Difference between revisions of "Castor oil"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
  
A pale yellowish oil obtained from the seeds of the castor bean, ''Ricinus communis'', native to Africa but now growing in many temperate areas such as Brazil, India, Russia, and the U.S. Castor oil is a transparent, viscous liquid with a mild odor and an acrid taste. It contains ricinoleic acid (83-89%), [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=oleic acid oleic acid] (3-6%), [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=linoleic acid linoleic acid] (4-7%), [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=palmitic acid palmitic acid] (1-2%), and [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=stearic acid stearic acid] (1-2%) (Serpico and White 2000). In very thin layers, castor oil takes over a month to dry and thick layers never completely dry. Castor oil has been used as a lamp oil, lubricant, paint plasticizer, soap ingredient, and as an emollient to keep leather supple in low humidity areas. Dehydrated castor oil dries to a flexible but slightly tacky film. It is nonyellowing, water-resistant, and is used in [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=alkyd paint alkyd paints] and varnishes. Castor oil is treated with [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=sulfuric acid sulfuric acid] to make [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=Turkey red oil Turkey red oil], an [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=anionic surfactant anionic surfactant] that has long been used as a dyeing aid.
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A pale yellowish oil obtained from the seeds of the castor bean, ''Ricinus communis'', native to Africa but now growing in many temperate areas such as Brazil, India, Russia, and the U.S. Castor oil is a transparent, viscous liquid with a mild odor and an acrid taste. It contains ricinoleic acid (83-89%), [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=oleic%20acid oleic acid] (3-6%), [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=linoleic%20acid linoleic acid] (4-7%), [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=palmitic%20acid palmitic acid] (1-2%), and [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=stearic%20acid stearic acid] (1-2%) (Serpico and White 2000). In very thin layers, castor oil takes over a month to dry and thick layers never completely dry. Castor oil has been used as a lamp oil, lubricant, paint plasticizer, soap ingredient, and as an emollient to keep leather supple in low humidity areas. Dehydrated castor oil dries to a flexible but slightly tacky film. It is nonyellowing, water-resistant, and is used in [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=alkyd%20paint alkyd paints] and varnishes. Castor oil is treated with [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=sulfuric%20acid sulfuric acid] to make [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=Turkey%20red%20oil Turkey red oil], an [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=anionic%20surfactant anionic surfactant] that has long been used as a dyeing aid.
  
 
[[File:image5_castoroil.jpg|thumb|Castor Oil]]
 
[[File:image5_castoroil.jpg|thumb|Castor Oil]]
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== Authority ==
 
== Authority ==
  
* R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, ''Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia'', Dover Publications, New York, 1966
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* R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, ''Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia'', Dover Publications, New York, 1966
  
* Reed Kay, Reed Kay, ''The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials'', Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983
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* Reed Kay, ''The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials'', Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983
  
* Ralph Mayer, Ralph Mayer, ''A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques'', Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
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* Ralph Mayer, ''A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques'', Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
  
* Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, ''Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology'', U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982  Comment: melting point = -10 to -18C
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* Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, ''Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology'', U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982  Comment: melting point = -10 to -18C
  
* M. Doerner, M. Doerner, ''The Materials of the Artist'', Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1934
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* M. Doerner, ''The Materials of the Artist'', Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1934
  
* A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, ''Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries'', Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd., London, 4th edition, 1962
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* A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, ''Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries'', Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd., London, 4th edition, 1962
  
 
* ''Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technologies'', Paul Nicholson, Ian Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000  Comment: M.Serpico, R.White, "Oil, fat and wax"
 
* ''Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technologies'', Paul Nicholson, Ian Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000  Comment: M.Serpico, R.White, "Oil, fat and wax"
  
* Guy Weismantel, Guy Weismantel, ''Paint Handbook'', McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1981
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* Guy Weismantel, ''Paint Handbook'', McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1981
  
 
* Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com  Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil (Accessed Jan. 6 2006)
 
* Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com  Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil (Accessed Jan. 6 2006)
  
* G.S.Brady, G.S.Brady, ''Materials Handbook'', McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971  Comment: p. 159
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* G.S.Brady, ''Materials Handbook'', McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971  Comment: p. 159
  
* Richard S. Lewis, Richard S. Lewis, ''Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary'', Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
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* Richard S. Lewis, ''Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary'', Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
  
 
* ''Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia'', Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
 
* ''Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia'', Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
  
* Random House, Random House, ''Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language'', Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
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* Random House, ''Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language'', Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
  
 
* ''The Merck Index'', Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983  Comment: entry 1946
 
* ''The Merck Index'', Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983  Comment: entry 1946
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* ''The American Heritage Dictionary'' or ''Encarta'', via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
 
* ''The American Heritage Dictionary'' or ''Encarta'', via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
  
* ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', http://www.britannica.com  Comment: "Castor Oil." Encyclopdia Britannica. 2004.  Encyclopdia Britannica Premium Service.  14 Apr. 2004  .
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* ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', http://www.britannica.com  Comment: "Castor Oil." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004.  Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.  14 Apr. 2004  .
  
 
* Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
 
* Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000

Revision as of 07:27, 24 July 2013

Castor bean seeds and fruit

Description

A pale yellowish oil obtained from the seeds of the castor bean, Ricinus communis, native to Africa but now growing in many temperate areas such as Brazil, India, Russia, and the U.S. Castor oil is a transparent, viscous liquid with a mild odor and an acrid taste. It contains ricinoleic acid (83-89%), oleic acid (3-6%), linoleic acid (4-7%), palmitic acid (1-2%), and stearic acid (1-2%) (Serpico and White 2000). In very thin layers, castor oil takes over a month to dry and thick layers never completely dry. Castor oil has been used as a lamp oil, lubricant, paint plasticizer, soap ingredient, and as an emollient to keep leather supple in low humidity areas. Dehydrated castor oil dries to a flexible but slightly tacky film. It is nonyellowing, water-resistant, and is used in alkyd paints and varnishes. Castor oil is treated with sulfuric acid to make Turkey red oil, an anionic surfactant that has long been used as a dyeing aid.

Castor Oil

Synonyms and Related Terms

Ricinus communis; castor-oil; ricinus oil; oil of Palma Christi; tangantangan oil; noloid; ricinusolie (Dan.); Wunderbaum (Deut.); huile de ricin (Fr.); olio di ricino (It.)

FTIR

AaiCSTR-OIL.jpg


Other Properties

Miscible with ethanol, benzene, chloroform, carbon disulfide. Insoluble in water. Saponification value 176-187; Iodine value 81-91

CAS 8001-79-4
Melting Point -10 to -18
Density 0.945-0.965
Refractive Index 1.473-1.477

Hazards and Safety

Combustible. Flash point = 229 C (444 F)

Leaves and seeds are toxic.

Mallinckrodt Baker: MSDS

Additional Information

M.Serpico, R.White, "Oil, fat and wax" in Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, P.Nicholson, I.Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2000, p. 390-429.

Authority

  • R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966
  • Reed Kay, The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983
  • Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
  • Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982 Comment: melting point = -10 to -18C
  • M. Doerner, The Materials of the Artist, Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1934
  • A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries, Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd., London, 4th edition, 1962
  • Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technologies, Paul Nicholson, Ian Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000 Comment: M.Serpico, R.White, "Oil, fat and wax"
  • Guy Weismantel, Paint Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1981
  • G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 159
  • Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
  • Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
  • Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
  • The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 1946
  • The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
  • Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Castor Oil." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 14 Apr. 2004 .
  • CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: mp= -18, density=0.961, ref. index=1.4770, iodine value = 85.5, saponification value=180.3

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