Talk:Mineral oil

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Contents 1 chemical formula 2 "Low Value" versus "Low Cost" 3 What low cost? 4 Dermatitis? 5 Not Good For The Skin 6 cleaning benefits?

[edit] chemical formula

If anyone has the chemical formula of mineral oil, I would find that a useful addition. 206.169.244.20

I would say it could be written as C_nH_2n+2, with n ranging between roughly 5-30, depending on the fraction of the oil. Plus other hydrocarbons, unsaturated and aromatic and cyclic, but mainly alkanes. See alkane#Purification and use for more. --Shaddack 23:06, 4 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] "Low Value" versus "Low Cost"

The opening paragraph says "low value"; should this be "low cost". It seems contradictory that a low value substance would be produced in mass quantities. Maybe it is low cost yet highly useful.

It's not deliberately mass-produced; it's a by-product of the mass production of gasoline. -Toptomcat 02:28, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What low cost?

Gasoline is currently considered 'expensive' hovering around 3 USD/gallon.

Looking for some mineral oil for a project that would use it as a coolant, I found prices to be around 14 USD/gallon - not what I would consider 'low cost'. Too bad I can't use gasoline as coolant.

As an inert fluid for the purpose of electronics cooling, I'd say "low cost" is pretty much correct, considering 3M Fluorinert FC-77 costs $340 US for 1 litre from this supplier.

[edit] Dermatitis?

Does this mean excessive use on the skin or ingesting mineral oil causes dermatitis? Dermatitis is a skin disease, so it's probably the latter. -Toptomcat 02:28, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Not Good For The Skin

Mineral Oil is a toxic waste created when petrol products such as gasoline and motor oil are made. This by-product cannot be disposed of in our envireonment, so it is sold very inexpensively to cosmetic companies who then use it as a base for their products. Mineral oil's molecular structure is too large to be absorbed by the skin, therefore it forms a film on the skin's surface blocking the pores and halting natural respiration and secretion of toxins from the body. Mineral oil is a main ingredient in many cosmetic products and baby oil is just mineral oil with a fragrance.

Chemical and Physical Properties

This article needs a box in the top right to list it's properties. Though this would be further complicated by the many brands available, a ball park figure or example product could be used.

This is the technical specification for the Light Mineral Oil (Industrial NF grade) to be purchased by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). The quantity needed is 959,900 liters (253,600 gallons) when measured at 55o F.

The oil must be certified by the manufacturer to have the following properties:

   * Density: Specific gravity between .76 and .87 - measured via ASTM D 4052 or ASTM D 1298 .
   * Viscosity: < 34.5 cSt at 40o C (< 172 SUS at 100o F) - measured via ASTM D 445.
   * Color: >+30 Saybolt Color units - measured via ASTM D 156. 

In addition to these three properties, the oil must meet the following specification:

   * Attenuation of light at 420 nm - The oil must be water clear. In particular, it must have an attenuation length of greater than 20 m for 420 nm (blue) light. That means that the amount of 420 nm light transmitted through a 1.8 m (6 ft) sample must be no less than 92% of that transmitted through an .2 m (8 in) sample.

[edit] cleaning benefits?

The section labeled "cleaning" asserts several useful cleaning applications of mineral oil, yet farther down under "miscellaneous" there is this statement in bold: "Mineral oil is used in most cleaners but has been proven to have no real claeaning benefits!"

Aside from the poor grammar and spelling of that sentence, it directly contradicts the "cleaning" section. The confusing contradiction needs to be clarified with sources cited for either viewpoint or one of the sections should be explicitly disclaimed as opinion or speculation. 69.217.57.236 (talk) 18:35, 29 April 2008 (UTC)