Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans.
Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and smell. Its boiling point is 313 ° C (595 ° F) and its density is 961 kg / m3.
It is a triglyceride in which about 90 percent of the fatty acid chains are ricinoleate.
Castor oil and its derivatives are used in the production of soaps, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids, paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold resistant plastics, waxes and polishes, nylon, pharmaceuticals and perfumes.
USES
Food and preservatives
Medicine
Alternative medicinal use
Skin and hair care
Coatings
Forerunner of industrial chemicals
Lubrication
Aviation and model aircraft
Turkish red oil
Biodiesel
AppearanceClear, almost colorless liquid orslightly yellow, viscous edhygroscopic
SolubilitySlightly soluble in di etherpetroleum, miscible with alcohol and withglacial acetic acid
Optical rotation 3.5 - 6.0
Specific absorbance <= 0.7
Acidity index <= 1.50mgKOH / g
Hydroxyl index> = 160.0mgKOH / g