White or milky cloud in engine oil when cold

[OilUzer]

I did another experiment for fun and out of curiosity ...

Took 2 clean & dry glass cups from the kitchen.
Filled to 1/3 with PP 5Wx30 and M1 EP 5Wx30.
Labeled accordingly.

At room room temp both oil had relatively similar color & very clear.
I Could tell that PP was a little thinner when shaking the glass but by not much. PP KV40 is about %10 lower than that of M1 EP.

Covered both glasses with plastic wrap and placed in he freezer (digital readout = 1°F).
after a week, I took them out.

I could easily tell now that PP was thinner. It flowed much easier than M1.
PP color was very crisp & clear.
M1 looked foggy everywhere ... Once it started to warm up to room temperature, I could see little white (milky) clouds floating around. Not very thick but more of a see through clouds.
Also I could see a little white residue (on the glass) where I had shaken the glass before going into the freezer.
PP also developed a very small see through white clouds after being out of freezer but not much. I didn't notice it when I took it out of freezer but when I was shaking the glass later I noticed a very small cloud.

an hour later and after walking the dog ....
White clouds are all gone and M1 color looked as clear as PP and like new from the jar.

I know this test may not prove anything ... but I was impressed by how clear PP was at 1°F.

Qurstion:
what is the milky/white stuff? is it an additive? I can't imagine it's moisture! Is it? The fog was everywhere! It can't be wax either since ep is a very good oil!
I'm may repeat the test depending on what you guys think.

 

[CharBaby]

I'm thinking that the milky/white stuff was the condensation from when both glasses were removed from the freezer. Then the moisture evaporated.

Thanks for your test

 

[OilUzer]

Originally Posted by Char Baby
I'm thinking that the milky/white stuff was the condensation from when both glasses were removed from the freezer. Then the moisture evaporated.

Thanks for your test


Thanks for your response. What do you think about the oil colors in general. PP looked very crisp & clear like when it was at room temperature. I noticed the difference immediately as I was taking them out of the freezer.

 

[s2krunner]

I will also assume its condensation. I also do get similar color from my catch can since its cold out.

Picture is from my catch can oil, it was coffee color at beginning and got tap darker after. Is similar to this color? Oil is Schaeffer, oil color is different from M1 or PEnnzoil

 

[demarpaint]

I'd also say it's condensation. I wonder what the scientific reason is for the "thicker oil" exhibiting more of it? Or is a difference in base stock and additive packages? Or both?

I'd be interested in seeing the results of Mobil 1 EP in 5W20 and 5W30 used in the same experiment.

 

[OilUzer]

That would be a test i will never be able to run since I NEVER buy any 5Wx20

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by OilUzer
That would be a test i will never be able to run since I NEVER buy any 5Wx20

I hear ya. lol It has been quite a few years since anything with a 20 has been in my stash.

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted by OilUzer
Originally Posted by Char Baby
I'm thinking that the milky/white stuff was the condensation from when both glasses were removed from the freezer. Then the moisture evaporated.

Thanks for your test


Thanks for your response. What do you think about the oil colors in general. PP looked very crisp & clear like when it was at room temperature. I noticed the difference immediately as I was taking them out of the freezer.


I don't really know!

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by OilUzer
I did another experiment for fun and out of curiosity ...

Took 2 clean & dry glass cups from the kitchen.
Filled to 1/3 with PP 5Wx30 and M1 EP 5Wx30.
Labeled accordingly.

At room room temp both oil had relatively similar color & very clear.
I Could tell that PP was a little thinner when shaking the glass but by not much. PP KV40 is about %10 lower than that of M1 EP.

Covered both glasses with plastic wrap and placed in he freezer (digital readout = 1°F).
after a week, I took them out.

I could easily tell now that PP was thinner. It flowed much easier than M1.
PP color was very crisp & clear.
M1 looked foggy everywhere ... Once it started to warm up to room temperature, I could see little white (milky) clouds floating around. Not very thick but more of a see through clouds.
Also I could see a little white residue (on the glass) where I had shaken the glass before going into the freezer.
PP also developed a very small see through white clouds after being out of freezer but not much. I didn't notice it when I took it out of freezer but when I was shaking the glass later I noticed a very small cloud.

an hour later and after walking the dog ....
White clouds are all gone and M1 color looked as clear as PP and like new from the jar.

I know this test may not prove anything ... but I was impressed by how clear PP was at 1°F.

Qurstion:
what is the milky/white stuff? is it an additive? I can't imagine it's moisture! Is it? The fog was everywhere! It can't be wax either since ep is a very good oil!
I'm may repeat the test depending on what you guys think.

I bet it's wax-Synpower has done the same thing in very cold weather when I've checked it.

 

[ekpolk]

I'm sorry, but all of you have missed the really important aspect of this "test." Of course, I will share.

The one thing none of us can debate or argue about is that your wife must NEVER find out that that you ran this "test." If she does, you'll be buying some new glasses, and you'll still never hear the end of it. Trust me, I know. . .

 

[PeterPolyol]

Originally Posted by OilUzer

Qurstion:
what is the milky/white stuff? is it an additive? I can't imagine it's moisture! Is it? The fog was everywhere! It can't be wax either since ep is a very good oil!
I'm may repeat the test depending on what you guys think.



I'll vote additive. I see this in a lot of oils, known as "the stuff that precipitated out to the bottom". That high molecular weight stuff that needs to be heated before it comes off the bottom of the jug.

I doubt it's parrafin wax.... we're not using solvent refined base oil anymore, and the synthetics demonstrate this "wax" also.


What type of additive is it? I don't know. I do know that I did wash it out of a couple of jugs of oil, one castrol, one pennzoil and used warm ISO 32 hydraulic fluid to do it. That once clear, transparent hydro fluid is now cloudy all of the time.

That additive could be some kind of organic EP/FM or could be for allowing water to emulsify (a characteristic built into engine oils)... wild guesses.

 

[Pinoak]

Originally Posted by ekpolk
I'm sorry, but all of you have missed the really important aspect of this "test." Of course, I will share.

The one thing none of us can debate or argue about is that your wife must NEVER find out that that you ran this "test." If she does, you'll be buying some new glasses, and you'll still never hear the end of it. Trust me, I know. . .

lol

 

[OilUzer]

Originally Posted by ekpolk
I'm sorry, but all of you have missed the really important aspect of this "test." Of course, I will share.

The one thing none of us can debate or argue about is that your wife must NEVER find out that that you ran this "test." If she does, you'll be buying some new glasses, and you'll still never hear the end of it. Trust me, I know. . .

Last time I did a similar test was with Chevron Supreme 5wx30 vs. 10Wx30. I used plastic cups and didn't want to use plastic this time ... In that test I was more focusing on thickness than the color ... I think the colors (fogginess) may have looked the same and it didn't raise any flag! This time was looking over my shoulder using the kitchen glasses

I am going to try another 5Wx30 test and include the CS as well. I think I have some dino Castro as well.
Can't get over how clear PP was! Maybe more education may ease my mind

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by ekpolk
I'm sorry, but all of you have missed the really important aspect of this "test." Of course, I will share.

The one thing none of us can debate or argue about is that your wife must NEVER find out that that you ran this "test." If she does, you'll be buying some new glasses, and you'll still never hear the end of it. Trust me, I know. . .

HUH? What kind of horrible woman did you marry?

The samples were wrapped with plastic wrap.

I've met some fickle women in my life, but I can't see how one would destroy a man's glasses over doing this.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by ekpolk
I'm sorry, but all of you have missed the really important aspect of this "test." Of course, I will share.

The one thing none of us can debate or argue about is that your wife must NEVER find out that that you ran this "test." If she does, you'll be buying some new glasses, and you'll still never hear the end of it. Trust me, I know. . .

HUH? What kind of horrible woman did you marry?

The samples were wrapped with plastic wrap.

I've met some fickle women in my life, but I can't see how one would destroy a man's glasses over doing this.


No, no, NOT the glasses I read with, the glasses into which I put the oil. In my case, in a very "Old Testament-ish" sense, the DRINKING glasses which had had oil in them were, in her eyes, rendered forever impure. I could have washed them with boiling bleach and detergent a thousand times, and they still would not have been made back into acceptable drinking glasses. . . It didn't matter that it was unused oil either.

 

[Panos]

It's just feminine thinking. Even if Steven Hawking would raise from his grave and prove that the drinking glass is molecularly exactly the same as before after proper washing , it would not be sufficient to have her change her mind.