What plant provides
a strategic material?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
February 10, 2004
The castor bean is not a bean, but the seed of the Palma Christi or castor bean plant (Ricinus communis
Linnaeus). The seed contains the notorious ricin as well as an alkaloid,
ricinine, and an agglutinin. But the seed also contains oil, up to 55 percent
of the seed's weight is oil and it is one of the oldest commercial plant
products. Castor oil along with olive oil provided the fuel for lamps in
ancient Egypt and the Middle East more than 4,000 years ago. Castor oil is
a pale yellow viscous fluid that burns steadily. Unlike olive oil (from Olea europaea L.), it does not become rancid unless exposed to very high temperatures.
Castor Bean Plant (Ricinus communis)
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Castor
oil is cold-pressed and does not contain ricin nor is it considered 'toxic',
but it has a horrible lingering aftertaste and it induces nausea, vomiting,
and diarrhea when taken internally. The body works to rid itself of castor
oil and hence it relieves even stubborn constipation.
Castor
oil contains the three carbon, glycerin, but 85 percent of the oil is ricinoleic
acid, an eighteen carbon chain of triglycerides. The glycerin is extracted
and used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It is also an intermediate product
in the manufacture of adhesives and explosives. And it is the plasticizer
that keeps plastics plastic.
Ricinoleic acid
is broken by steam cracking, called the Marseilles process, into two oils:
a seven carbon (C7) and an eleven carbon (C11).
The
seven carbon chain has an extremely low freezing point and provides lubrication
for equipment used at cold temperatures. Made into an aldehyde, the C7 has
the scent of jasmine and is added to soaps, detergents, and other perfumed
products. Made into an alcohol, the C7 takes on the fragrance of peaches
and apricots. Made into an acid, the C7 is the lubricant for civilian and
military jet engines and it prevents the de-lamination and consequent shattering
of safety glass from temperature changes.
The
eleven carbon chain made into an acid is antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-odor.
It is used in shampoos, soaps, deodorants, and talcum powders for personal
hygiene. C11 acid has a musky fragrance. As an esterol, C11 allows formed
concrete and plastics to separate from their molds, lubricates machinery,
and prevents metals from wearing.
Considering
that the United States alone uses forty-five thousand tonnes (one tonne equals
2,204 pounds) of castor oil per year in products or manufacturing processes,
the castor bean is a pretty essential plant. Castor oil is classified by
Congress in the Agricultural Materials Act of 1984 as a strategic material
critical to our national defense.
(Compiled from: "Ricinus communis L.", James A. Duke, Handbook of Energy Crops, unpublished, 1983; "Castor: Return of an Old Crop", R.D. Brigham, New Crops, Wiley, New York, 1993; and "C11 Castor oil Derivatives", ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc., 2000)
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