Use Synthetic Oil to Sve Gas and Reduce Pollution  
by Ron Toomes

INNOVATION, EFFICIENCY & SOLUTIONS

Our mechanized society cannot function without lubricants. The dilemma is oil is both necessary for our life-style and potentially destructive to nature. Quite simply, we must select innovative, efficient products that will help solve our pollution problems.

The introduction of synthetic motor oil in 1972 set all new standards for motor oil quality. They are specially designed to protect engine components, reduce emissions, last longer, reduce fuel consumption and prevent environmental pollution. From the beginning, synthetic motor oils have out-performed conventional petroleum motor oils on all counts.

Synthetic oils, resist chemical breakdown and sludging which keeps engines cleaner. They have been specifically designed not to oxidize, volatilize or shear back, resulting in a motor oil that lasts longer than conventional petroleum motor oils. While petroleum motor oil manufacturers recommend oil changes every 3,000 miles, AMSOIL synthetic motor oils protect engine components up to 35,000 miles or 1 year, dramatically extending oil change intervals.

PRESCRIPTION FOR PREVENTION:

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Pollution Prevention Requirements, the first step in revitalizing a cleaner nation is pollutant source reduction. Synthetic oil accomplishes this by extending the interval between motor oil changes which can reduce the source of motor oil pollution more than eleven times.

Consider this: in 1993 an estimated 189.5 million motorized vehicles were on the road in the United States alone, and an estimated 700 million motorized vehicles were in operation throughout the world. If, by petroleum oil manufacturer's recommendations, these vehicles have their oil changed every 3,000 miles on an average five-quart system, almost 1 billion quarts of used oil will be generated each month. So are we drowning in oil? It is estimated at present that over 240 million gallons of oil are improperly discarded annually. Dumping 240 million gallons of oil is nearly the same as two Exxon Valdez spills each month.

How dangerous is used oil? Just one quart can produce a two-acre oil slick. One gallon of oil can make one million gallons of water too foul to drink and 35 ppm of oil will kill fish. Improperly disposed used oil is dangerous.

Improperly dumped used oil seeps through landfills into ground water, disrupts bacterial digestion in sewer treatment plants and washes into lakes and harbors. At present, used motor oil is the largest single source of oil pollution in our nation's waterways. Certainly the first thing we can do is not create so much used oil to begin with and the United States Department of Energy seems to agree.

Where does all the used oil go?

40% is dumped on the ground or down the sewer.

21% is thrown out with the trash, ending up in landfills.

6% is burned.

19% is reused for miscellaneous purposes.

14% is recycled.

PREVENT BILLIONS OF QUARTS FROM BEING DUMPED

Most automobile manufacturers recommend oil drain intervals of 3,000 to 6,000 miles for petroleum motor oils. One synthetic oil company, recommends up to a 35,000-mile oil change which is 5 to 11 times fewer oil changes. Just think about the savings on the environment if, for example, the 135 million cars (excluding trucks, buses and taxis) in the United States were equipped with synthetic motor oil. Assuming an average service-life of 100,000 miles and an oil capacity of 5 quarts each, 11.4 billion to 22.3 billion quarts of used oil will be generated during a regular service lifetime (with regular oil changes every 3,000 to 6,000 miles). If you put 22.3 billion quarts of used oil into 55-gallon barrels and loaded them onto semi-trucks, a line of trucks would stretch end-to-end from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. and back to Los Angeles.

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

In 1983 AMSOIL Inc. created the TRI-GARD system. The life of a lubricant is dependent on the quality of oil and the filtration system's ability to keep it clean. The AMSOIL TRI-GARD system incorporates Synthetic Motor Oil, a Foam Air Filter, the AMSOIL By-Pass Filter and oil analysis to dramatically extend the oil change interval. Less oil changed means less oil disposal and less oil pollution. With regards to the environment, the TRI-GARD System is the most technologically sound, environmentally friendly motor oil program to reduce oil disposal.

OTHER ECOLOGICAL/ECONOMICAL BENEFITS OF SYNTHETIC OIL

Reduces Emissions: Increases Engine Life Each year nearly 600 million gallons of motor oil are burned and exit through the tailpipes of cars and trucks, creating emissions pollution. Petroleum oils volatilize (burn off) more readily than synthetic oils, and create more emissions pollution.

Of all the oils tested, synthetic oils shows dramatically less weight loss . . . less than half the weight loss of its closest counterpart. Some oils tested lost 20 percent of their weight. That means almost one fifth of the oil boils away and is released into the environment. For most cars, that's approximately a quart of oil being burned and expelled into nature.

The thicker oil left behind after volatization contributes to damaging deposits, sticky piston rings and oil blow-by, all of which cause reduced engine life, reduced fuel economy and increased air pollution.

"Each month, petroleum products emit the equivalent of an 'oil spill' into the Los Angeles Basin's air as massive as the 10-million-gallon spill from the Exxon Valdez, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District." (Truckers' News Magazine)

GREATER FUEL ECONOMY

The advanced lubricity (slipperiness) of synthetic lubricants has been proven to increase fuel economy by 2-5%. Synthetics reduces friction and allows your engine to use its heat-energy more efficiently.

How Much Is a 5% Savings in Fuel? The average person drives slightly more than 10,000 miles each year. A 5% savings in fuel gives you more than $42 in savings a year (assuming you get 30 mpg, at $2.60 per gallon). And if you get 20 mpg a 5% savings in fuel gives you $62 in savings a year!

Worldwide Vehicle Population: 1970: 245 million 1985: 520 million 2005: 900 million, these vehicles change oil 3 times each year and have 5 quart systems, 1 billion quarts of waste oil will is generated each month.

About the Author

Ron is a Synthetic Lubrication Executive Jobber and Website Owner.