The Synthetic Myth ‘合成’的迷思 (不要被車廠認證框住你永遠用不到好機油) 長期被這框架框住德力帶你走出框架.-------- What do we mean by the word 'synthetic'? Once, it meant the 'brick by brick' chemical building of a designer oil, but the waters have been muddied by a court case that took place in the USA a few years ago, where the right to call heavily-modified mineral oil 'synthetic', was won. This was the answer to the ad-man's dream; the chance to use that sexy word 'synthetic' on the can… without spending much extra on the contents! Most lower-cost 'synthetic ' or 'semi-synthetic' oils use these 'hydro-cracked' mineral oils. They do have some advantages, particularly in commercial diesel lubricants, but their value in performance engines is marginal. 當我們說‘合成’，代表著什麼意思？曾經，它代表著專門設計的油品的化學結構，但由於幾年前在美國發生的一件關於將精密改良的礦物油視為合成油之權利的訴訟案件獲得勝訴後，其定義即變得模糊。而這成了廣告人士的嚮往的理想，可以將‘合成’這夢幻的字用在罐裝上，且不需在油本身的成分上花多餘的錢。大部份低成本的‘合成’或‘半合成’的油使用氫裂分解油。這種油確實有一些優點，特別是在商業柴油潤滑油上，但在高性能引擎上的價值則顯得渺小。 True synthetics are expensive (about 6 times more than top quality mineral types). Looked at non-basically, there are three broad categories, each containing dozens of types and viscosity grades:- 真正的合成油非常的昂貴（大約是高品質礦物油的６倍以上）。不從基本層面來看，即有３大種類，每個包含幾打的類型與黏度級數。 1) PIB's (Polyisobutanes)　聚異丁烷 These are occasionally used as thickeners in motor oils and gear oils, but their main application is to suppress smoke in 2-strokes. 此種有時也當作機油和齒輪油的濃稠劑，但主要的應用是抑制二行程引擎的排煙。 The two important ones are:-另外兩種重要的是； 2) Esters　酯 All jet engines are lubricated with synthetic esters, and have been for 50 years, but these expensive fluids only started to appear in petrol engine oils about 20 years ago. Thanks to their aviation origins, the types suitable for lubricants (esters also appear in perfumes; they are different!) work well from -50º C to 200º C, and they have a useful extra trick. Due to their structure, ester molecules are 'polar'; they stick to metal surfaces using electrostatic forces. This means that a protective layer is there at all times, even during that crucial start-up period. This helps to protect cams, gears, piston rings and valve train components, where lubrication is 'boundary' rather than 'hydrodynamic', i.e. a very thin non pressure-fed film has to hold the surfaces apart. Even crank bearings benefit at starts, stops, or when extreme shock loads upset the hydrodynamic film. (Are you listening, all you rally drivers and off-road fanatics?) ５０年以來，所有的噴射機引擎都使用合成酯來潤滑，但這種昂貴的油只在最近２０年才開始用在石油引擎機油當中。由於這些酯類的起源，適合用於潤滑油當中的酯類（有些酯類也用在香水中，卻是不同種類！）在－５０℃到２００℃的範圍內運作順暢，且有相當好用的厚度。由於其化學結構，酯類分子是磁極性，它們利用靜電力貼在金屬表面上。其意思是說，隨時都有一層保護膜，即使是在重要的起動期。這樣能保護凸輪、齒輪、活塞環與氣閥零件，這些潤滑效果是界限性多過水動力性的部分，非壓力造成的薄膜使摩擦的表面保持距離。即使曲軸軸承也能起動、停止或極度衝極載重的情況下受到保護。（你們這些拉力駕駛和越野狂熱者有在聽嗎？） 3) Synthetic Hydrocarbons or PAO's (Poly Alpha Olefins)　 聚α-烯烴 These are, in effect, very precisely made equivalents to the most desirable mineral oil molecules. As with esters, they work very well at low temperatures, and equally well when the heat is on, if protected by anti-oxidants. The difference is, they are inert, and not polar. In fact, on their own they are hopeless 'boundary' lubricants, with less load carrying ability than mineral oil. They depend entirely on the correct chemical enhancements. 這種在實行上，分子結構與最理想的礦物油分子非常相似。以酯類來說，低溫下運作非常好，同時在高溫下也能保持效果，如果有抗氧化劑的保護。差別在於，它們是無自動力的、無磁性的。事實上，它們本身是無能的界限性潤滑劑，與礦物油比較，此類具備較低的載重能力，需完全地仰賴正確的化學增幅。 In fact PAOs work best in combination with esters. The esters assist load carrying, reduce friction, and cut down seal drag and wear, whilst the PAOs act as solvents for the multigrade polymers and a large assortment of special compounds that act as dispersants, detergents, anti-wear and anti-oxidant agents, and foam suppressants. Both are very good at resisting high-temperature evaporation, and the esters in particular will never carbonise in turbo bearings even when provoked by anti-lag systems. 事實上，聚α-烯烴與酯類結合後效果最好。酯類幫助載重能力，減少摩擦、密封墊磨損，聚α-烯烴當作複級數聚合物和多樣化合物的溶劑，那些化合物的功能為分散劑、洗淨劑、抗氧化與抗磨損的媒介。兩者在抵抗高溫揮發上都有良好的性能，尤其酯類在渦輪軸承中永遠不會與碳結合，即使被抗衰退系統導引。------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 在90年代後， Castrol開始賣所謂的全合成機油(SynTec Full Synthetic)，但是此全合成是從第三群礦物基礎油提煉所做的油。並非是化學合成而來的酯。 因此MOBIL對Castrol提出訴訟，斷言這油不是化學合成的，而是完全高度被 "提煉" 的石油，並且它是称它為合成( Synthetic)是引導錯誤所做廣告。 但是在1999年， MOBIL丟失了他們的訴訟。 決定了 synthetic" 是機油市場用詞，不是在說明此油酯的生产方法或成份。 所以Castrol继续販賣以礦物油為基礎的機油之合法性，加上MOBIL丟失了他們的訴訟，從此絕大多数石油公司開始改變原本應該要使用成本比較高的化學合成的PAOs或diester作為他們的基礎油，改成為以較便宜的第三族群高度提煉的礦物油(Group III oil).合成的基礎油來販賣所謂的合成機油"synthetic oil"