Castor oil
Castor oil is a
Castor oil and its derivatives are used in the manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids, paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold-resistant plastics, waxes and polishes, nylon, and perfumes.[3]
Etymology
The name probably comes from a confusion between the Ricinus plant that produces it and another plant, the Vitex agnus-castus.[4][5] An alternative etymology, though, suggests that it was used as a replacement for castoreum.[6]
Composition
Castor oil is well known as a source of
Because of its ricinoleic acid content, castor oil is a valuable chemical in feedstocks, commanding a higher price than other seed oils. As an example, in July 2007, Indian castor oil sold for about
Acid name | Range | Type |
---|---|---|
Ricinoleic acid | 85–95 | ω−9 |
Oleic acid | 2–6 | ω−9 |
Linoleic acid | 1–5 | ω−6 |
α-Linolenic acid
|
0.5–1 | ω−3 |
Stearic acid | 0.5–1 | saturated |
Palmitic acid | 0.5–1 | saturated |
Dihydroxystearic acid | 0.3–0.5 | saturated |
Others | 0.2–0.5 |
Uses
Annually, 270,000–360,000 tonnes (600–800 million pounds) of castor oil are produced for a variety of uses.[3]
Human uses
Castor oil has been used orally to relieve
Food and preservative
In the food industry, food-grade castor oil is used in food additives, flavorings, candy (e.g., polyglycerol polyricinoleate in chocolate),[9] as a mold inhibitor, and in packaging. Polyoxyethylated castor oil (e.g., Kolliphor EL)[10] is also used in the food industries.[11]
In India, Pakistan, and Nepal, food grains are preserved by the application of castor oil. It stops rice, wheat, and pulses from rotting. For example, the legume pigeon pea is commonly available coated in oil for extended storage.
Traditional medicine
Use of castor oil as a laxative is attested to in the c. 1550 BCE Ebers Papyrus,[12] and was in use several centuries earlier.[13]
Although used in traditional medicine to induce labor in pregnant women, there is no clinical evidence that castor oil is effective for dilating the cervix or inducing labor.[14]
According to the American Cancer Society, "available scientific evidence does not support claims that castor oil on the skin cures cancer or any other disease."[15]
Punishment
Since children commonly strongly dislike the taste of castor oil, some parents punished children with a dose of it.[16][17] Physicians recommended against the practice because they did not want medicines associated with punishment.[18]
A heavy dose of castor oil could be used as a humiliating punishment for adults. Colonial officials used it in the British Raj (India) to deal with recalcitrant servants.[19] Belgian military officials prescribed heavy doses of castor oil in Belgian Congo as a punishment for being too sick to work.[20]
Castor oil was also a tool of punishment favored by the Falangist and later Francoist Spain during and following the Spanish Civil War.[21] Its use as a form of gendered violence to repress women was especially prominent.[21][22] This began during the war where Nationalist forces would specifically target Republican-aligned women, both troops and civilians, who lived in Republican-controlled areas.[21] The forced drinking of castor oil occurred alongside sexual assault, rape, torture and murder of these women.[21][23]
Its most notorious use as punishment came in
Emollient
Castor oil has been used in
Industrial uses
Coatings
Castor oil is used as a biobased
Castor oil is not a drying oil, meaning that it has a low reactivity with air compared with oils such as linseed oil and tung oil. However, dehydration of castor oil yields linoleic acids, which do have drying properties.[1] In this process, the OH group on the ricinoleic acid along with a hydrogen from the next carbon atom are removed, forming a double bond which then has oxidative cross-linking properties and yields the drying oil. It is considered a vital raw material.[32]
Precursor to industrial chemicals
Castor oil can react with other materials to produce other chemical compounds that have numerous applications.[33] [34] [35] [36] Transesterification followed by steam cracking gives undecylenic acid, a precursor to specialized polymer nylon 11, and heptanal, a component in fragrances.[37] Breakdown of castor oil in strong base gives 2-octanol, both a fragrance component and a specialized solvent, and the dicarboxylic acid sebacic acid. Hydrogenation of castor oil saturates the alkenes, giving a waxy lubricant.[1] Castor oil may be epoxidized by reacting the OH groups with epichlorohydrin to make the triglycidyl ether of castor oil which is useful in epoxy technology.[38] This is available commercially as Heloxy 505.[39]
The production of lithium grease consumes a significant amount of castor oil. Hydrogenation and saponification of castor oil yields 12-hydroxystearic acid, which is then reacted with lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate to give high-performance lubricant grease.[40]
Since it has a relatively high
Lubrication
Vegetable oils such as castor oil are typically unattractive alternatives to
Castor oil has been suggested as a lubricant for bicycle pumps because it does not degrade natural rubber seals.[45]
Early aviation and aeromodelling
Castor oil was the preferred lubricant for
The
Turkey red oil
Turkey red oil, also called sulphonated (or sulfated) castor oil, is made by adding sulfuric acid to vegetable oils, most notably castor oil.[49] It was the first synthetic detergent after ordinary soap. It is used in formulating lubricants, softeners, and dyeing assistants.[49]
Biodiesel
Castor oil, like currently less expensive vegetable oils, can be used as feedstock in the production of biodiesel. The resulting fuel is superior for cold winters, because of its exceptionally low cloud point and pour point.[50]
Initiatives to grow more castor for energy production, in preference to other oil crops, are motivated by social considerations. Tropical subsistence farmers would gain a cash crop.[51]
Safety
The castor seed contains ricin, a toxic lectin. Heating during the oil extraction process denatures and deactivates the lectin. Harvesting castor beans, though, may not be without risk.[52] The International Castor Oil Association FAQ document states that castor beans contain an allergenic compound called CB1A. This chemical is described as being virtually nontoxic, but has the capacity to affect people with hypersensitivity. The allergen may be neutralized by treatment with a variety of alkaline agents. The allergen is not present in the castor oil itself.[53]
See also
- Botanol, a flooring material derived from castor oil
- Castor wax
- List of unproven and disproven cancer treatments
References
- ^ ISBN 978-3527306732.
- ^ Aldrich Handbook of Fine Chemicals and Laboratory Equipment. Sigma-Aldrich. 2003.[full citation needed]
- ^ .
- ^ "The Castor Bean: A Plant Named After A Tick". Wayne's Word: An Online Textbook of Natural History. March 1999. Archived from the original on 2021-11-15. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
- ^ Irene Jacob, "Ricinus Communis — The Miracle Tree through Four Thousand Years", The Healing Past: Pharmaceuticals in the Biblical and Rabbinic World, ed. Irene and Walter Jacob (Brill, 1993), 81-93.
- ^ Casselman, William Gordon. "Castor". Bill Casselman's Canadian Word of the Day. Archived from the original on 2011-02-03. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
- ^ "Seed Oil Prices" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture. July 2007. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
- ^ a b c "Castor oil". Drugs.com. 3 October 2022. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- PMID 9737417.
- ^ "Safety datawsheet cremophor El Castor Oil" (PDF). www.sfm.state.or.us. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
- PMID 15048194.
- ^ Bryan, Cyril P. (1930). The Papyrus Ebers, Translated from the German Version by Cyril P. Bryan (PDF). London: Geoffrey Bles. p. 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-21.
- ^ Bryan, p. xvii
- PMID 23881775.
- ^ "Castor Oil". American Cancer Society. March 2011. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
- ISBN 9780202365091. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-14. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
- ISBN 9780802079831. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
- ^ Journal of the American Medical Association. American Medical Association. 1919. p. 1699. Archived from the original on 2023-01-14. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
- ISBN 9781136726545. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-14. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- OCLC 759834634.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-393-06476-6.
- ^ Juan, Carmen Miguel (2016-04-06). "Mujeres y dictadura franquista: la historia silenciada". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ Juan, Carmen Miguel (2016-04-06). "Mujeres y dictadura franquista: la historia silenciada". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ "Italy The rise of Mussolini". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ^ "Benito's Birthday". Time, in partnership with CNN. August 6, 1923. Archived from the original on April 7, 2008. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ISBN 978-0-340-73144-4.
- ^ "Bearded like a medieval condottiere, bluff yet suave, fearless and supple, [Italo Balbo] was not the type to pass unnoticed anywhere. His admirers here chose to forget the Blackshirt club-wielder and reputed inventor of the castor-oil treatment for Fascist foes"
Marshal Balbo Archived 2021-04-29 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, July 1, 1940, p. 18. - ^ Cecil Adams (1994-04-22). "Did Mussolini use castor oil as an instrument of torture?". The Straight Dope. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
- ISBN 978-1-925078-07-7. Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-85369-886-9. Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- S2CID 93574741.
- from the original on 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ "Multiple uses of castor oil". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
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- ^ Ashford's Dictionary of Industrial Chemicals, Third edition, 2011, page 6162
- ISBN 9781771883153. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-14. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
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- ^ Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ "Chemical modification to improve vegetable oil lubricants". Archived from the original on 2006-10-01. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ "Petroleum Oil and the Environment". DOE. Archived from the original on 2009-08-23. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
- ^ McGuire, Nancy (2004). "Taming the Bean". The American Chemical Society. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
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- U.S. Tariff Commission(1921). Tariff Information Surveys on the Articles in Paragraphs 44 and 45 of the Tariff Act of 1913. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 40.
- ^ ISBN 9789381039007.
- ^ Biodiesel from Castor Oil: A Promising Fuel for Cold Weather (PDF) Archived June 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine by Carmen Leonor Barajas Forero, 2004-10-12. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
- ^ The Promise of the Castor Bean Archived March 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine by Elizabeth Johnson, Biodiesel Magazine, 2004-12-01. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
- doi:10.2135/cropsci1999.0011183X003900020008x. Archived from the originalon 2008-10-12. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- ^ Dierig, David A. (1995). "Lesquerella". New Crop FactSHEET. Center for New Crops & Plant Products, at Purdue University. Archived from the original on 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
Further reading
- Naughton, Frank. "Castor Oil". Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. New York: John Wiley. ISBN 9780471238966. – overview of chemical properties and manufacturing of castor oil
External links
Media related to Castor oil at Wikimedia Commons