Oil History

---

---

🌱 Class-by-Class Breakdown:

1. Crude Oil Lubricants

• Years: ~1859–1900
• Issues: Dirty, non-additized, highly variable
• Use: Steam engines, early gasoline engines
• Replaced by: Refined mineral oils

---

2. Mineral Oils

• Years: ~1900–1960s (base for many blends still)
• Base Stock Group: Group I
• Advantages: Cheap, readily available
• Limitations: Low oxidation and thermal stability
• Still used?: Yes, in budget or industrial lubricants

---

3. Additized Detergent Oils

• Years: 1930s–1970s
• Milestone: First API classifications (SA–SD)
• Innovation: Added ZDDP and detergents
• Superseded by: Higher-spec API oils (SE, SF…)

---

4. Multi-grade Oils

• Years: 1960s–now
• Breakthrough: Flow in cold and hot temps (e.g., 10W-30)
• Still used?: Yes, almost all oils today are multi-grade

---

5. Full Synthetic Oils (Group IV & V)

• Years: 1970s–present
• Example: Mobil 1 (1972)
• Features: Uniform molecules, high VI, low pour point
• Limitations: Expensive to produce
• Use: Performance, aviation, racing, extreme weather

---

6. Synthetic Blends (Group II/III + IV/V)

• Years: 1980s–present
• Popularized by: Budget-conscious markets
• Compromise: Some benefits of synthetics at lower cost

---

7. Hydrocracked “Synthetic” (Group III)

• Years: Late 1990s–present
• Tech: Gas-to-liquid (GTL), severe hydrocracking
• Marketing Controversy: Labeled “synthetic” in U.S. after Mobil v. Castrol
• Use: Widely sold as full synthetic in retail stores

---

8. Biobased and Biodegradable Oils

• Years: ~2005–present
• Feedstocks: Soy, canola, estolides, algae
• Benefits: Renewable, low toxicity, biodegradable

---

9. 🧬 NEOgenic Oils (ABOVE.energy) – AI-Crafted Oils

• Years: 2024–present
• Origin: Selected plant & algae strains with tailored polarity and molecular chains
• Technology:
  • AI-selected base oils by species/genetic traits
  • AI-designed additive systems for specific engines
  • Molecular tuning for honing patterns, ring pressure, coatings
• Eco Impact: Designed to be carbon-negative, biodegradable, engine-customized
• Revolution: Not synthesized from crude—built for performance from renewable biology

---

📈 Overlap and Transitions

• Many classes overlap due to cost, geography, and regulation.
• Biobased and NEOgenic oils are not yet dominant, but are rapidly growing due to:
  • ESG regulations
  • Racing & high-performance engine demand
  • Environmental branding and carbon offset goals
  • Friction reduction from absolute zero reasoning agents and simulations

---