No clue, call it a "requirement" then. But clearly something is different as opposed to the rest of the world (except Japan). It's not "EU" labeling, it is only Germany, correct?
And haha, I'm an "advocate" of Group III oils. No one has ever made that statement before, but OK I'll take it despite not being anything of the sort. I was interested in the actual process of severe hydrocracking but only from the perspective that I have a minor in chemistry and I have an overall interest in chemical processes and just chemistry in general. Your statement "Group III is a hydrocarbon molecule, albeit bound together by chemical process, but it's still processed mineral oil, a hydrocarbon molecule and not a synthetic molecule" is not correct, polyalphaolefins are also hydrocarbons and can be made from a gas as well as crude oil. The constant emphasis and focus on feed stocks is not appropriate since it is the finished product that is important.
Why is a defined definition so important to you? If an oil meets a specification and is labeled as such, why does the composition matter? You can't for a moment believe that it is impossible to make a poor performing PAO-based oil do you? I sure know I could if I tried to formulate an oil.
Your posts sound like an Amsoil salesman before they started using Group III. The constant emphasis on base stocks is akin to predicting the future performance of an oil based on a $30 Blackstone ICP analysis.
Originally Posted By: JonfromCB
What Labeling laws? Please provide links. (sound familiar?)
How are German labelling laws different than ACEA labelling?
Are you familiar with the API definition of "synthetic"? Or, perhaps you can tell us why you think oils labelled as "full synthetic" in the US contain no group IV or V base oils? ....bare with me, I'm not trying to be flippant. I'm contrasting EU and US labelling of oil. My point is there is NO API definition for "Synthetic". Why do you think that is? The answer is not that hard to research for anyone who really wants to know.
It's becoming clear you are an advocate for Group III oils. They are no doubt getting better and even meeting some of the parameters of PAOs. You can argue all you want about "labelling" and whether Group III oils are synthetic or not but the fact remains US labelling is misleading either by default or intention. There are some fantastic hydro-cracked group III oils....I'm not arguing that. The chemistry is where you and I seem to differ in opinion.
I personally respect that Europeans only label group IV and V oils as synthetic. It's honest labeling, and I fail to see how that is going to "come back to bite them"....as an example, BMW has been marketing Shell made GTL in the US successfully for two years now, in the same bottles they use in Europe, and the word "synthetic" is conspicuously absent from the bottle. Meanwhile and interestingly, Shell is not distributing their own blends of the same GTL motorcycle oils as they supply to BMW in the US. Meanwhile, that same oils is quickly becoming "the" premium and recommend brand for Eurospec 3 motorcycles around the world.