Castor oil

Castor oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the castor plant (Ricinus communis). It is often used in industry and in a variety of applications due to its unique properties.

Here are a few details on castor oil:

Castor oil properties:

• Composition: Castor oil is mainly composed of ricinoleic acid (a fatty acid), as well as other fatty acids such as oleic acid and linoleic acid.
• Appearance: Generally pale to dark yellow in color.
• Viscosity: Castor oil has a high viscosity, meaning it is thicker than many other vegetable oils.
• Uses: It is used in the cosmetics industry for skin and hair care products due to its moisturizing properties. It is also used in industry to manufacture products such as lubricants, plastics, paints and varnishes.
• Medicinal properties: Castor oil is sometimes used for medicinal purposes, but its use must be monitored as it can be toxic in high doses due to the presence of ricin, a potentially dangerous substance contained in the castor seed.
• Industry: Castor oil is also used as a raw material in the chemical industry to produce chemical derivatives.

SPECIFICATION :

PARAMETER SPECIFICATION   

• Color 2.2 Y +0.3R
• Humidity 0.25% max
• F.F.A 0.75% max
• Acid value 1.00-2.00 max
• SAP value 177-185
• Hydroxide value 160-168
• Density 15.5°C 0.954-0.960

TILIZATION: Castor oil provides undecylenic acid and heptanal, which give access to compounds of interest to industry:-polyol esters, used as lubricants in aircraft turbines, racing car and motorcycle engines;-textile polyamides (PA) such as Rilsan (the trade name of a PA 11 manufactured by Arkema), a plastic with special characteristics. 

Castor oil is used for its laxative effects, but it is a violent purgative and should not be used for this indication.

It is also used to strengthen and lengthen eyelashes and eyebrows. In addition to its nourishing and revitalizing properties. Castor oil is officially listed as a food additive by the Codex Alimentarius (E1503), and is mainly used in the chemical industry for polyurethanes. Molecularly, it has alcohol functions (hydroxyl -OH), hence its usefulness in cross-linking reactions.