Castor Oil

REACTIONS & APPLICATIONS

Castor oil, also known as Ricinus Oil, is a triglyceride of fatty acid like most other fats. However, it is a unique fat in that it contains 87-90% ricinoleic acid, cis-12-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoic acid, a rare source of an eighteen carbon hydroxylated fatty acid with one double bond.

About Castor Oil.

Castor oil is recovered from castor beans by use of hydraulic presses or continuous mechanical screw expellers, followed by solvent extraction. This yields castor pomace with about 1-2% residual oil content. The castor pomace has a protein content of about 35% and it is mostly used as a fertilize

A world of Castor Oil:

Castor oil serves as an industrial raw material for the manufacture of a number of complex organic derivatives. Some of the reactions possible with castor oil are hydrolysis to produce fatty acids and glycerol: esterification with monohydric alcohols to produce esters; produce alcohols; pyrolysis to produce undecylenic acid and hyptaldehyde; amidation to produce amine salts and amides, halogenation to produce fatty acid halogens; oxidation and polymerization to produce polymerized oils; epoxidation to produce epoxidized oils; urethane reactions to produce polyurethanes; hydrogenation to produce hydroxystearates; caustic fusion to produce sebacic acid and capryl alcohol; alkoxylation to produce alkoxylated oils; etc.

Castor Oil
What is the Application of Castor Oil?

These reaction products find applications in diverse areas like paints and coatings; emulsifiers, wetting and dispersing agents used in the textile industry for fiber wetting ability and as a dye agent to obtain bright, clear colours; Nylon-6,10, Nylon-11, Nylon-12 used in moldings, extrusions, filaments, bristles, textile fiber applications, automotive applications like fuel pipes and fuel tanks, radiator fans, fuse-box covers, air-spring covers, powder coatings, industrial fabrics such as filter cloth, bags, netting, flexible fishing lines, bearings and rollers in conveyor systems, packaging films, etc,; the hydrogenated product is useful in manufacturing multipurpose greases, waxes, polishes, cosmetics, and paper coatings; undecylenic acid and its derivates are useful as fungicides and bactericides; the alkoxylated products find use as non-ionic surfactants useful as defoarmers and deemulsifiers for petroleum emulsions, solubilizers for water-insoluble oils in cosmetic compositions, components in detergents, lubricating and cutting oils, hydraulic fluids, textile finishing compositions and as antistatic agents for nylon carpets and apparel; plasticisers for cellulosic resins poly (vinyl butyral), poly (vinyl chloride), polyamides, natural and synthetic rubber; polyurethane coatings, adhesives, casting compounds, foam packaging, clothing interliners, filters, potting electrical components, thermal insulation and structural supports, reentrable cable splice encapsulant; heptaldehyde for perfumery and flavor compositions; etc.

Castor Oil

VR Oils Mills offers Castor Oil of several grades, viz. Commercial, B.S.S., first special, electrical, solvent, extracted, deodorized, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, etc. The first three grades specifications are as given below. The other grades are offered against inquiries.

Appearance: Yellow viscous liquid
Specific gravity @30/30 C: 0.954 - 0.960
Moisture, impurities & volatile matter: 0.50% Max

Acid value: 4 max
Hydroxyl value: 155 - 168
Iodine value: 82 - 90

Saponification value: 177 - 185
Unsaponifiable matter: 1.50% Max
Acetyl value: 135 Min

Free fatty acid as oleic acid: 2% Max
Refractive index @40 C: 1.470 - 1.474
Colour in 1” Lovibond cell tintometer: 30 units Max 1” cell, Y + 5R Basis

Appearance: Pale yellow viscous liquid
Sp. gravity @ 15.5/15.5 C: 0.958 - 0.969
Moisture, impurities & volatile matter: 0.25% Max

Refractive index @ 40 deg C: 1.4770 - 1.4810
Iodine value @ 40 deg C: 82 - 90
Saponification value: 177 - 185

Unsaponifiable matter: 1% max
Acid value: 2 Max
Acetyl value: 140 Min

Colour in lovibond: 3.5 units Max, 1” cell, Y + 5R basis

Appearance: Pale yellow viscous liquid
Moisture, impurities & volatile matter: 0.25% max
Refractive Index @ 25 deg C: 1.477 - 1.481

Relative density @ 20 deg C: 0.954 - 0.960
Acid value: 2 Max
Hydroxyl value: 160 Min

Iodine value: 82 - 90
Saponification value: 177 - 185
Optical rotation: +3.5 - +6.0 deg

Unsaponifiable matter: 1% max
Acetyl value: 140 Min
Free fatty acid as oleic acid: 1% Max

Viscosity gardner at 25 deg C: U - V
Colour in 5 ¼“ lovibond cell tintometer: 20-Y 2-R Max

Acid Value: 2 Max
Saponification Value: 178-182
Iodine Value: 83-88

Colour 5 ¼” lovibond: 10 Yellow, 1 Red Max
Hydroxyl value: 160-168
Specific gravity @ 25/25: 0.957 - 0.961

Pour point C: 10 typical
Heavy metals: < 0.001%
Odor: Faint-free from foreign or rancid odor

Taste: characteristic
Solubility: Alcohol, glacial acetic acid.
Choloroform ether - all soluble
Hexane: Partly soluble. Castor oil commercial grade

M.I.V. : 0.25% Max
Acid value: 0.7 Max
Hydroxyl value: 160 Min
Iodine value (wijs) : 82-90
Saponification value : 175-185
F.F.A.: 0.35% Max
Colour on a O.C.S. in 5 ¼” Lovibond cell: 15Y - 1.5R max

Appearance: Pale yellow viscous liquid
Insoluble impurities: 0.02% Max
Moisture, impurities & volatile matter: 0.25% Max


Acid value: 1.5 - 2 max
Hydroxyl value: 160 Min
Iodine value: 82-90

Optical rotation: +3.5 - +6.0 deg
Saponification value: 177 - 185
Unsaponifable matter: 1% Max

Acetyl value: 140 Min
Free fatty acid as oleic acid: 0.75% - 1% Max
Refractive Index @ 25 deg C: 1.477 - 1.481

Relative density at 20 deg C: 0.954 - 0.960
Viscosity gardner at 25 deg C: U - V
Colour in 5 ¼“ lovibond cell tintometer: 10Y 1-R Max

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