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.

Not to be confused with Mineral spirit.
For crude oil found in geological deposits, see Petroleum.

Bottle of mineral oil as sold in the U.S.

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]

Nomenclature

Some of the imprecision in the definition of the names used for mineral oil (such as 'white oil') reflects usage by consumers and merchants who did not know, and usually had no need of knowing, the oil's precise chemical makeup. Merriam-Webster states the first use of the term "mineral oil" as being 1771.[4] Prior to the late 19th century, the chemical science to determine the makeup of an oil was unavailable in any case. A similar lexical situation occurred with the term "white metal".

"Mineral oil", sold widely and cheaply in the United States, is not sold as such in the United Kingdom. Instead, British pharmacologists use the terms "paraffinum perliquidum" for light mineral oil and "paraffinum liquidum" or "paraffinum subliquidum" for somewhat more viscous varieties. The term "paraffinum liquidum" is often seen on the ingredient lists of baby oil and cosmetics. British aromatherapists commonly use the term "white mineral oil". In lubrication, mineral oils make up Group I, II, and III base oils that are refined from petroleum.[5][6]

Toxicology

The World Health Organization classifies minimally treated mineral oils as carcinogens group 1 known to be carcinogenic to humans;[7] Highly refined oils are classified group 3 as not suspected to be carcinogenic, from known available information sufficient to classify them as harmless.[8]

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) carried out a risk assessment on the migration of components from printing inks used on carton-board packaging—including mineral oils—into food in 2011, based on the findings of a survey conducted in the same year. The FSA did not identify any specific food safety concerns due to inks.[9]

People can be exposed to mineral oil mist in the workplace through inhalation, skin contact, or eye contact. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set the legal limit for mineral oil mist exposure in the workplace as 5 mg/m3 (0.0022 gr/cu ft) over an 8-hour workday, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has set a recommended exposure limit of 5 mg/m3 (0.0022 gr/cu ft) over an 8-hour workday, with a previous limit of 10 mg/m3 (0.0044 gr/cu ft) for short-term exposure rescinded according to the 2019 Guide to Occupational Exposure Values compiled by the ACGIH. Levels of 2,500 mg/m3 (1.1 gr/cu ft) and higher are indicated as immediately dangerous to life and health. However, current toxicological data does not contain any evidence of irreversible health effects due to short-term exposure at any level; the current value of 2,500 mg/m3 (1.1 gr/cu ft) is indicated as being arbitrary.[10]

Applications

Laxative
Main article: Liquid paraffin (drug)

Mineral oil is used as a laxative to alleviate constipation by retaining water in stool and the intestines.[11] Although generally considered safe, as noted above, there is a concern of mist inhalation leading to serious health conditions such as pneumonia.[12]

Mineral oil can be administered either orally[13] or rectally.[14] It is sometimes used as a lubricant in enema preparations as most of the ingested material is excreted in the stool rather than being absorbed by the body.[15]

Personal lubricant

It is recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine for use as a fertility-preserving vaginal lubrication.[16] However, it is known that oils degrade latex condoms.[17]

Cell culture

Mineral oil of special purity is often used as an overlay covering micro drops of culture medium in petri dishes, during the culture of oocytes and embryos in IVF and related procedures. The use of oil presents several advantages over the open culture system: it allows for several oocytes and embryos to be cultured simultaneously, but observed separately, in the same dish; it minimizes concentration and pH changes by preventing evaporation of the medium; it allows for a significant reduction of the medium volume used (as few as 20 μl (0.0012 cu in) per oocyte instead of several milliliters for the batch culture); and it serves as a temperature buffer minimizing thermal shock to the cells while the dish is taken out of the incubator for observation.

Veterinary

Over-the-counter veterinarian-use mineral oil is intended as a mild laxative for pets and livestock.[18] 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.[19] In beekeeping, food grade mineral oil-saturated paper napkins placed in hives are used as a treatment for tracheal and other mites. It is also used along with a cotton swab to remove un-shed skin (ashes) on reptiles such as lizards and snakes.

Cosmetics

Mineral oil is a common ingredient in baby lotions, cold creams, ointments, and cosmetics. It is a lightweight inexpensive oil that is odorless and tasteless. It can be used on eyelashes to prevent brittleness and breaking and, in cold cream, is also used to remove creme make-up and temporary tattoos. One of the common concerns regarding the use of mineral oil is its presence on several lists of comedogenic substances. These lists of comedogenic substances were developed many years ago and are frequently quoted in the dermatological literature.

The type of highly refined and purified mineral oil found in cosmetic and skincare products is noncomedogenic (does not clog pores).[20]

Mechanical, electrical, and industrial
An electrical radiator that uses mineral oil as a heat transfer fluid

Mineral oil is used in a variety of industrial/mechanical capacities as a non-conductive coolant or thermal fluid in electric components as it does not conduct electricity and functions to displace air and water. Some examples are in transformers, where it is known as transformer oil, and in high-voltage switchgear, where mineral oil is used as an insulator and as a coolant to disperse switching arcs.[21] The dielectric constant of mineral oil ranges from 2.3 at 50 °C (122 °F) to 2.1 at 200 °C (392 °F).[22]

Mineral oil is used as a lubricant, a cutting fluid, and as a conditioning oil for jute fibres selected for textile production, a process known as 'jute batching'.[23] Spindle oils are light mineral oils used as lubricants in textile industries. Electric space heaters sometimes use mineral oil as a heat transfer oil. Because it is noncompressible, mineral oil is used as a hydraulic fluid in hydraulic machinery and vehicles.

Lubricants used for older refrigerator and air conditioning compressors are based on mineral oil, especially those using R-22 refrigerant.

An often-cited limitation of mineral oil is that it is poorly biodegradable; in some applications, vegetable oils such as cottonseed oil or rapeseed oil may be used instead.[24]

Food preparation
A freshly oiled cutting board.

Because of its properties that prevent water absorption, combined with its lack of flavor and odor, food grade mineral oil is a popular preservative for wooden cutting boards, salad bowls, and utensils. Periodically rubbing a small amount of mineral oil into a wooden kitchen item impedes absorption of food liquids, and thereby food odors, easing the process of hygienically cleaning wooden utensils and equipment. The use of mineral oil to impede water absorption can also prevent cracks and splits from forming in wooden utensils due to wetting and drying cycles. However, some of the mineral oil used on these items, if in contact with food, will be picked up by it and therefore ingested.

Outside of the European Union, mineral oil is occasionally used in the food industry, particularly for confectionery. 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,[25] though it is still found in many confectioneries, including Swedish Fish.[26] The use of food grade mineral oil is self-limiting because of its laxative effect. The maximum daily intake is calculated to be about 100 mg (1.5 gr), of which some 80 mg (1.2 gr) are contributed from its use on machines in the baking industry.[15]

Other uses
Applying mineral oil to a butcher block counter top

Mineral oil's ubiquity has led to its use in some niche applications as well:

  • Mineral oil is used for treating and preserving wooden butcher block counter tops.[27]
  • It is commonly used to create a wear effect on new clay poker chips, which can otherwise be accomplished only through prolonged use.[28] Either the chips are placed in mineral oil for a short time, or the oil is applied to each chip then rubbed off. This removes any chalky residue left over from manufacture, and also improves the look and feel of the chips.
  • Mineral oil is used as the principal fuel in some types of gel-type scented candles.[29]
  • It is used for cooling, such as in the liquid submersion cooling of components in some custom-built computers.[30][31]
  • Veterinarian-grade mineral oil is inexpensive, and is frequently used by amateur radio operators as coolant in RF dummy loads, as mineral oil is typically used as the insulating and cooling fluid in large electrical equipment such as transformers.
  • Mineral oil is used as a brake fluid in some cars, such as Citroën models with hydrodynamic suspension, and bicycle disc brakes.
  • Mineral oil is burned in specialized machines (both manufactured and home-made) to produce a thick white smoke that is then blown into automotive evaporative emissions (EVAP) systems to find leaks.
  • It is used for polishing alabaster in stonework and lubricating and cleaning pocket knives or food handling tools that use an open bearing, thus needing periodic lubrication. Light mineral oil (paraffinum perliquidum) is used as a honing oil when sharpening edge tools (such as chisels) on abrasive oil stones. Mineral oil USP or light mineral oil can be used as an anti-rust agent for blades.
  • It is an inexpensive alternative for storing reactive metals, such as the alkali metals, lithium, potassium and sodium.[32]
  • Horticultural oil is often made with mineral oil as the active ingredient. It is sprayed on plants to control scale, aphid, and other pest populations by suffocation.
  • Before the widespread adoption of thermocyclers with heated lids, it was common practice to use mineral oil to overlay polymerase chain reactions in biotechnology to prevent loss of water during heating cycles. It is often used to suspend crystals for use in X-ray crystallography.
  • It is used as a transparent collision material for reactions in particle physics, as in the MiniBooNE neutrino oscillation experiment.[33]
  • As a relatively low heat combustible with no flavor or odor, mineral oil can be used in fire breathing and firedancing for entertainment,[34] but there is a risk of injury.[35][36]
  • Paraffin oil is commonly used to fill Galileo thermometers. Due to paraffin oil's freezing temperature being lower than that of water (approx. 24 °F (−4 °C)), this makes them less susceptible to freezing during shipment or when stored in a cold environment.[37]

See also

References
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  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.
  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.
  4. "Definition of MINERAL OIL". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  5. "Annex E - API Base Oil Interchangeability Guidelines for Passenger Car Motor Oils and Diesel Engine Oils" (PDF). American Petroleum Institute. 2015.
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  8. International Agency for Research on Cancer (17 June 2011). "Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–102" (PDF). Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. pp. 3, 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  9. "Survey of printing inks and mineral oils". Food Standards Agency. London. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012.
  10. "Oil mist (mineral). Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)". cdc.gov. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  11. "Drugs & Medications".
  12. Weinstein, M. (2001). "First do no harm: The dangers of mineral oil". Paediatrics & Child Health. 6 (3): 129–131. doi:10.1093/pch/6.3.129. PMC 2804525. PMID 20084222.
  13. "Mineral Oil". Drugs & Medications. WebMD. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  14. "Mineral Oil rectal enema". Health Library / Drugs, Devices & Supplements. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  15. WHO Food Additive Monograph 70.39 Archived 6 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 20 Sep 2009
  16. "Optimizing Natural Fertility" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  17. Voeller, B; Coulson, A. H.; Bernstein, G. S.; Nakamura, R. M. (1989). "Mineral oil lubricants cause rapid deterioration of latex condoms". Contraception. 39 (1): 95–102. doi:10.1016/0010-7824(89)90018-8. PMID 2535978.
  18. Pasquini, Chris (1998). Guide to Equine Clinics (Volume 1). Sudz Publishing. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-9623114-6-8.
  19. "Chronic Ear Infections in Canines". whole-dog-journal.com. 12 May 2004.
  20. DiNardo, J. C. (2005). "Is mineral oil comedogenic?". Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 4 (1): 2–3. doi:10.1111/j.1473-2165.2005.00150.x. PMID 17134413. S2CID 27106527.
  21. Suwarno Darma, I.S.; Darma, I. S. (2008). "Dielectric properties of mixtures between mineral oil and natural ester". 2008 International Symposium on Electrical Insulating Materials (ISEIM 2008). pp. 514–517. doi:10.1109/ISEIM.2008.4664471. ISBN 978-4-88686-005-7. S2CID 24096191.
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  24. Oommen, T.V. (2002). "Vegetable Oils for Liquid-Filled Transformers". IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine. 18 (1): 6–11. doi:10.1109/57.981322.
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  31. Patrick Norton; Roger Chang (9 March 2009). "How to Build an Oil-Cooled Aquarium PC". Revision3. Archived from the original on 15 July 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
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  34. "Study Material for the Examination for Certificate of Fitness for Fire Producer E-28 Fire Performer E-29" (PDF). New York City Fire Department. December 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 September 2016.
  35. Weinberg, I.; Fridlender, Z. G. (2010). "Exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by paraffin in an amateur fire breather". Occupational Medicine. 60 (3): 234–5. doi:10.1093/occmed/kqq020. PMID 20308260.
  36. Saraf, Sanjay (2012). "Fire-breathing burn". Indian Dermatology Online Journal. 3 (1): 73–4. doi:10.4103/2229-5178.93491. PMC 3481926. PMID 23130274.
  37. "Galileo Thermometer Material Safety Data Sheet" (PDF). 13 November 2002. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
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