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Review
. 2016 Sep 7:9:1-12.
doi: 10.4137/LPI.S40233. eCollection 2016.

Castor Oil: Properties, Uses, and Optimization of Processing Parameters in Commercial Production

Vinay R Patel  1 , Gerard G Dumancas  2 , Lakshmi C Kasi Viswanath  3 , Randall Maples  4 , Bryan John J Subong  5
Affiliations
Review

Castor Oil: Properties, Uses, and Optimization of Processing Parameters in Commercial Production

Vinay R Patel et al. Lipid Insights. .

Abstract

Castor oil, produced from castor beans, has long been considered to be of important commercial value primarily for the manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, and coatings, among others. Global castor oil production is concentrated primarily in a small geographic region of Gujarat in Western India. This region is favorable due to its labor-intensive cultivation method and subtropical climate conditions. Entrepreneurs and castor processors in the United States and South America also cultivate castor beans but are faced with the challenge of achieving high castor oil production efficiency, as well as obtaining the desired oil quality. In this manuscript, we provide a detailed analysis of novel processing methods involved in castor oil production. We discuss novel processing methods by explaining specific processing parameters involved in castor oil production.

Keywords: castor beans; castor oil; crude castor oil refining; nonedible oil; ricinoleic acid.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Castor oil studies have shown increasing growth since the 1980s. This figure was created by searching for the words “castor oil” in PubMed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Castor beans.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structure of ricinoleic acid, the primary component of castor oil.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Dehydration reaction scheme of ricinoleic acid.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Commercial continuous screw press assembly.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Castor processing flow diagram.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Formation of soap with ricinoleic acid.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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