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Mineral oil
 
 
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Mineral oil or liquid petroleum
Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
 is a by-product
By-product

A by-product is a secondary or incidental product deriving from a manufacturing process, a chemical reaction or a biochemical pathway, and is not the primary product or service being produced....
 in the distillation
Distillation

Distillation is a method of separation process mixtures based on differences in their Volatility in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
 of petroleum
Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
 to produce gasoline
Gasoline

File:GasCan.jpgGasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture, primarily used as fuel in internal combustion engines.It consists mostly of aliphatic hydrocarbons, enhanced with iso-octane or the aromatic hydrocarbons toluene and benzene to increase its octane rating....
 and other petroleum based products from crude oil. It is a transparent
Transparency (optics)

In optics, transparency is the material property of allowing light to pass through. In mineralogy, another term for this property is diaphaneity....
, colorless oil composed mainly of alkane
Alkane

Alkanes, also known as paraffins, are chemical compounds that consist only of the elements carbon and hydrogen , wherein these atoms are linked together exclusively by single bonds without any cyclic structure ....
s (typically 15 to 40 carbons) and cyclic paraffin
Paraffin

In chemistry, paraffin is the common name for the alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to the solids with n=20–40....
s, related to white petrolatum. It has a density of around 0.8 g/cm3. Mineral oil is a substance of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large quantities. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and can often be found in drug stores.

There are three basic classes of mineral oils:

Applications
Due to its low price and ubiquitous supply, mineral oil has been pressed into service in a wide variety of capacities.






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Encyclopedia


Mineral oil or liquid petroleum
Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
 is a by-product
By-product

A by-product is a secondary or incidental product deriving from a manufacturing process, a chemical reaction or a biochemical pathway, and is not the primary product or service being produced....
 in the distillation
Distillation

Distillation is a method of separation process mixtures based on differences in their Volatility in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
 of petroleum
Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
 to produce gasoline
Gasoline

File:GasCan.jpgGasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture, primarily used as fuel in internal combustion engines.It consists mostly of aliphatic hydrocarbons, enhanced with iso-octane or the aromatic hydrocarbons toluene and benzene to increase its octane rating....
 and other petroleum based products from crude oil. It is a transparent
Transparency (optics)

In optics, transparency is the material property of allowing light to pass through. In mineralogy, another term for this property is diaphaneity....
, colorless oil composed mainly of alkane
Alkane

Alkanes, also known as paraffins, are chemical compounds that consist only of the elements carbon and hydrogen , wherein these atoms are linked together exclusively by single bonds without any cyclic structure ....
s (typically 15 to 40 carbons) and cyclic paraffin
Paraffin

In chemistry, paraffin is the common name for the alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to the solids with n=20–40....
s, related to white petrolatum. It has a density of around 0.8 g/cm3. Mineral oil is a substance of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large quantities. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and can often be found in drug stores.

There are three basic classes of mineral oils:
  • paraffinic oils, based on n-alkanes
  • naphthenic oil
    Naphthenic oil

    Naphthenic oil is a type of mineral oil. In contrast with paraffin oils, naphthenic oils contain only low to no proportion of n-alkanes, being based on cycloalkanes instead....
    s, based on cycloalkane
    Cycloalkane

    Cycloalkanes are types of alkanes which have one or more rings of carbon atoms in the chemical structure of their molecules. Alkanes are types of Organic compound hydrocarbon Chemical compound which have only single chemical bonds in their chemical structure....
    s
  • aromatic oils, based on aromatic hydrocarbon
    Aromatic hydrocarbon

    An aromatic hydrocarbon or arene is a hydrocarbon, of which the molecular structure incorporates one or more planar sets of six carbon atoms that are connected by delocalised electrons numbering the same as if they consisted of alternating single and double covalent bonds....
    s (not to be confused with essential oil
    Essential oil

    An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. They are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant material from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove....
    s)


Applications


Due to its low price and ubiquitous supply, mineral oil has been pressed into service in a wide variety of capacities. Most of these exploit its properties as a low-toxicity, non-reactive general purpose lubricant
Lubricant

A lubricant is a substance introduced between two moving surfaces to reduce the friction between them, improving efficiency and reducing wear....
 and coolant
Coolant

A coolant is a fluid which flows through a device in order to prevent its overheating, transferring the heat produced by the device to other devices that utilize or dissipate it....
.

Medicine - external uses

Mineral oil with added fragrance is marketed as baby oil in the US, UK and Canada. While baby oil is primarily marketed as a generic skin ointment, other applications exist in common use. It is often used on infant "diaper rashes" to ease the inflammation. Mineral or baby oil can also be employed in small quantities (2–3 drops daily) to clean inside ears. Over a couple of weeks, the mineral oil softens dried or hardened earwax so that a gentle flush of water can remove the debris. In the case of a damaged or perforated eardrum, however, mineral oil should not be used, as oil in the middle ear can lead to ear infections. It is also a recommended way of removing an insect from the ear of a human. A few drops can drown the insect, which can then be easily removed.

Mineral oil is used as a suspending and levigating agent in sulphur-based ointments.

Medicine - internal uses

Mineral oil is taken orally as a lubricative laxative, and is often prescribed to ease the pain of bowel movements for those who suffer from hemorrhoids.

Veterinary medicine

Certain mineral oils are used in livestock vaccines, as an adjuvant
Adjuvant

Adjuvants are pharmacology or immunology agents that modify the effect of other agents while having few if any direct effects when given by themselves....
 to stimulate a cell-mediated immune response to the vaccinating agent. In the poultry industry, plain mineral oil can also be swabbed onto the feet of chickens infected with scaly mites on the shank, toes, and webs. Mineral oil suffocates these tiny parasites. In beekeeping, food grade mineral oil saturated paper napkins placed in hives are used as a treatment for tracheal and other mites.

Cosmetics


Mineral oil is a common ingredient in baby lotions, cold creams, ointments and cosmetics. It is a lightweight inexpensive oil that is odorless and tasteless. It can be used on eyelash
Eyelash

An eyelash or simply lash is one of the hairs that grow at the edge of the eyelid. Eyelashes protect the eye from debris and perform some of the same function as vibrissae do on a cat or a mouse in the sense that they are sensitive to being touched, thus providing a warning that an object is near the eye ....
es to prevent brittleness and breaking and, in cold cream
Cold cream

Cold cream is an emulsion of water and certain fats, usually including beeswax and various scent agents, designed to smooth skin and remove makeup....
, is also used to remove creme makeup and temporary tattoos. One of the common concerns regarding the use of mineral oil is its presence on several lists of comedogenic substances. These comedogenic lists were developed many years ago yet remain frequently quoted in the dermatologic literature.

Mechanical and industrial


Mineral oil is used in a variety of industrial/mechanical capacities as a non-conductive lubricant. Refined mineral oil is used as transformer oil
Transformer oil

Transformer oil, or insulating oil, is usually a highly-refining mineral oil that is stable at high temperatures and has excellent electrical insulating properties....
. Electric space heaters sometimes use it as a heat transfer
Heat transfer

Heat transfer is the transition of thermal energy or simply heat from a hotter object to a cooler object . When an object or fluid is at a different temperature than its thermodynamic system or another object, transfer of thermal energy, also known as heat transfer, or heat exchange, occurs in such a way that the body and the surround...
 oil, and it can be used generically as a coolant
Coolant

A coolant is a fluid which flows through a device in order to prevent its overheating, transferring the heat produced by the device to other devices that utilize or dissipate it....
 in electric components as it does not conduct electricity.

Because it does not absorb water from the air, mineral oil can be used as an automotive, aviation, and bicycle brake fluid
Brake fluid

Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic brake applications in motorcycles, automobiles, light trucks, and some advanced bicycles....
.

Light mineral oil is also used in textile
Textile

A textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by Spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands known as yarn....
 industries and used as a jute
Jute

Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, family Tiliaceae....
 batching oil.

See also lubricant
Lubricant

A lubricant is a substance introduced between two moving surfaces to reduce the friction between them, improving efficiency and reducing wear....


Preservative


Since it does not absorb atmospheric moisture, mineral oil is useful as a protective coating or bath for water-sensitive materials. Alkali metal
Alkali metal

The alkali metals are a chemical series of chemical elements comprising Periodic table group of the periodic table: lithium , sodium , potassium , rubidium , caesium , and francium ....
s like lithium
Lithium

Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft alkali metal with a silver-white color. Under standard conditions for temperature and pressure, it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element....
 are often submerged in mineral oil for storage or transportation.

Mineral oil is also often used as a coating on metal tools and weapons, knives in particular, as a way to inhibit oxidation. Nihonto, for example, are traditionally coated in Choji oil which consists of 99% mineral oil and 1% oil of cloves
Oil of cloves

Oil of cloves, also known as Clove oil, is an essential oil from the clove plant, Syzygium aromaticum.* CAS number: 8015-98-2It is a natural analgaesic and antiseptic used primarily in dentistry for its main ingredient eugenol....
. The use of oil of cloves is sometimes explained as a means of differentiating sword oil from cooking oil to prevent accidental ingestion, but may also be purely aesthetic.

Mineral oil can be used as a leather conditioner as well, though most shoe polish
Shoe polish

Shoe polish , usually a waxy paste or a cream , is a consumer product used to polishing, waterproofing, and restore the appearance of leather shoes or boots, thereby extending the footwear's life....
es use naphtha
Naphtha

Naphtha normally refers to a number of different flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, i.e. a distillation product from petroleum or coal tar boiling in a certain range and containing certain hydrocarbons, a broad term encompassing any volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture....
, lanolin
Lanolin

Lanolin, also called Adeps Lanae, wool wax, wool fat, anhydrous wool fat or wool grease, is a greasy yellow substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool animals, with the vast majority of it used by humans coming from domestic sheep....
, turpentine
Turpentine

Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-Pinene and beta-Pinene....
 and Carnauba wax
Carnauba wax

Carnauba is a wax derived from the leaves of the carnauba palm, Copernicia prunifera, a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazil states of Piau?, Cear?, and Rio Grande do Norte....
 instead.

It can also be used as a wood preservative. A light coating of mineral oil, rubbed into well-sanded wood, provides an easy-to-apply and relatively durable finish, without the odor or drying time (or toxicity) of varnish or urethane.

Food preparation


Mineral oil's ability to prevent water absorption, combined with its lack of flavor and odor, make it a popular preservative for wooden cutting board
Cutting board

A cutting board is a durable board used to place material on to be cut. Most common is the kitchen cutting board for use preparing food, but other types exist for cutting raw materials such as leather or plastic....
s, salad bowls and utensils
List of food preparation utensils

This is a list of food preparation utensils, some of what is known as kitchenware.* Baba au rhum* Bain-marie* Proofing #Proofing_Equipment...
. Rubbing a small amount of mineral oil into a wooden kitchen item periodically will prevent absorption of food odors and ease cleaning, as well as maintaining the integrity of the wood, which is otherwise subjected to repeated wetting and drying in the course of use. The oil fills small surface cracks that may otherwise harbor bacteria.

It is occasionally used in the food industry (particularly for candy). In this application, it is typically used for the glossy effect it produces, and to prevent the candy pieces from adhering to each other. It has been discouraged for use in children's foods, though it is still found in many candies, including the popular movie theater treat Swedish Fish
Swedish Fish

Swedish Fish are chewy winegum candy shaped like fish and most commonly and traditionally red, but other colors and flavors are also available....
.

It can be used as a release agent for baking pans and trays, but food oils like vegetable oil are a more popular choice.

Cleaning


Mineral oil can be used to clean heavier oil stains by diluting and liquefying the other oils, rendering the oils more accessible to detergent
Detergent

A detergent is a material intended to assist cleaning. The term is sometimes used to differentiate between soap and other surfactants used for cleaning....
s. Likewise, it can be employed to "de-gum," to remove adhesive residue left by price tags or adhesive tape. It can be used as a cleaner and solvent for inks in fine art printmaking as well as in oil painting, though turpentine
Turpentine

Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-Pinene and beta-Pinene....
 is more often used.

Mineral oil is also used in some guitar string cleaners, since it can help mobilize dirt and oil without contributing to the oxidization of the metal strings.

Mineral oil can leave a residue, which is undesirable in some applications.

Firespinning


Mineral oil is the main fuel used by professional firespinners and firebreathers
Fire breathing

Fire breathing is the act of creating a large Fire by spraying, with one's breath, a flammable liquid upon an open flame. The flame is usually held an arm's length away and the spray should be both powerful and misty....
. It is chosen for its high flashpoint
Flash point

The flash point of a flammability liquid is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture in air. At this temperature the vapour may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed....
 and low burning temperature. As a firebreathing fuel it is ideal because it will not tend to burn as a liquid, due to the high flashpoint, thus preventing blowback.

Miscellaneous


Mineral oil's ubiquity has led to its use in some niche applications as well.
  • It is used to make lava lamps.
  • Mineral oil is used to darken soapstone
    Soapstone

    Soapstone is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs at the areas where tectonic plates are subduction, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx of fluids, but without melting....
     countertops for aesthetic purposes.
  • It is commonly used to create a "wear" effect on new clay poker chips, which can otherwise only be accomplished through prolonged use. The chips are either placed in mineral oil (and left there for a short amount of time), or the oil is applied to each chip individually, then rubbed clean. This removes any chalky residue leftover from manufacture, and also improves the look and "feel" of the chips.
  • It has a high refractive index
    Refractive index

    The refractive index of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light is reduced inside the medium. For example, typical soda-lime glass has a refractive index of 1.5, which means that in glass, light travels at times the speed of light in a vacuum....
    , so it is sometimes used in oil immersion
    Oil immersion

    In light microscopy, oil immersion is a technique used to increase the Optical resolution of a microscope. This is achieved by immersing both the Objective and the specimen in a transparent oil of high refractive index, thereby increasing the numerical aperture of the objective lens....
     microscopes.
  • It is the main ingredient in some types of gel-type scented candles.
  • It is an effective pesticide, particularly for edible plants. It's effective against a wide range of insects and all stages of insect development.
  • Mineral oil has been used to immerse computers in order to absorb heat and cool the system in some custom-built projects.
  • Mineral oil is used in some household cleaners but has been proven to have no real cleaning benefits.
  • It is sometimes used as a personal lubricant
    Personal lubricant

    Personal lubricants are specialized lubricants which serve, during sexual acts , to reduce friction with the penis, vagina, anus or other body parts....
     (although it is not safe for use with latex condoms), and as an alternative to plant or herbal oils for massage
    Massage

    Massage is the practice of soft tissue manipulation with physical, functional, and in some cases psychological purposes and goals. The word comes from the French language massage "friction of kneading," or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle" or from Latin massa meaning "mass, dough"....
    .
  • It can be used in some model trains as a substitute for the "smoke fluid" or "smoke oil" that simulates steam coming from a steam engine
    Steam locomotive

    A steam locomotive is a locomotive powered by steam. The term usually refers to its use on railways, but can also refer to a "road locomotive" such as a traction engine or steamroller....
    .
  • It can be used in basement floor drain traps to float on top of the water slowing its evaporation thereby keeping sewer gas from entering the house for a longer period of time
  • It is used as a sealant for cutting boards as it does not turn rancid over time in contrast to vegetable based oils.


Other names


The broad range of applications for mineral oil has resulted in an equally expansive list of application-specific names and trade brands. Other names for mineral oil include:

  • Adepsine oil
  • Albolene
  • Cable oil
  • Baby Oil
  • Drakeol
  • Electrical Insulating Oil
  • Heat-treating oil
  • Hydraulic oil
  • Lignite oil
  • Liquid paraffin
    Paraffin

    In chemistry, paraffin is the common name for the alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to the solids with n=20–40....
  • Mineral Seal Oil
  • Paraffin
    Paraffin

    In chemistry, paraffin is the common name for the alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to the solids with n=20–40....
     oil
  • Petrolatum
  • Petroleum
    Petroleum

    Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
    , liquid
  • White oil


See also


  • Petroleum jelly
    Petroleum jelly

    Petroleum jelly, petrolatum or soft paraffin is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons , originally promoted as a topical ointment for its healing properties....