Possibly the initial motor oil performance enhancers were actually Motor Oil viscosity index modifiers: Remember STP...? In those times they were simply identified as motor oil additives.

What's a motor oil Viscosity index modifier?

(VI) is a popular technique of calibrating a fluid's change of viscosity with regards to temperature. The greater the VI, the lesser the relative change in viscosity with temperature. VI improvers (also called viscosity modifiers) are additives that improve the viscosity of the fluid all through its useful temperature range.

Viscosity modifiers are polymeric molecules that are sensitive to temperature. At low temperatures, the molecule chain shrinks and does not effect the fluid viscosity. At higher temperatures, the chain unwinds

There’s a lot of controversy about deciding on what oil to use for  any given application, no matter if it be; what engine oil to utilize or whether to use synthetic hydraulic oil.

These are the factors you want to consider when deciding on what oil to use

Crude based oil, with no additives
The first and most well-known is mineral based oil with no additives. Some of these oils

Okay, well it didn’t really even say a word (Thank heavens), nevertheless it did certainly alert me that an engine oil change was expected! And I believe it.

In the old days, I would have been very tempted to stretch this a further 5,000 km, knowing that the engine oil change indicator used a formula primarily based on engine revs, time and mileage (Sometimes throttle opening time was also included) to determine the best time for an engine oil change.

Suffice to say, on-board car analysis techniques are getting more complex. But regrettably, the fundamental engine oil change suggestions provided by engine manufacturers have little to do with normal driving

When a gearbox runs hot sometimes the first port of call is to change the crude based oil with synthetic gear oil. But; Will synthetic gear oil decrease operating temperature?

Although additives can improve

Even though this particular query was whether you can use synthetic oil in a (older) VW, the response applies to any older car or truck that’s grown old on a diet of regular engine oil.

Why can I use synthetic oil in my older car?

Generally, the reference to synthetic oil for an engine implies the lubricant is formulated with a polyalphaolefin (PAO) base oil. PAO, which is frequently called synthesized hydrocarbon, is pure and is compatible with

Oil purification is not new, but has never really delivered a product that industry was happy with. Now there’s a chemical process, using nanoporous materials to chemically scrub oxidants and moisture from used oil. Although the process is still under development the results so far have been promising.

I came across a paper in “Machinery Lubrication” compiled by G. Majano, I. Partono, H. H. Jensen and S. Mintova, that discusses the techniques and results of oil purification using nanoporous sorbents in detail:

Have you ever given thought to the severe operating environment of an industrial gearbox? Even if you have correctly lubricated the bearing, elevated temperatures, airflow and loads as often have dust and water that enter through breathers and failing seals often take their toll! Water in the gearbox lubricant is perhaps the most common cause of bearing failure, so today we’re going to examine how water in Gearbox lubricant causes bearing failure.

We all know that water is harmful to machinery in general, and bearings in particular. As little as 500ppm of water in gearbox oil can damage machine surfaces directly, through a sequence of events and often with a variety of helpers. In many cases, the most severe damage is as a result of secondary causes. For instance, water may initially lead to premature oxidation of the base oil. When the oxides combine with more water, a corrosive acidic fluid environment exists.