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1)Please explain the difference between an ester basestock and a PAO basestock.
Esters are synthetic lubricants containing an oxygenated compound. PAOs are synthetic lubricants that contain only hydrocarbon groups.
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2) What is the feedstock used to produce esters, and what is the feed stock used to produc PAOs?
Esters start from alcohols and acids. Either the alcohol or acids are multifunctional, so you can build the molecular weight to the right number to get the desired viscosity. Esters can be considered 'designer' lubricants because the properties of the ester can be tailored by the choice of alcohol, acid and manufacuring process to deliver specific performance results.
PAO starts from a olefin like 1-decene
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3) Are ester basstock oils in group3 or group 4?
Neither, esters are in group V. PAOs are in group IV.