Synthetic Engine Oil Research Articles

Study on the relationship between high temperature oxidation and temperature rise rate of engine oil

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between high temperature oxidation and temperature rise rate of engine oil attempted to explore a new indicator to evaluate oil degradation. Design/methodology/approach Accelerated oxidation test combined with molecular simulation and road test is carried out in this paper. The temperature rise characteristics of mineral oil and synthetic oil under different oxidation temperatures (140°C, 155°C and 170°C) and time (50 h, 100 h, 150 h and 200 h) were determined by accelerated oxidation. The mechanism of temperature change characteristics of used oils was analyzed with molecular simulation. Two experimental vehicles carried six road tests with synthetic and mineral oil. Findings The results of this study show that the temperature rise rate of oxidized mineral and synthetic oil is higher than the new oil. The temperature rise rate is proportional to the oxidation time and oxidation temperature. The synthetic engine oil temperature rise rate is lower than that of the mineral engine oil. The same result was obtained in road tests. Molecular simulation verifies that small molecules were generated after oil oxidation which results in intermolecular friction and increased heat generation. Originality/value This paper indicates that temperature rise rate has potential to be taken as an indicator to evaluate oil oxidation which provides a new way for engine oil analysis. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-05-2024-0177/

Fluorinated natural rubber with enhanced strength and excellent resistance to ozone, organic solvent, and acid and alkali via in situ reactive melt extrusion

Natural rubber (NR), as a green and renewable industrial raw material, is applied in many fields. However, the relatively weak resistance originated from its unsaturated backbone structure restricts the further application in some harsh conditions. To incorporate the excellent resistance feature of the fluorinated components into NR, fluorinated natural rubber (FNR) was prepared with dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFHMA) via in situ melt extrusion reaction. The results indicated that fluorinated reaction of NR mainly happened at the α-H of double bond in backbone chain and that styrene could promote fluorination and increase the size of fluorinated side chain. The vulcanized FNR (VFNR) exhibited wonderful mechanical performance, remarkable hydrophobicity, and excellent resistance to ozone, organic solvent, acid and alkali. The water contact angles of VFNR increased from 89 ° to 104 °and the ozone aging cracking time of VFNR increased by one time longer than that of VNR. The swelling degree of VFNR in the full synthetic engine oil is only two-thirds that of VNR, and the retention of tensile strength after immersion in HCl, H2SO4, and NaOH solution was elevated by 13 %, 11 %, and 5 % compared to those of VNR, respectively. This work presents a simple and eco-friendly method to prepare the fluorinated natural rubber facilitating the industrial fabrication of green and high-performance NR via melt extrusion.

Performance Evaluation of Solar Parabolic Collector Using Low Volume Fractions of Multi-Walled Carbon-nanotube in Synthetic Engine Oil

The use of nanofluids has been encouraged to advance the efficiency of solar collectors in previous investigations. In this experiment, the performance of solar parabolic collectors in Bangalore, India, was enhanced using low-volume fractions of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and synthetic engine oil as the base fluid. To stabilize and optimize the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids, orthocresol was used as a surfactant and was further treated with magnetic stirring and ultrasonication. The resulting MWCNT-synthetic engine oil nanofluid was generated at three different volume fractions with a 1:1 MWCNT/ Orthocresol ratio and tested at different flow rates between 10:00 and 16:00 according to ASHRAE Standards. The maximum efficiency was achieved at 0.0317 vol% and a discharge of 7 L/min, which was 6.9% higher than that of the synthetic engine oil. This study shows that even at low-volume fractions of nanofluids, effective heat transfer can be achieved in solar parabolic collectors. These findings suggest that MWCNT-synthetic engine oil nanofluids have the potential to significantly advance the performance of solar parabolic collectors.

Experimental Comparison of the Effect of Using Synthetic, Semi-Synthetic, and Mineral Engine Oil on Gasoline Engine Parts Wear

This paper includes the laboratory and experimental methodology used to compare the effect of using mineral, semi-synthetic, and synthetic engine oil on the parts wear of a four-stroke gasoline internal composition engine (ICE). Three test platforms included three engines with identical, technical, and design specifications. They were operated under the same investment, ambient, and climatic conditions. The first engine was equipped with synthetic oil, the second with semi-synthetic oil, and the third with mineral engine oil. All of them had (SAE10W40 API: SL/CF). All test platforms were operated through three stages with variable loads for up to 1,500 operating hours (hr). Oil drain intervals (ODI) were every 100 operating hours. Used oil samples were taken to analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of viscosity, total base number TBN, flash point, metals wear Irion (Fe), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and wear index (WI) to investigate the effect of all oils on the wear of engine parts and by comparing the changes in wear. The used oil analysis (UOA) results were drawn that showed the superiority of the use of synthetic oil over semi-synthetic and mineral. It prolonged the technical engine’s lifetime.

DETOXIFICATION OF USED SYNTHETIC MOTOR OILS WITH BIOCOMPOSITIONS BASED ON HUMIC ACIDS IN WATER

Among the modern technologies of remediation of oil-contaminated wastewater, the most promising are technologies based on biological methods of purification, namely, on the process of self-purification using various consortia of microorganisms characterized by an increased ability to biodegrade hydrocarbons of oil and petroleum products. This article is devoted to the assessment of the detoxifying ability of new biocompositions based on microorganisms-oil destructors in combination with natural dispersants – humic acids in relation to used synthetic motor oil in water. Biocompositions based on humic acids isolated from the peat of the Tula region: reed lowland and black-alder lowland, and microorganisms-oil destructors of the genus Rhodococcus, producing biological surfactants and capable oxidizing a wide range of petroleum hydrocarbons due to the presence of enzymatic systems, have been studied. The detoxifying ability of biocompositions was determined by the method of biotesting by assessing the toxic effect on the test object duckweed small. The reduction of the toxic effect by the detoxification coefficient was achieved by more than 50%. Attention is focused on the advantages of biotesting in comparison with analytical methods, which consist in ease of use, expressiveness in determining results, cost–effectiveness and, most importantly, the ability to judge how dangerous a specific amount of xenobiotic is for the vital activity of organisms. The experiments carried out prove that the developed biocomposition affects the dispersed state of used synthetic engine oil in water, and also contributes to the degradation of its components. The obtained biocompositions can be used as complex biological products for biotechnological remediation of aquatic environments using in situ technology.

Stabilization of petroleum and oil emulsions by bioorganic compositions based on humic acids

The stabilizing ability of humic acids isolated from reed fen peat of the Ryazan region in the relation to oil and petroleum products under various abiotic conditions of the aquatic environment has been studied. The applicability of the used biological products in conditions of low temperature and increased salinity of the medium is determined. The stabilizing ability of the developed biological products was determined by the transmittance of emulsions. It was found that in the condition of increased salinity, the transmission coefficient decreases by 5-24% relative to the control experiment for crude oil, diesel fuel and waste oil when using monocultural biological products. It was found that the use of polycultures in the composition of biological products significantly reduces the transmittance by 24-43% for “HAs from reed peat of the Ryazan region + Rhodococcus erythropolis S67 + Rhodococcus erythropolis X5” and 10-29% for “Humic acids of reed peat of the Ryazan region + Rhodococcus erythropolis S67 + Rhodococcus erythropolis X5 + Pseudomonas fluorescens 142NF”. The applicability of the studied biological products in conditions of low temperatures is confirmed by a decrease in the transmission coefficient to 68-73% for diesel fuel, to 60-64% for used synthetic engine oil and to 64-69% for crude oil. It was found that the transmission coefficient decreases in the series: “Humic acids of reed fen peat of the Ryazan region + Rhodococcus erythropolis X5” → “Humic acids of reed peat of the Ryazan region + Pseudomonas fluorescens 142NF” → “Humic acids from reed fen peat of the Ryazan region + Rhodococcus erythropolis S67”. It was revealed that the reduction of the transmission coefficient of oil emulsions occurs due to the combined use of humic acids isolated from reed peat of the Ryazan region and the association of bacteria (both when using 2 and 3 strains). The stabilizing ability of humic acids in conditions of increased salinity was comparable to it in conditions of reduced temperature. It has been established that cane humic acids of the Ryazan region can be used as a basis for biological products that stabilize oil and oil emulsions.

Rheological and tribological behaviour of nanofluids: an experimental evaluation

Commercially available synthetic engine oils of SAE grades 5W40 were taken as base fluids for preparing nano fluids by blending 0.1% and 0.2% concentration by weight of the functionalized Cu and MoS2 nanoparticles in them. The base fluids and their blends were characterized using standard ASTM and IS testing methods for their physicochemical and tribo performance behaviours. The rheological studies were performed on a Rheometer while the tribological investigations were performed on tribo-tester. The study reveal that a small improvement in anti- friction behaviour of about 6% and 4% reported for the 0.2 wt% of Cu and MoS2 nanoparticles respectively in the tested lubricants indicate that finished products have little scope to improve anti-friction properties under the influence of already present additives, however anti-wear properties showed significant enhancement up to 20% for 0.2% MoS2 and up to 15% for 0.2% nano-Cu indicating better anti-wear properties of MoS2 and Cu nanoparticle blends. Rheological studies reveal that blending of nanoparticles has marginal influence on the rheological behaviour of the lubricants. The lubricants show shear thinning behaviour at low shear rates. However at higher shear rates, lubricants behave as Newtonian fluids.

Contamination of engine oils during winter vehicle operation

Introduction. The reliability and service life of an engine is largely dependent on the quality of the engine oil. Without oil at the proper level of performance, an internal combustion engine can suffer from wear and tear, which in many cases can lead to engine failure. One of the factors in the loss of the quality level of engine oil is its contamination. For example, kinematic viscosity will gradually increase as the engine oil becomes contaminated with soot, dirt and sludge; or it may be oxidized. If the viscosity of the engine oil is too high, the engine must do extra work to overcome the increased viscosity resistance.Fuel and water dilution is one of the most common contaminants in diesel engines.Materials and Methods. The paper presents the results of a study of the combined effect of water and diesel fuel on synthetic engine oil at their various concentrations. The influence evaluation of contaminants on changes in the performance characteristics of the lubricant, such as: kinematic viscosity at 40° C (measurement was carried out on an automatic Stabinger SVM 3000 viscometer), base and acid numbers (values obtained using an automatic Titroline Alpha 20 Plus titrator), as well as concentration measurement elements - indicators of engine oil on an optical emission spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma of the iCAP 7000 series.Conclusions. The presence of contaminants in the engine oil leads to an increase in kinematic viscosity, during the operation of the engine oil, the value of its base number becomes less, and the value of the acid, on the contrary, increases. It is necessary to replace engine oils when the base number decreases by 50% or according to the balance of base and acid numbers.Scope of Study/Opportunity. This type of low temperature performance modelling provides insight into how the oil deteriorates and evaluates the change in oil performance during use.Originality/value. The study can be the basis for developing recommendations for improving the maintenance of internal combustion engines for enterprises that have cars with diesel engines at their disposal in order to increase the resource of power units and reduce operating costs.

Resistance of Geopolymer, Epoxy and Cement Mortar to Hydrocarbon-Based Synthetic Engine Lubricant, Hydraulic Fluid, Jet Fuel and Elevated Temperatures

Due to routine maintenance of aircraft on the concrete pavement at army airbases, a large part of the pavement surface is often found saturated with different hydrocarbon-based oil, fuel, and fluid. In addition, the pavement concrete is subjected to the aircraft’s exhaust temperature during operation. This study examined the resistance ability of 3 different cementitious materials: (i) epoxy, (ii) fly ash (FA) based geopolymer with various alkali to fly ash (AL/FA) ratios and (iii) Portland cement (PC) mortar under a simulated airfield circumstance. The mortar specimens were repetitively exposed to a mixture of synthetic engine oil, hydraulic fluids, jet fuel and elevated temperatures (175 °C) for 5 months simultaneously. During the exposures, geopolymer and PC mortar both suffered saponification. The degree of saponification of geopolymer samples is found to be highly reliant on the AL/FA ratios. On the contrary, the epoxy mortar was found to be resistant to saponification. It was also found that the PC mortar developed numerous thermal cracks but epoxy and geopolymer did not experience any visual thermal cracks under the same conditions.

Degradation of engine components upon exposure to chemically modified vegetable oil - Based automotive lubricant

The present investigation examines the corrosion behavior of vegetable oil-based engine oil-biodiesel environment against automotive engine components, viz., cylinder liner, crankshaft, camshaft, journal bearing and timing gear as a counteractive measure. The biodegradable engine oil was formulated via chemical synthesis route and the thermo-oxidative stability of the biodegradable engine oil was analysed using thermogravimetric analysis. A high-temperature corrosion test rig was developed for the purpose of evaluating the corrosion behavior of biodegradable engine oil and the corrosion results were compared with those of synthetic engine oil SAE20W40 under similar test conditions. The corrosion penetration rate (CPR) of the journal bearing is 0.03270 ​mm/year and 0.0163 ​mm/year for biodegradable and synthetic engine oil respectively and the CPR of crankshaft, cylinder liner, camshaft and timing gear in biodegradable engine oil is 0.0120, 0.0156, 0.0127 and 0.0119 ​mm/year respectively, conversely in SAE20W40, the respective CPR is 0.0110, 0.0133, 0.0117 and 0.0109 ​mm/year. The scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis of post corrosive surfaces revealed that biodegradable engine oil is prone to corrosion against various lubrication system components as compared to SAE20W40.

Exploring the lubrication mechanism of CeO2 nanoparticles dispersed in engine oil by bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate as a novel antiwear additive

Energy-efficient engine oils are required for sustainable transportation using vehicles, and oil companies aim to manufacture lube oils with more effective additives. Here we investigate the lubrication mechanism of cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles dispersed in a fully synthetic engine oil (5 W-30) by bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (HDEHP). Tribological tests were conducted using a tribometer based on ASTMG181 to mimic the ring–liner tribosystem environment. The results showed that the CeO2 nanolubricant enhanced the antifriction and antiwear characteristics of the rubbing surfaces by 12–21% and 62–80%, respectively, contrary to the results obtained with the 5 W-30 oil. In-depth field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry analyses of the worn surfaces after lubrication evidenced the production of a tribofilm, induced by physical adsorption and tribochemical reactions. Concisely, this study demonstrates the superior tribological performance of the CeO2 nanolubricant and provides insights for developing lube oils and improving the fuel economy in vehicle engines.

Investigation of Rheological and Wettability Behavior of Hex‐BN Nanofluids

AbstractConservation of energy has become a need of the hour, as a substantial amount of energy is wasted in maintaining machines. The rheological and wettability behavior of lubricants plays an instrumental role in enhancing machine life. Nano additives have shown encouraging results in this regard, though there are so many challenges that need to be addressed. The flow behavior of lubricants largely depends on the rheological and wetting behavior of lubricants. The rheological properties include shear stress, shear rate, viscosity, and viscoelastic behavior of oils. Similarly, the wettability properties include the contact angle of the oils. Both of these properties influence the tribological performance in the end. In the present study, the rheological and wettability behavior of hexagonal boron nitride (Hex‐BN) nanofluids is presented. The study has been carried out on two commercially available blended synthetic engine oils of the same grades. The oils are blended with 0.1% and 0.2% weight by weight of well‐dispersed Hex‐BN nanoparticles. The study reveals that tested Hex‐BN nanofluids behaved as non‐Newtonian lubricants with shear thinning behavior at all tested temperatures and exhibited viscoelastic behavior at lower shear rates. On blending oils with 0.2% Hex‐BN, contact angle has shown increment across the board for all surfaces. It indicates that Hex‐BN binds better with the lubricants’ molecules, hence increasing the force of cohesion. Furthermore, it is a sign of better dispersion of Hex‐BN nanoparticles in the given lubricants.

Tribological Performance Investigation of a Commercial Engine Oil Incorporating Reduced Graphene Oxide as Additive.

We investigated the tribological behavior of commercialized, fully synthetic engine oil upon the incorporation of reduced graphene oxide in seven different concentrations between 0.01 and 0.2 wt %. Stability of the prepared samples was assessed by turbidimetry and dynamic light scattering measurements, and their tribological properties through a reciprocating tribometer, using a steel ball on special cut steel blocks. The addition of 0.02 wt % of reduced graphene oxide led to an improvement of the tribological behavior compared to the pristine engine oil, by significantly lowering the friction coefficient by 5% in the boundary lubrication regime. Both the surfaces and the reduced graphene oxide additive were thoroughly characterized by microscopic and optical spectroscopy techniques. We also verified that a protective layer was formed between the worn surfaces, due to the presence of reduced graphene oxide. Carbon accumulation and various additive elements such as Ca, Zn, S and P were detected on the rubbing surfaces of both the ball and the block through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Finally, it was shown that the wear scar diameter on the surface of the steel ball was lower by 3%, upon testing the engine oil sample containing reduced graphene oxide at concentration 0.02 wt %, compared to the control sample.

A hydrodynamic criterion of alternative bubble departures

The bubble departures from two neighboring brass nozzles (with inner diameter of 1.1 mm) in three liquids: distilled water, mineral, and synthetic engine oils were investigated. The numerical simulations were used for reconstruction of liquid-flow around the departing bubbles. Bubble movements in liquid have been recorded using a high speed camera. The 2-D bubble paths have been reconstructed using: Laplacian of Gaussian filters, algorithm of detection of local extremes of image brightness and Kalman filter. It was shown that during alternative bubble departures bubble paths become repeatable. The dimensionless number (similar to Strouhal number) was proposed to describe oscillating liquid-flow generated by departing bubbles over the nozzle outlet. Such number was used for defining the hydrodynamic criterion of alternative bubble departures

Comparison of Thermal and Flow-Based Modulation in Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography—Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) for the Analysis of Base Oils

Base oils are produced by refining crude oil or through chemical synthesis. They are a key component of engine oils. With an immense range of carbon numbers and boiling points, analyzing such complex mixtures is very difficult. The need to monitor industrial petroleum processing steps, as well as to identify petrochemical environmental pollutants, drives the search for improved characterization methods. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) is one of the best tools for that. The modulator used in GC × GC is responsible for trapping/sampling the first dimension (1D) column analytes, then reinjecting them in the form of narrow bands onto the second dimension (2D) column for further separation. Modulators used today generally fall into two categories, thermal and flow ones. Heater-based thermal modulators trap the 1D column effluent at or above ambient temperatures. Flow-based modulators utilize storage loop(s) to collect the 1D effluent, which is subsequently flushed into the second-dimension column for further separation. A single-stage, consumable-free thermal modulator and a reverse fill/flush flow modulator were compared for the characterization of base oils. Both were evaluated on their ability to achieve separation of several conventional and synthetic engine oils components. A reverse column set, polar 1D and nonpolar 2D, allowed group-type analysis of all classes, including linear, branched, and aromatic species. The results show the ability to achieve a comprehensive separation of specific compound classes and the differentiation of engine oil types and manufacturers. Soft ionization assisted in tentative identification of two alkylated diphenylamines in each sample. The advantages and limitations of both thermal and flow modulation are presented.

СРАВНЕНИЕ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ПРИРОДНЫХ И СИНТЕТИЧЕСКИХ ПРОПИТОЧНЫХ СОСТАВОВ ДЛЯ ДРЕВЕСИНЫ БЕРЕЗЫ

The article is devoted to the study of technologies for the use of used motor and vegetable oils for hydrophobizing treatment of birch wood. In this work, synthetic and semi-synthetic engine oil is used to impregnate wood; spent corn oil, sunflower oil, organosilicon liquid GKZh-11, industrial impregnating composition of ZhTK. The effectiveness of the impregnating compositions is estimated by the indicators of water absorption and swelling in two mutually perpendicular directions (radial, tangential). Spent motor and vegetable oils saturate wood quite well and give it hydrophobic properties. At the same time, impregnation of birch wood with used engine oil (OMM) allows to improve water absorption of birch wood by 52.1% compared to natural wood and by 21% compared to water absorption. Thus, the processing of birch wood with used motor and vegetable oils makes it possible to utilize production waste and improve the properties of low-value wood species with a significant increase in its resistance to external influences.

Electro-chemical corrosion Behavior of Vegetable oil-Based Engine oil

Progressive development of bio-lubricants is the need of the day for replacing petroleum-based lubricants in terms of dependency and degradation. Though the developed lubricants meeting out the properties of petroleum-based lubricants, the hygroscopic nature of the lubricants derived from vegetable oils are suspected to deteriorate the metal surfaces by corrosion. The vegetable oil-based engine oil was formulated via chemical alteration method. The mobility of ions is the key factor for electro-chemical corrosion. In this work we executed the corrosion study of engine oils on metallic coupons through electro-chemistry technique. therefore, vegetable oil-based engine oil and synthetic engine oil were tested in conductivity test using Galvanic cell. In this Galvanic cell, Tetra butyl ammonium perchlorate is used as a catalyst to enhance the mobility of ions in engine oils (electrolyte). The test coupons of ferrous and non-ferrous metal are considered as electrodes. The Tafel plot and impedance curve showed that the corrosion rate for the given current potential is not in the measurable range. Therefore, the electro-chemical corrosion study is not a suitable method to evaluate the corrosion rate of metals on viscous fluids like vegetable oil-based engine oil.

A Real Time Engine Oil Monitoring System for Diagnosis of Lubricant using IoT Network

In the modern days, Internet of Things (IoT) is smart communicating approach and creates an energetic impression in future of automobile industry. The advancement of IoT innovation in each field can be joined with the rising occasions setting off a requirement for a superior human way of life and its applications are vast and innumerable. One such application can be implied for the automobile industry to real time monitor the engine lubricant because in India, automobile mechanics still use conventional techniques of engine lubricant supervision. So in this paper, we present, an IoT technology based a real time Engine Oil Monitoring (EOM) System for diagnosis of engine lubricant. The main objective of this research paper is to reduce the human effort and to provide a smart sensing approach in automobile industry for maintaining real time engine oil conditions. EOM system is designed with the help of Arduino Nano with sensor devices named as Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensor for oil quality, LM35-Temperature sensor for temperature and Ultrasonic Sensor for oil level measurement in engine. Real time testing results shown in the connected display unit and experimental results of proposed EOM system using IoT network provides an efficient diagnosis results. EOM system is working properly that is observed in the experimental analysis section for two different scenario such as 10W-50 4T Scooter Engine Oil-Honda Activa 125 (1L) and 10W-30 Synthetic Engine Oil for Petrol Cars (3.5 L).

Experimental Investigation of the Viscosity Parameters Ranges—Case Study of Engine Oils in the Selected Viscosity Grade

The primary objective of the research was to compare the viscosity parameters of the same viscosity grade engine oils, as declared by the manufacturers, to the actual laboratory measurements. The secondary objective was to briefly investigate (1) what kind of information oil manufacturers provide in the product data sheets of the studied oils, and (2) the potential savings resulting from the use of the energy efficient oils. The study material consisted of 42 selected synthetic engine oils that belong to the 5W-30 viscosity grade. Stabinger SVM 3001 viscometer was used to determine kinematic viscosity at −20 °C, 40 °C, 100 °C and 130 °C. The HTHS (high temperature high shear), CCS (cold cranking simulator), FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) and GC (Gas Chromatography) measurements were also performed for the samples that had the lowest and the highest kinematic viscosity. Large differences (5–25%) between oil producers’ declarations and the results of laboratory tests were found. Although all of the engine oils tested met the 5W-30 grade standards, the high variability of viscosity measurements needs to be reported. The difference between the oil with the highest and the oil with the lowest kinematic viscosity at −20 °C was 11,804 mm2/s. The outlying temperature-related viscosity profiles were recovered using Mahalanobis distances which identified 16 out of 42 analyzed oil samples as atypical.

Methylenealkane-Based Low-Viscosity Ester Oils: Synthesis and Outlook

Both Group 4 poly-α-olefin (PAO) and Group 5 ester oil basestocks are used in formulations of synthetic engine oils, transmission fluids, and lubricants with leading characteristics such as low viscosity (providing fuel saving), high stability, and environmental safety. The modern technologies of the production of PAOs use catalytic oligomerization of α-olefins, which is complicated by the formation of low-molecular-weight α-olefin dimers (methylenealkanes) as imminent side products. The use of methylenealkanes as raw materials for the synthesis of Group 5 base stocks appears to be highly promising. In the present work, we report the use of methyl 3-butylnonanoate and methyl 3-hexylundecanoate, the products of catalytic methoxycarbonylation of hex-1-ene and oct-1-ene dimers, in the synthesis of two series of branched isomeric esters. These esters demonstrated excellent rheological behavior and may be considered as low-viscosity engine oils with leading characteristics.