What is 2'X3'X6"Yellowish Plastic Looking Block?

[LargeCarManX2]

I was watching the History channel today and saw a man throwing a Large Waxie/Plastic looking 50lb.block into a heater. I found out in the next 10 minutes that these blocks are viscosity improver blocks the blenders use to set the weight of the oil both winter and the final number.

Never would have thought the viscosity improver came in this type of material block.

 

[rg200amp]

Interesting. I wonder how each individual additive looks in the raw. Like Moly. . . .

 

[MolaKule]

Quote:
Viscosity Index Improver or Viscosity Modifier (Performance Additive): Olefin copolymers (OCP's), hydrogentated styrene-diene copolymers, styrene esters, polymetharylates (PMA's), mixed alkyl methacrylate-vinyl-pyrrolidines, aminated ethylene propylene, mixed alkylmethacrylate ethylene/propylenes; reduces viscosity change with temperature. Increases viscosity of base oil as temperature rises when base oil tends to thin. Some VII's may also act as dispersants by incorporating dispersant compounds.


These compounds come in a thick liquid form (50 to 220 cSt) and in solid blocks. Just look at Motor Honey, STP, and like products.

For blending in large batches, the VII blocks are ground up and shredded and placed into hot oil in which they then dissolve.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: LargeCarManX2
I was watching the History channel today and saw a man throwing a Large Waxie/Plastic looking 50lb.block into a heater. I found out in the next 10 minutes that these blocks are viscosity improver blocks the blenders use to set the weight of the oil both winter and the final number.

Never would have thought the viscosity improver came in this type of material block.


We had a thread on this the night that that show premiered!

 

[Vilan]

A huge block of yellow wax?

Insert your own Pennzoil joke here...

 

[TallPaul]

So if I want to thicken some oil I can boil it and drop in the plastic trees from model car kits? That would be a good way to recycle those trees that I feel so guilty throwing away after a model is built.