Lubricating oil.html



Mineral oil or liquid petroleum is a by-product in the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum based products from crude oil. It is a transparent, colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes (typically 15 to 40 carbons)¹ and cyclic paraffins, related to white petrolatum. It has a density of around 0.8 g/cm³.² 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 oils, based on cycloalkanes
• aromatic oils, based on aromatic hydrocarbons (not to confuse with essential oils)

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 and coolant.

Medicine - internal uses

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Mineral paraffinic oil is sometimes taken orally as a laxative. It lubricates intestinal mucous membranes and limits the amount of water removed from the feces, leaving them soft and easy to pass. Mineral oil is effective within as little as 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.

It is often prescribed, over the counter, to young children who become "stool holders." Such children have had a painful bowel movement that leaves them in fear of having another. A vicious cycle then develops when the child holds the stool in, where it becomes even dryer and harder. The child's pediatrician will recommend the proper dosage, along with vitamins (a few of which are not as well absorbed during mineral oil treatment). It is colorless, odorless and flavorless, but its slight viscosity is better tolerated cold, direct from the refrigerator. It is administered in a child's medicine dropper or spoon like any other liquid, and can be discontinued as soon as the child loses his or her fear of having a painful bowel movement. It works equally for adults, when adding fiber to the diet has not been as effective as desired.

It should be used with caution by people with bad coughs. If used at all, mineral oil should never be given internally to young children, pets, or anyone with a cough, hiatus hernia, or nocturnal reflux, and should be swallowed with care. Due to its low density, it is easily aspirated into the lungs, where it cannot be removed by the body and can cause serious complications such as lipoid pneumonia.³ While popular as a folk remedy, there are many safer alternatives available. In children, if aspirated, the oil can work to prevent normal breathing, resulting in death of brain cells and permanent paralysis.

Every treatment has a worst case scenario, but most children have no trouble swallowing oily substances.

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 best to use this oil on infant "diaper rashes" to ease the inflammation. Mineral or baby oil is often used in small quantities (2–3 drops daily) to clean ears. Over a couple of weeks, the mineral oil softens dried or hardened earwax so that a gentle flush of water can remove it. 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 drowns the invader, which can then be easily removed.

Mineral oil is used as suspending and levigating agent in sulphur-based ointments.^{citation needed}

Veterinary medicine

Certain mineral oils are used in livestock vaccines, as an adjuvant 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 low-grade cosmetics as an alternative to more expensive oils. According to some sources, use of mineral oil cosmetics commonly leads to acne^{citation needed}. It can be used on eyelashes to prevent brittleness and breaking and, in cold cream, is also used to remove creme makeup and temporary tattoos.

Mineral oil is one of the most common ingredients in skin care products and colored cosmetics. It is a lightweight inexpensive oil that is odorless and tasteless. 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. Electric space heaters sometimes use it as a heat transfer oil, and it can be used generically as a coolant 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.

Light mineral oil is also used in textile industries and used as a jute batching oil.

See also lubricant

Preservative

Since it does not absorb atmospheric moisture, mineral oil is useful as a protective coating or bath for water-sensitive materials. Alkali metals like lithium 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. 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 polishes use naphtha, lanolin, turpentine and Carnauba wax 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 boards and utensils. Rubbing a small amount of mineral oil into a wooden cutting board 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.

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.⁴

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 detergents. 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 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. It is chosen for its high flashpoint 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 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.⁵
• It has a high refractive index, so it is sometimes used in oil immersion microscopes.
• It is the main ingredient in some types of gel-type scented candles.^{citation needed}
• It is an effective pesticide, particularly for edible plants. It's effective against a wide range of insects and all stages of insect development.^{citation needed}
• 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.^{citation needed}
• It is sometimes used as a personal lubricant (although it is not safe for use with latex condoms), and as an alternative to plant or herbal oils for massage.
• 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.
• 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

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)

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
• Mineral Seal Oil
• Paraffin oil
• Petrolatum
• Petroleum, liquid
• White oil

See also

• Petroleum jelly

References

1. ^ [1], efsa.europa.eu
2. ^ "Mechanical properties of materials". Kaye and Laby Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants. National Physical Laboratory. Retrieved on 2008-03-06.
3. ^ [2], personalmd.com
4. ^ [3], drugs.com
5. ^ "Oiling Chips FAQ". Poker Chip Reviews. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.

This article is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (July 2007)

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - Safe handling of Alkali Metals
• FAO report on food safety of mineral oil, 1970