Originally Posted By: Phishin
Originally Posted By: Shannow
http://hicksoils.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/TBN-Retention.pdf
I don't agree. Not at all. This isn't a real peer-reviewed paper. Just some jibberish to promote their own products.
Here is the "science" behind me saying magnesium based detergents give you two times the acid reduction capability compared to calcium based detergents:
Acids are acidic because they possess an dissociated positive hydrogen ion. For instance, hydrochloric acid HCL is really H+ and Cl- in solution. Sulfuric acid H2SO4 is really two ions of H+ and one ion of SO4-
So, to "neutrlaize" an acid (which is what a detergent does), it requires that the H+ (the hydrogen ion) of the acid be coupled to a negative ion again. So when H+'s are present, you have an acidic solution and these H+ must be coupled to anions (negatively charged ions) in order for the acidic H+ ions to be neutrlized.
Detergents are Ca or Mg based in this example. But Ca and Mg are POSITIVELY charged!! It's the negative ion (example, sulfonates) associated with the Mg or Ca that is actually neutrlizing the acidic H+ ions. Sulfonate is negatively charged, so when it "sees" an acidic H+ ion, its negative charge cancels out the positively charged hydrogen, and the acid is "neutralized".
You follow me so far?
Here is the key difference: Calcium carries a +1 charge. Magnesium carries a +2 charge. So when you see 3000ppm of Ca in a VOA, you also are getting 3000ppm of sulfonates are well. It's the sulfonates that are able to neutrlize the acidic H+.
When you see 2000ppm of magnesium, you are actually getting 4000ppm of acid neutrlizing sulfonates....because each Mg ion is +2 charged, and it has TWO sulfonates attached to it.
Therefore, when M1, for example, uses 1000ppm Calcium and 750ppm Mg in their oils, you are getting 1000ppm sulfonates from the calcium and 1500ppm from the Mg....so that would be equal to an oil containing 2500ppm calcium and no magnesium.
This is science. Not theory. Not rhetoric. Not marketing.
This lesson is brought to by your friendly neighborhood chemist.
Calcium is 2+, Magnesium is 2+, both the same. Both are in the same column or group of the periodic table.