White oil

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bottle with white oil ("mineral oil"), also called paraffin oil, as a laxative and for skin care , similar to a moisturizing cream ("skin moisturizer").

White oils are paraffin oils and, depending on the manufacturing process, belong to the mineral oils or the synthetic oils ; a distinction is also made between technical and (particularly high-quality) medicinal white oils.

Technical white oils

safety instructions
Surname
  • Paraffin oil
  • mineral oil
  • White oil
CAS number

8012-95-1

EC number

232-384-2

ECHA InfoCard

100,029,438

GHS labeling of hazardous substances
08 - Dangerous to health

danger

H and P phrases H: 304
P: 301 + 310-331-405-501

Technical white oils of different viscosity are often marketed according to their intended use, e.g. B. as sewing machine oil, bicycle oil, maintenance oil, precision mechanic oil, drilling and cutting oil and are used as lubricants , gun oil or furniture polish . They are very stable against environmental influences, do not become rancid and do not resinify. Technical white oils are often only hydrogenated once and can still contain traces of aromatic hydrocarbon compounds that are carcinogenic . Technical white oils can have a slight odor and are almost water-clear with a slight yellow tinge. White oil evaporates slowly without leaving any residue, so it has to be renewed regularly.

Wood care products

White oils often form the basis of furniture polishes . White oil migrates into the smallest imperfections due to its good creeping behavior. In the case of scratches, stains and surface porosities in colorless painted surfaces, this affects the refraction of light so that they are less noticeable.

Paraffin oil is also offered for treating raw wood and protects it from moisture and the formation of stains. In contrast to drying oils , however, it cannot harden (ie polymerize or oxidize ) under normal conditions of use and remains unchanged in the wood. This property has the advantage that it can be re-oiled at any time without further pretreatment and that even stressed wooden surfaces retain an even appearance, because the oil is, to a limited extent, able to redistribute itself in the wood again and again. It has no permanent wood protection effect in exposed areas outside , as it is washed out by the weather. Before the wood is subsequently treated with more permanent wood preservatives such as linseed oil , tung oil , waxes and varnishes , the paraffin oil should be washed off the layers close to the surface with a solvent , otherwise it acts as a release agent. In particular, the adhesion of water-thinnable paints such as acrylic lacquers is hindered by non-drying oils.

Medicinal white oils

safety instructions
Surname
  • White oils according to DAB
  • Paraffin oils according to DAB
  • White mineral oil (petroleum)
CAS number

8042-47-5

EC number

232-455-8

ECHA InfoCard

100.029.500

GHS labeling of hazardous substances
08 - Dangerous to health

danger

H and P phrases H: 304
P: 301 + 310-331

Medical grade white oils ( paraffinum liquidum ) are used in pharmacy or cosmetics and have to meet very high requirements in terms of purity and tolerance. These medicinal white oils are colorless, odorless and tasteless; they no longer contain any aromatics or sulfur compounds . It is often assumed that white oil is excreted by the body in the same form as it was ingested. However, there are concerns about ingestion and regular use on the skin, as it is an exogenous substance and could possibly accumulate in internal organs.

See also: Health Aspects of Paraffin

Because they are harmless to humans, these white oils can also be used in the food industry, here as production oils for plastics that have to be food-safe . White oil is also used as a component of winter sprays in crop protection and in the production of snuff .

literature

  • Uwe J. Möller, Jamil Nassar: Lubricants in operation. Volume 2, 2nd edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 2002, ISBN 978-3-642-62620-3 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b Entry on paraffin oil in the GESTIS substance database of the IFA , accessed on August 2, 2020(JavaScript required) .
  2. a b Entry on white oils according to DAB in the GESTIS substance database of the IFA , accessed on August 2, 2020(JavaScript required) .
  3. European Pharmacopoeia , 3rd edition. Deutscher Apotheker Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-7692-2186-9 , pages 1442-1443.
  4. Plant protection products, active ingredients: paraffin oil, mineral oil emulsions. Data sheet from the Julius Kühn Institute , Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants.