There are several very important reasons why synthetic base stock oil is better than regular base stock.

It’s no coincidence that synthetic base stock oil is better than regular base stock under harsh operating conditions. Regular base stock oils are refined from crude oil, which contains many impurities.

Lack of impurities means synthetic base stock oil is better than regular base stock.

Impurities such sulphur in mineral base stock oil can create corrosion under certain conditions which can be hard to control. Synthetic base stocks on the other hand are engineered from chemicals to a precise formula and thereby have no harmful trace elements.


Under these circumstances synthetic base stock oil is better than regular base stock in the long run because the oil produced is far less susceptible to harmful changes.

Synthetic base stock oil is better than regular base stock because the oil is thermally more stable.

Lubricants often have to operate under extreme climatic conditions, from sub zero to extremely high temperatures. Under these conditions oils manufactured using mineral base stocks are hard pressed to effectively operate across a wide temperature range.

To offer adequate protection at operating temperatures mineral based oils need to be fairly “thick” (Viscous) so that when the thinning that takes place at higher temperatures occurs the lubricant is viscous enough to offer protection.
However, this often means that under cold startup temperatures the oil is too thick, resulting in unnecessary cold-scuff and energy losses.

At elevated temperatures synthetic base stock oil is better than regular base stock because it’s less prone to oxidation. This means that synthetic base oils will, in most cases offer extended oil-change intervals. This can lead to significant cost savings in maintenance and down time.

It’s important to remember that to formulate an oil requires a base stock oil to which is added an additive package. It’s not uncommon to add a mineral based additive to a synthetic base stock oil and additives can account for up to 20% of the oil (by volume). This can often be the difference between a synthetic oil and a “full synthetic oil” WRT pricing, as well as performance.

Although synthetic base stock oil is better than regular base stock it’s still important to get the opinion of a reputable specialist, such as Habot Synthetic Lubricants before making any decisions.