BG Products Clarification

[turbocruiser]

Hi fine folks, just wanted to write to let all know that I phoned the people over at BG Products today to ask about the base ingredients inside the fabulous fuel system cleaners they offer. It turns out that all of their offerings are detergent based, not solvent based! A while ago, we were wondering whether the BG 44K and the BG MI3000 were solvent based and whether or not we would want to replace the oil right after running the stuff through the tank. The chemist told me that the products will not degrade the oil in the way a solvent based product would however whenever any dirt or any deposit is cleaned off engine components, that dirt and deposit will either work its way through the exhaust out of the engine or some of it by blow by will get into the oil. So for that reason, it is prudent to time the treatments prior to oil changes but not because the oil itself is in any way attacked. The chemist also told me that the products will not degrade any fuel system component such as fuel hose, valve stem seals, injector seals etc. In fact, he stated that you could fill your tank with 44K each and every time and the only harm done would be to the wallet! He also stated that the MI3000 and the 44K are the exact same base stocks, just that the MI3000 is less concentrated and is designed to be used between 44K uses.

Just wanted to clarify this for those trying to decide on using BG Products vs. Redline for example; they are all detergent based so whatever flavor you prefer is probably fine, granted the Redline is much less potent, but, it is also much less expensive and as such can be used much more frequently. Hope that helps. For All!!!

 

[IdahoDoug]

Thanks. Excellent research. It's always kinda fun to get somebody like that on the line, eh?

Later,

DougM

 

[turbocruiser]

Thanks. Excellent research. It's always kinda fun to get somebody like that on the line, eh?

Later,

DougM

Yes it is fun when the chemist takes the time to truly answer questions. It was clear that these chemists really are proud of the products they offer. It was like a little flashback to my chemistry courses in university; we were talking hydrocarbons, the differences between ethyl and methyl based stock etc etc etc. It was really cool, he was really cool. Good people, good products.

 

[tarbe]

Don't get me wrong, I have used BG44K and think they make good stuff. But I don't understand how they can say this product is "detergent based" as opposed to "solvent based".

If you read the MSDS (or the can for that matter) you see the primary components are Stoddard Solvent, aromatic naphthalenes and kerosene (sorry, I am writing this from memory - I don't have anything in front of me - I am pretty sure this is correct. I'll double check).

These are all non-polar solvents, not polar detergents. Detergents have one end that is water-loving (polar) and one end that is water-hating(non-polar). The detergent works in the interface between the water and organic layers. Picture a soap/detergent molecule in water grabbing hold of a glob of grease with the non-polar end and pulling it out of fabric and washing it down the drain with the water.

 

[turbocruiser]

Don't get me wrong, I have used BG44K and think they make good stuff. But I don't understand how they can say this product is "detergent based" as opposed to "solvent based".

If you read the MSDS (or the can for that matter) you see the primary components are Stoddard Solvent, aromatic naphthalenes and kerosene (sorry, I am writing this from memory - I don't have anything in front of me - I am pretty sure this is correct. I'll double check).

These are all non-polar solvents, not polar detergents. Detergents have one end that is water-loving (polar) and one end that is water-hating(non-polar). The detergent works in the interface between the water and organic layers. Picture a soap/detergent molecule in water grabbing hold of a glob of grease with the non-polar end and pulling it out of fabric and washing it down the drain with the water.

Well, now I wondered about that too. And, I asked about that on the phone. To say that I totally comprehended everything this fine fellow told me would be wrong but basically, all the available products are hydrocarbon based but this does not mean they act as a solvent as much as they act as a detergent, again I am exceeding my understanding here, ... , with hesitation. There are rules of solubility that apply to all substances but basically like dissolves like. In the case of internal combustion engines, I do not think that 'detergent' refers to whether something is hydrophillic or hydrophobic and whether or not in the presence of water it bonds with greasy or fatty contaminants specifically. I think the description of 'detergent' has more to do with bonding behaviors than on dissolving behaviors...if thats right, in this regard it has more to do with what substance can either bind with carbon, soot, crap in the internals and or break the binds of those things to the internals. On my can of MI3000 the ingredients are hydrotreated heavy naptha and polyetheramine. From this my cloudy memories half sober and/or half hung over of chemistry courses would make me think that the naptha serves to "soak and soften" the soot and carbon and crap and the various ethers serve to remove those things from the internals??? I'm asking as much as I'm wondering aloud so if anyone can advise please do, this is cool, man I wish I paid more attention in chem, particularly organic chem; I relied on rote memory and as such, my understanding now suffers.