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Synthetic Oil is generally manufactured as a substitute for petroleum or lubrication oil. It is known as ‘synthetic’ oil due to the many chemical properties mixed into it artificially to modify it to suit market purposes. Though used on and off for many years, synthetic oil was first introduced into the market for commercial use by Motul, a French oil company which launched the product for use in motor car engines in the early 1970s. Synthetic Oil can be manufactured using many different processes. One of the most common is the Fischer-Tropsch method which converts carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane into liquid hydrocarbons (compounds of hydrogen and carbon). Another manufacturing process involves the removal of the thick, tar-like substance from oil sands to turn it into high grade synthetic crude oil that is prized in the oil market. Synthetic oil is now manufactured extensively around the world to meet oil shortages and to produce synthetic motor oils. Since the early introduction of brands such as All-Proof, Amsoil and Mobil 1 synthetic oils, the use of synthetic oil has increased more and more in all aspects of the transportation industry. Indeed, some vehicle owners prefer it to conventional motor oil and make it a point to ask for their preferred brand of synthetic motor oil for their expensive vehicles. Many mechanics and car companies also recommend the use of synthetic oil in vehicles to increase vehicle performance and the reduction of wear and tear on the engine. Synthetic oil is also noted for its stability, cooling properties, fuel efficiency and reduced exhaust emissions. Unfortunately synthetic oil, although longer lasting than normal motor oil, is extremely expensive and costs nearly three times as much as normal oil. The chemical composition of synthetic oil also has a tendency to come apart in certain conditions which obviously plays havoc with the engines. In addition to synthetic oil, there are a variety of semi synthetic oils in the market, which offer consumers many of the qualities found in pure synthetic oil at a lower cost. Synthetic motor oils are also made from a number of lubricants, including Polyalphaolefin, Hydrocracked /Hydroisomerized and Synthetic esters. However, consumers using, or interested in using, synthetic oil should be aware that the American Petroleum Institution has to date given no definition of the word ‘synthetic’ and that the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has defined synthetic oil as a marketing term to be described and classified for the benefit of consumers by the company marketing the product. Muna wa Wanjiru is a web administrator and has been researching and reporting on internet marketing for years. For more information on synthetic oil, visit his site at Synthetic Oil
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