cleaning component but I think this may be the major cleaning component, an estolide:

See Page 7 of 12.

https://www.biosynthetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2015-Brochure-E-Version.pdf

"Abstract​

Estolides are bio-based oils synthesized from fatty acids or from the reaction of fatty acids with vegetable oils. Estolides have many advantages as lubricant base oils, including excellent biodegradability and cold flow properties. Promising applications for estolides include bio-lubricant base oils and in cosmetics. In this review, the...

• MolaKule

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[buster]

I think there is more than one cleaning component but I think this may be the major cleaning component, an estolide:

See Page 7 of 12.

https://www.biosynthetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2015-Brochure-E-Version.pdf

"Abstract​

Estolides are bio-based oils synthesized from fatty acids or from the reaction of fatty acids with vegetable oils. Estolides have many advantages as lubricant base oils, including excellent biodegradability and cold flow properties. Promising applications for estolides include bio-lubricant base oils and in cosmetics. In this review, the synthesis of estolides from fatty acids using four different types of catalysts, namely, mineral acids, solid acids, lipases, and ionic liquids, is summarized. The summary includes the yield of estolide obtained from varying synthetic conditions (time, temperature, catalyst). Also reviewed are studies comparing the physical properties of estolides synthesized from refined fatty acids against those synthesized from fatty acid mixtures obtained from vegetable oils such as coconut, castor, Physaria, etc. By varying the structure of the fatty acids, estolides with a wide range of pour point, cloud point, and viscosity are synthesized to meet a wide range of application requirements. Currently, estolide products are being commercialized for personal care and lubricant base oils for automotive, industrial, and marine applications. The application areas and the demand for estolides is expected to grow as the drive for switching from petroleum to bio-based products keeps growing."

https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aocs.12323

From Lube-Tech:

Estolides - The innovative alternative of ester base oils

https://www.lube-media.com/wp-conte...innovative-alternative-of-ester-base-oils.pdf

This is a great find, thanks.

Interestingly enough, they give this deposit figure which I'm 90% sure is the IIIH test. 8.5 is an incredible score. For comparison sake Amsoil was 7.2.

https://biosynthetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PCMO-Sample-Formulation-Sheet.pdf

 

[MolaKule]

This is a great find, thanks.

Interestingly enough, they give this deposit figure which I'm 90% sure is the IIIH test. 8.5 is an incredible score.

View attachment 266700

I think this cleaning component may not necessarily be Biosynthetic's product but definitely an estolide of some flavor.

An earlier guess of mine was a glycol ester (something Pennzoil has used), but it may be a product of both:

Synthesis and Characterization of Polyethylene Glycol Diesters from Estolides Containing Epoxides and Diols

https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aocs.12336

 

[ka9mnx]

What did we ever do when we drove around with leaded gas?

I've never heard of lead deposits coming from oil or causing any blockage or harm. I did, however, see a lot of lead fouled spark plugs.

 

[loneryder]

Who was it that posted and which patent? Abrasive materials as cleaning components make no sense.

I can’t find it with the search tab tonight. Why do you and several others have to be so snarky in your reply posts?

 

[Stumpalump]

What did we ever do when we drove around with leaded gas?

I've never heard of lead deposits coming from oil or causing any blockage or harm. I did, however, see a lot of lead fouled spark plugs.

Dino oil dissolves and suspends lead. Synthetic does not. Newer engines also have some small oil passageways like piston squirter’s and cam timing devises. The problem was first noticed when gas powered airplanes that run on AV gas LL100 leaded fuel. They started to have lead deposits inside the engine when they switched to synthetic aviation motor oil. Upon inspection they could see the lead on the bottom of pistons.

 

[kschachn]

Dino oil dissolves and suspends lead. Synthetic does not. Newer engines also have some small oil passageways like piston squirter’s and cam timing devises. The problem was first noticed when gas powered airplanes that run on AV gas LL100 leaded fuel. They started to have lead deposits inside the engine when they switched to synthetic aviation motor oil. Upon inspection they could see the lead on the bottom of pistons.

How does that work when both “dino” oil and this Group III synthetic have the same chemical structure?

So have you seen these deposits in the small oil passages on your engine? You seem to keep posting the same thing over and over again, but never respond to substantive questions or comments about what you were saying.

 

[Jetronic]

I think there is more than one cleaning component but I think this may be the major cleaning component, an estolide:

See Page 7 of 12.

https://www.biosynthetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2015-Brochure-E-Version.pdf

"Abstract​

Estolides are bio-based oils synthesized from fatty acids or from the reaction of fatty acids with vegetable oils. Estolides have many advantages as lubricant base oils, including excellent biodegradability and cold flow properties. Promising applications for estolides include bio-lubricant base oils and in cosmetics. In this review, the synthesis of estolides from fatty acids using four different types of catalysts, namely, mineral acids, solid acids, lipases, and ionic liquids, is summarized. The summary includes the yield of estolide obtained from varying synthetic conditions (time, temperature, catalyst). Also reviewed are studies comparing the physical properties of estolides synthesized from refined fatty acids against those synthesized from fatty acid mixtures obtained from vegetable oils such as coconut, castor, Physaria, etc. By varying the structure of the fatty acids, estolides with a wide range of pour point, cloud point, and viscosity are synthesized to meet a wide range of application requirements. Currently, estolide products are being commercialized for personal care and lubricant base oils for automotive, industrial, and marine applications. The application areas and the demand for estolides is expected to grow as the drive for switching from petroleum to bio-based products keeps growing."

https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aocs.12323

From Lube-Tech:

Estolides - The innovative alternative of ester base oils

https://www.lube-media.com/wp-conte...innovative-alternative-of-ester-base-oils.pdf

But wouldn't those have oxygen atoms in their molecules? The oxidation levels of VRP is very low, as low as any other oil not containing esters. So is their nitration level.

 

[Jetronic]

Dino oil dissolves and suspends lead. Synthetic does not. Newer engines also have some small oil passageways like piston squirter’s and cam timing devises. The problem was first noticed when gas powered airplanes that run on AV gas LL100 leaded fuel. They started to have lead deposits inside the engine when they switched to synthetic aviation motor oil. Upon inspection they could see the lead on the bottom of pistons.

that would be a grp I mineral oil trait, it would be less in grp II and not present in grp III or IV. Esters likely do it aswell, but that's not likely found in budget synthetics in a meaningful quantity as those would be Grp III based.

 

[Faawrenchbndr]

Lead has been out of fuel for decades,….

Not entirely true

 

[demarpaint]

Not entirely true

OK but most people use pump gas, lead was taken out in the mid 70's I think here in the US. Certainly not enough of a market to matter much to Valvoline to address it with R&P.

 

[MolaKule]

I can’t find it with the search tab tonight. Why do you and several others have to be so snarky in your reply posts?

Asking technical questions and discussing the fine points are what we do here and there is nothing "snarky" about that.

 

[MolaKule]

But wouldn't those have oxygen atoms in their molecules? The oxidation levels of VRP is very low, as low as any other oil not containing esters. So is their nitration level.

During synthesis and subsequent hydrogenation, it appears many of the free oxygen atoms link with the hydrogen atom. Also, it appears that after synthesis, there are fewer single and double-bonded oxygen atoms available in the final molecular structure.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/509a/adb4d41a13712eec3b4c42574a5b97ee79ce.pdf

Again, it is only an educated guess from the chemical literature and patents as to this cleaning component.

If anyone else has guesses or theories, then please submit them.

 

[addyguy]

When I look at bottles of STP Ceramic oil treatment, it talks about lot about keeping the engine clean; don’t remember the exact wording.
If you look at UOA’s that have run ceramic oil treatments, they have high Boron readings, ceramic treatments are something like ‘nano boron particles’(?) I don’t remember the exact terminology.
My thought was that the new Valvoline RP uses a version of a ‘ceramic treatment’ to keep the engine clean…it shows up in the decent amount of Boron in VOA’s.
I’m probably wrong, but Mola said to post our ‘theories’…this is mine.

 

[Langanobob]

Asking technical questions and discussing the fine points are what we do here and there is nothing "snarky" about that.

Agreed. It looked to me like you were just expressing an opinion.

 

[Hohn]

Somebody posted on here that from his study of their patents, he thought it was some kind of microscopic abrasive material in the oil. Does make some sense.

Not at all. VRP is removing deposits from areas only exposed to oil *vapor* and have no sliding contact whatsoever.

It is 100% NOT any kind of abrasive.

 

[kschachn]

Not at all. VRP is removing deposits from areas only exposed to oil *vapor* and have no sliding contact whatsoever.

It is 100% NOT any kind of abrasive.

I’m going with that for $400 as well, Alex.

 

[loneryder]

Not at all. VRP is removing deposits from areas only exposed to oil *vapor* and have no sliding contact whatsoever.

It is 100% NOT any kind of abrasive.

Well I believe that liquid oil reaches the oil rings.

 

[Boomer]

Back in the day, lead oxide in the engine (formed by combustion of tetraethyllead) was scavenged by the addition of dibromoethane in the gasoline. Apparently, Marvell Mystery oil got a lot of its good rep because it scavenged lead deposits quite well in aircraft engines, obviously with some type of halogenated liquid in the mix. The brominated lead products formed after scavenging reacted with moisture in the exhaust to form various lead acids which ate through the exhaust pipe and muffler.