Mineral oil or liquid petrolatum is a by-product in the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. It is a chemically inert transparent colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes and cyclic paraffins, related to white petrolatum. 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.
Applications
- Refined mineral oil is used as transformer oil.
- Mineral oil is used to store and transport alkali metals. The oil prevents the metals from reacting with atmospheric moisture.
- Personal Care
- Mineral oil is sometimes taken orally as a laxative. It works by lubricating feces and the intestinal mucus membranes and limiting the amount of water removed from feces. Typically, mineral oil is effective within six hours. While it has been reported that mineral oil may be absorbed when emulsified, most information shows that it passes harmlessly through the gastrointestinal system.
- Mineral oil with added fragrance is marketed as 'baby oil' in the US and UK.
- Used as an ingredient in baby lotions, cold creams, ointments and other pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
- Can also be used for eyelashes; can generally be used to prevent brittleness and/or breaking of lashes.
- Lubrication
- Coolant
- Low viscosity mineral oil is sold as a preservative for wooden cutting boards and utensils.
- A coating of mineral oil is excellent at protecting metal surfaces from moisture and oxidation.
- Light mineral oil is used in textile industries and used as a jute batching oil.
- Mineral oil is used as a sealer for soapstone countertops.
- Also sometimes used in the food industry (particularly for candies). Some studies suggest that it might be unhealthy with prolonged use because of observed low accumulation levels in organs. It has been discouraged for use in foods targeting children, although it is still occasionally found in candies in China and Canada.
- Used as a cleaner and solvent for inks in fine art printmaking.
Also known as
- adepsine oil
- alboline
- bayol 55
- Cable oil
- bayol f
- blandlube
- blandol white mineral oil
- carnea 21
- clearteck
- crystol 325
- crystosol
- drakeol
- Electrical Insulating Oil
- Ervol
- filtrawhite
- fonoline
- frigol
- gloria
- glymol
- Heat-treating oil
- hevyteck
- Hydraulic oil
- hydrocarbon oils
- jute batching oil
- kaydol
- kondremul
- kremol
- lignite oil
- liquid paraffin
- Lubricating oil
- Mineral oil (saturated parrafin oil)
- Mineral oil hydrocarbon solvent (petroleum)
- mineral oil mist
- Mineral oil, aromatic
- Mineral oil, paraffinic
- Mineral Seal Oil
- Molol
- neo-cultol
- Nujol
- oil mist
- oil mist, mineral, severely refined
- Oil mist, refined mineral
- oil, petroleum
- paraffin oil (class)
- paraffin oil
- paroleine
- peneteck
- penreco
- perfecta
- petrogalar
- petroleum hydrocarbons
- petroleum, liquid
- primol
- primol 355
- primol d
- protopet
- Saxol
- tech pet f
- triona b
- Uvasol
- white mineral oil
- white oil
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