Mineral oil Totally Explained

Everything about Mineral Oil totally explained

Mineral oil or liquid petrolatum is a by-product in the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. It is a transparent, colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes (typically 15 to 40 carbons) and cyclic paraffins, 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's produced in very large quantities. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and can often be found in drug stores.

Applications

Because of 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.

Medicine

Mineral oil is sometimes taken orally as a laxative. It lubricates feces and intestinal mucous membranes, and limits the amount of water removed from feces. Typically, 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. 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's easily aspirated into the lungs, where it cannot be removed by the body and can cause serious complications such as lipoid pneumonia. 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 and/or retardation.
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, and allow absorption into the epiditimitousary level of the skin. 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 shouldn't 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 bug, which can then be easily removed.
Mineral oil is used as suspending and levigating agent in sulphur-based ointments.

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 commonly-found 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. It can be used on eyelashes to prevent brittleness and/or breaking and, in cold cream, is also used to remove creme makeup and temporary tattoos.

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 doesn't conduct electricity.
Because it doesn't 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.

Preservative

Since it doesn't 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. Notably, nihonto are traditionally coated in clove-scented mineral oil.
Mineral oil can be used as a leather conditioner as well, though most shoe polishes use naphtha, lanolin, turpentine and Carnauba wax instead.

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's typically used for the glossy effect it produces, and to prevent the candy pieces from adhering to each other. Some studies suggest that prolonged use might be unhealthy because of low accumulation levels in organs. It has been discouraged for use in children's foods, though it's still occasionally found in candies in China and Canada.
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 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.

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's ideal because it won't 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.

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.
It has a high refractive index, so it's sometimes used in oil immersion 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.

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

Alboline

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

Synthetic (Motor) Oil

White oilFurther Information

Get more info on 'Mineral Oil'.

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