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GTL base stock vs say PAO or others?
Thoughts on GTL base stock synthetics?
- Thread starter Retirednow
- Start date
It all comes down to how the finished lubricant performs, the majority base oil doesn't necessarily say much about the overall performance of a lubricant, GTL is now largerly used as a relatively inexpensive replacement for PAO, PAO is only used in larger quantities in grades of oil where it's necessary like 0W-40 or Mobil 1's extended drain interval 0W-20, otherwise it's kind of an expensive waste in finished lubricants especially at the price point most synthetic oils sell for on the shelf, around 8 years ago Shell completely stopped using PAO in passenger car lubricants opting for GTL instead in it's top tier synthetics, because GTL oils are essentially made from natural gas that would otherwise go to waste and it's much cost effective to make a ~$5/qt retail PCMO with GTL than PAO.
Would love to learn more from the more knowledgeable residents here on GTL but from a amateur I would say it is more uniform base oil than hydrocracked crude. Called group III+… Reasonable VI to the base oil. That leaves room from a price point to put a better additive package to manufacture. It is all about what product you get for your money. Not PAO but a balance that gives you what you need for the US OCI schedule.
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Oils made from GTL usually have significantly better noak with good flash and pour performances.
The general consensus on this forum is to down play the importance of base oil, however, it must be taken into consideration that the base oil makes up 80% of the finished product.
The general consensus on this forum is to down play the importance of base oil, however, it must be taken into consideration that the base oil makes up 80% of the finished product.
Better Noack than what?
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Well, it's made with the same process (hydrocracking) that's why it's a Group III oil. The feedstock of course is different.
Is this info just about Shell GTL or GTL in general?
http://gasprocessingnews.com/featur...roduces-clean-base-oils-from-natural-gas.aspx
http://gasprocessingnews.com/featur...roduces-clean-base-oils-from-natural-gas.aspx
GTL is just a process and Shell is touting their wares in that paper. However, they were not the first. Research the Fischer Tropsch process.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer–Tropsch_process
True, but also because it meets the VI, saturates and sulfur requirements of API Annex E. It’s about interchange of base stocks, not a descriptor of a finished product.
It might, but once again those aren’t requirements listed in Annex E for base stock interchange. You talk about people focusing on the wrong things on here yet you’re doing it with measurement properties that aren’t related to the Group designation. I’d counter that people focus too much on Noack, flash point and pour point which are relatively unimportant to performance in use.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
True, it could be Group II if the VI wasn't high enough (like Mobil's EHC bases).
It seems world's reserves are more methane than crude oil.
One limitation I’ve read about GTL base oils is that they naturally come out very thin - you can’t make thick GTL bases.
Therefore, without a lot of correction fluid, you are limited to lower-viscosity oils. All PP oils are very thin for their grade.
Therefore, without a lot of correction fluid, you are limited to lower-viscosity oils. All PP oils are very thin for their grade.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
This winter I used both Mobil 1 FS 0w40 (PAO/POE based) and Pennzoil Platinum Euro 0w40 (100% GTL). Both oils performed very well during extreme cold starts and both oils kept my connecting rods from exiting the block driving 100mph and banging off the redline on the highway.
Pennzoil Platinum was slightly quieter than Mobil 1, but I don't think it really matters.
Pennzoil Platinum was slightly quieter than Mobil 1, but I don't think it really matters.
My understanding is PAO is inherently superior to GTL, however the final finished product is what matters in terms of real world performance. Having said that, if you can purchase an oil from a mainstream manufacturer that happens to use primarily PAO as the base I say go for that.
How is Noack unimportant with so many turbocharged engines prevalent now?
I’m
Its decades old debate. You will hear a lot of arguments from both sides. I gained enough information for myself to know that PAO base if properly formulated and meets all the industry specs is better.
Its decades old debate. You will hear a lot of arguments from both sides. I gained enough information for myself to know that PAO base if properly formulated and meets all the industry specs is better.
I wonder then what kind of base oil formulation Shell Helix Ultra 10W-60 has for example.
