Mineral Oil

About This Product

Mineral oil is a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons obtained by distilling crude petroleum and then refining the distillate, usually by hydrotreating, to remove aromatic and unsaturated compounds. It is supplied as a clear, colourless, odourless, tasteless liquid in a range of viscosities. The degree of refining is the specification that matters, because the untreated distillate and the finished white oil are very different materials from a safety standpoint. Crude and lightly refined mineral oils contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some of which are carcinogenic, and mineral oil of this type is classified accordingly. White oil is hydrotreated until those aromatics are effectively eliminated, and pharmaceutical and food grades are tested against pharmacopoeial limits including the ultraviolet absorbance test for polycyclic aromatics. Only material meeting those limits may be used in laxatives, baby oil, food-contact lubricants and cosmetics. Technical white oils sit between the two. Grade and intended contact should therefore be stated at enquiry rather than assumed, since the same generic name covers the whole range. It is used in cosmetics and personal care, pharmaceutical preparations, food-grade lubricants, plastics processing, textile machinery and as a carrier and defoamer. Bio Green Chem supplies technical, food and pharmaceutical grades to specification on viscosity, colour, ultraviolet absorbance, sulphur, acidity and pour point.