AMSOIL products have been available since 1972, when AMSOIL 10W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil became the first synthetic motor oil to meet American Petroleum Institute (API) service requirements. Today, AMSOIL manufactures synthetic lubricants for virtually all automotive, powersports, commercial and industrial applications. Motor oil, whether synthetic or petroleum-based, consists of molecular chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms, referred to as hydrocarbons. Petroleum crude oil is a thick, highly flammable dark-brown or greenish liquid with high energy density. Many contaminating elements exist in this complex mixture of hydrocarbons, including sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen and metal components such as nickel or vanadium. Petroleum crude oil is the raw material used for a wide variety of petrochemicals, including solvents, fertilizers, plastics and lubricants.