Castor oil
Overview
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean
(technically castor seed as the castor plant, Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae
), is not a member of the bean
family). Castor oil (CAS number
8001-79-4) is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point
is 313 °C (595.4 °F) and its density
is 961 kg/m3. It is a triglyceride
in which approximately 90 percent of fatty acid chains are ricinoleic acid
.
Castor oil plant
The castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It belongs to a monotypic genus, Ricinus, and subtribe, Ricininae. The evolution of castor and its relation to other species are currently being studied.Its seed is the castor bean which,...
(technically castor seed as the castor plant, Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
), is not a member of the bean
Bean
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
family). Castor oil (CAS number
CAS registry number
CAS Registry Numbersare unique numerical identifiers assigned by the "Chemical Abstracts Service" toevery chemical described in the...
8001-79-4) is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point
Boiling point
The boiling point of an element or a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the environmental pressure surrounding the liquid....
is 313 °C (595.4 °F) and its density
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
is 961 kg/m3. It is a triglyceride
Triglyceride
A triglyceride is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids. There are many triglycerides, depending on the oil source, some are highly unsaturated, some less so....
in which approximately 90 percent of fatty acid chains are ricinoleic acid
Ricinoleic acid
Ricinoleic acid is an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid that naturally occurs in mature Castor plant seeds or in sclerotium of ergot . About 90% of the fatty acid content in castor oil is the triglyceride formed from ricinoleic acid...
.
Unanswered Questions
