Mineral oil

Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum,^[1] as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils.

The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, having been used for many specific oils over the past few centuries. Other names, similarly imprecise, include 'white oil', 'paraffin oil', 'liquid paraffin' (a highly refined medical grade), paraffinum liquidum (Latin), and 'liquid petroleum'.

Most often, mineral oil is a liquid obtained from refining crude oil to make gasoline and other petroleum products. Mineral oils used for lubrication are known specifically as base oils. More generally, mineral oil is a transparent, colorless oil, composed mainly of alkanes^[2] and cycloalkanes, related to petroleum jelly. It has a density of around 0.8–0.87 g/cm³ (0.029–0.031 lb/cu in).^[3]

^ Mineral oil (Dictionary.com) Archived 30 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC) on a request from the Commission related the use of mineral oils in jute and sisal bags" (PDF). The EFSA Journal. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
^ "Mechanical properties of materials". Kaye and Laby Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants. National Physical Laboratory. Archived from the original on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2008.

[1] Mineral oil (Dictionary.com) Archived 30 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine

[2] "Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC) on a request from the Commission related the use of mineral oils in jute and sisal bags" (PDF). The EFSA Journal. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2007.

[kayelabymech-3] "Mechanical properties of materials". Kaye and Laby Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants. National Physical Laboratory. Archived from the original on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2008.

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