ABSTRACT
polyalphaolefins (PAO) have gained rapid acceptance as high-performance lubricants and functional fluids because they exhibit certain inherent and highly desirable characteristics. Mobil Oil Corporation was the first company to introduce a PAO-based synthetic lubricant. Exxon introduced Esso Ultra Oil in Europe in mid-1986. This lubricant is a partial synthetic oil containing PAO. The physical and chemical properties of PAO fluids make them attractive for a variety of applications requiring a wider temperature operating range than can normally be achieved by petroleum-based products. PAOs have also been used in ammonia and fluorocarbon refrigeration compressors because of their low pour points. The earliest applications for PAO fluids were in the military. MIL-H-83282 is a specification for a hydraulic fluid for jet aircraft. The development of markets and applications for PAO has been generally confined to North America and Europe. Polyinternalolefins fluids are similar to PAO fluids in that they are both manufactured by the oligomerization of linear olefins.
