Difference Between Synthetic and Conventional Oil (With Table)

Vehicles require the correct and worthy oil for their engine that made it lasts longer. Most the vehicle are recommended to use synthetic oil. With improvised models of the vehicles, they are automatically made to equip with synthetic motor oil. The engine motor oil is the food for the vehicle that protects it from breaking down. 

Synthetic Oil vs Conventional Oil

The main difference between Synthetic Oil and Conventional Oil is that Synthetic Oil was manufactured by scientists by different chemical compounds to extract the best possible properties of crude oil. It has a very high viscosity and can be flow in extreme temperatures of the vehicle. Whereas comparatively, on the other hand, Conventional oil is oil that has been refined from crude oil and the conventional oil is not able to flow at extreme temperatures.

Synthetic Oil is the oil manufactured by the scientist by driving the best possible properties of the conventional oil. As the oil is artificial, therefore they have the least impurities in the oil. The cost of the engine motor oil is costly, but it has high lubrication and high viscosity. Also, the less impurity of the oil makes it resistant to sludge formation.

Conventional Oil is the oil that is obtained after refining the crude oil. As it is obtained from crude oil, it has many impurities in it, and it is the major reason for the formation of sludge in conventional oil. It also provides less protection to the engine, which decreases the life of the vehicle engine.

Comparison Table Between Synthetic and Conventional Oil

Parameters of Comparison

Synthetic Oil

Conventional Oil

What is it?

Artificial

Crude oil

Impurities

Less

More

Engine Wear Protection

It gives more protection and extends the life of the engine

Less protection

Oil Change Intervals

Longer oil intervals

Small oil change intervals

Flow at High Temperature

Better flowing capacity at temperatures like 200° and above

Less flowing capacity at high temperature

Sludge Formation

Fewer impurities make resistance to sludge formation

More impurities make it more prone to sludge formation

Price

Costly

Cheaper

What is Synthetic Oil?

Synthetic oil is the oil that is manufactured and created by scientists in the lab using the different chemical compounds to improve and take the better possible properties of the crude oil. As the oil is prepared in the lab by the scientists with a uniform molecule structure, thus it is assumed to have fewer impurities in it. Even though a Japanese motor company Subaru recommended using the oil in all of its models by the year 2020.

The oil contains fewer impurities in its structure which makes it quite good resistant oil to form sludge quickly. They slow down the sludge forming process. Also, it doesn’t require to be changed after every 3000 miles as it has many durable properties which allow the oil to last long and shorten the oil change intervals.

The viscosity of the synthetic oils is very high, which allows them to be in flowing nature even in extreme weather conditions. The price of synthetic oil is quite high because of its many durable properties and fewer impurities.

What is Conventional Oil?

Conventional oil is the oil that is obtained after the refining of the crude oil. It is a natural source of oil that is being available to humans. One of the disadvantages of conventional oil being a natural source is that it contains many impurities. As a result of which the conventional oil is quite prone to early sludge formation.

The impurity in the molecular structure makes the conventional oil-less suitable for longer use. For conventional oil, the oil interval change is after the use of a vehicle about every 2500-3000 miles. Nowadays, conventional oil is mixed with many other constituents, and they are – detergents, additives, viscosity modifiers.

The viscosity of the conventional oil is low, which makes it difficult for the oil to withstand extreme temperature conditions and retain its original flowing capacity. The price of the oil is quite low.

Main Differences Between Synthetic and Conventional Oil

  1. Synthetic oil is manufactured by man; hence it is known as man-made motor oil, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the conventional oil is obtained after refining the crude oil; hence it is known as crude oil. 
  2. Synthetic oil is prepared from the various chemical compounds; thus, it has fewer impurities in the motor oil, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the conventional oil is obtained from crude oil thus contains many impurities. 
  3. Synthetic oil is the best-suited motor oil for the protection of the vehicle engine as it extends the life form of whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the conventional oil is less suited for the engine and does not extend the life of the engine.
  4. Synthetic oil takes quite long time intervals for the replacement in the motor vehicle, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, conventional oil is replaced frequently in the motor vehicle.
  5. In winters, the vehicle engine takes longer to heat up, and thus synthetic oil still remains in its flowing nature even at the temperature of 200° and above, which makes it a suitable motor oil whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the conventional oil cannot retain its flowing nature at such extreme temperature.
  6. Synthetic oil has fewer impurities in its composition and thus is resistant to the sludge formation and breaking down the engine, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, conventional oil has more impurities and thus is more prone to have sludge formation. 
  7. Synthetic oil is much costlier, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, conventional oil is cheaper. 

Conclusion

For proper and smooth functioning of any machine, proper conditioning and lubrication are needed, which is provided by the oil. Vehicles require motor oil for lubrication and letting it not breaking down. Thus they have two special lubrication oils for the vehicles that are – synthetic oil and conventional oil. Synthetic oil is the one that is created and manufactured by a man, while conventional oil was the one that is used to be obtained after the refining of crude oil. As synthetic oil is artificial and is created by chemical compounds, that is why there are the least impurities to be found in it, and it is quite expensive. While if conventional is compared, it is filled with many impurities in it, and it is cheaper.

References

  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359431116310845
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0196890414006487
  3. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/er.4099
  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S136403211400149X