Mineral oil is a petroleum product with vast uses in health and cosmetics, robotics, food and industry. In 1859 Edwin Drake successfully drills the first oil well, in Pennsylvania. This catalyzes large-scale extraction.
The American oil industry booms, with the number of wells in the U.S. increasing from 1 in 1859 to over 4000 by 1875. The approach of the 20th century brings innovations in refining techniques.
These result in high-quality mineral oil for many applications. While naturally occurring oil seeps have been known for millennia, mineral oil is a purified byproduct.
Initially it's considered a waste product, but its lubricating properties soon inspire further examination. The discovery of its emollient effects further broadens its applications into industries and consumer products.
Scientific Properties and Characteristics:
Mineral oil is a clear, odorless, and tasteless liquid composed of saturated hydrocarbons. Specifically, it is a mixture of highly refined paraffinic and naphthenic liquid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum.
Characteristics include
Low viscosity: This makes it an excellent lubricant, reducing friction between moving parts. It's fluid and easily pumped, important to keep machinery running smoothly.
Chemical inertness: Mineral oil is overall stable and suitable where dependability is important.
Flammable above 150 °C (302 °F): Under some conditions it can catch fire. While designed to be stable and non-corrosive, for example in electrical transformers, ignition can happen in high temperatures or open flames.
Non-polarity: This property allows it to dissolve non-polar substances like fats and oils, making it useful in cleaning and dissolving applications.
Hydrophobicity: Mineral oil does not mix with water. It's a lubricant and barrier in mechanics and building.
Emollient properties: It forms a protective barrier on the skin, preventing moisture loss. Allergic reactions to petroleum products include an itchy, painful rash, which may ooze or crack, or cracked lips.
Boiling Point: Mineral oil has a boiling point range from 250°C to 350°C.
Density: 0.8–0.87 g/cm3 (0.029–0.031 lb/cu in).
Mineral oil is also known as white oil, paraffin oil, paraffinum liquidum and liquid petroleum. Liquid paraffin is medical grade. Mineral oil is derived from crude oil in production of gasoline and other petroleum products.
Mineral oils used for lubrication are known as base oils. Mineral oil is colorless and transparent, mainly composed of alkanes and cycloalkanes. It's related to petroleum jelly or Vaseline.
Crude to Mineral Oil: Process
Crude Oil Distillation
Crude oil is heated, separating it into different fractions based on their boiling points. Lighter components rise, while heavier ones settle.
Solvent Extraction
Solvents are used to selectively dissolve and remove undesirable components, such as aromatic hydrocarbons. This step removes heavy, asphaltic residues, further purifying the oil.
Hydrotreating
Continuing to refine the oil, this process uses hydrogen to saturate unsaturated hydrocarbons and remove sulfur and nitrogen compounds. It reduces heavy fractions of crude oil into lighter products.
Filtration & Grades
The oil is filtered to remove any remaining impurities. The resultant mineral oil is categorized based on its viscosity and intended use. Mineral oil is available in light, medium, and heavy grades.
Health
As a laxative, mineral oil lubricates the intestines to treat constipation. It's an ingredient in some medications and ointments.
Machines and Robots
Its lubricating properties reduce friction in engines, gears and other moving parts to prolong lifespan and improve efficiency. In lubrication mineral oils make up Group I, II, and III base oils refined from petroleum.
Heavy machinery in factories needs up to 76 liters (20 gallons) of oil in the lubrication system. It commonly used in robotics, often hydraulics.
Beauty
Mineral oil is a standard ingredient in moisturizers, lotions, creams, and makeup removers due to its emollient properties. It's used in moisturizers and makeup but can clog pores or cause allergic reactions in some people.
In cosmetics, it can appear under a different name. British pharmacologists use "paraffinum perliquidum" for light mineral oil and "paraffinum liquidum" or "paraffinum subliquidum" for more viscous varieties.
"Paraffinum liquidum" may be listed as an ingredient in baby oil and cosmetics.
Food
Food-grade mineral oil is used as a release agent in baking, a lubricant for food processing machinery and a sealant for wooden cutting boards.
Science & Industry
Mineral oil is a coolant, insulator, and lubricant in industrial processes. It's also used in laboratory settings as a non-reactive bath fluid.
In laboratories, mineral oil is a medium in experiments and a stable barrier in reactions. Its characteristics, like low volatility, make it suitable for cooling systems and heat exchangers of industrial processes.
Some bacteria eat compounds from petroleum. They're from the families Marinobacter, Oceanospiralles, Pseudomonas, and Alkanivorax. Mineral oil consumers include Pseudomonas oleovorans and Pseudomonas putida.
Safety & Environment
Contamination Risks: Impurities in poorly refined mineral oil contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Respiratory Problems: Inhalation of mineral oil mists or vapors can cause lipoid pneumonia, a serious lung condition.
Environmental Impact: The extraction and refining of petroleum, the source of mineral oil, has significant environmental consequences, including habitat destruction, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainability: As a non-renewable resource derived from fossil fuels, the long-term sustainability of mineral oil production is a growing concern.
Alternatives: While mineral oil is widely used, alternative oils, such as vegetable and synthetic, rise in popularity due to fossil fuel controversies.
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