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Castor oil derivatives are the products made by chemically modifying castor oil or its main fatty acid, ricinoleic acid. Because ricinoleic acid carries three reactive sites — an acid group, a double bond and a hydroxyl group — castor oil can be transformed in more ways than almost any other vegetable oil. The main families include hydrogenated castor oil (HCO), 12-hydroxystearic acid, dehydrated castor oil, blown castor oil, sebacic acid, ricinoleic acid, ethoxylates (PEG HCO), and sulphated (Turkey Red) oil — feeding lubricants, coatings, cosmetics, surfactants and bio-polymers.
A derivative is simply a new material made by reacting a starting compound. With castor oil, the starting point is either the whole oil or ricinoleic acid released from it. Chemists then use one of a handful of reactions to change the molecule's properties — making it harder, more reactive, more oil-loving or more water-loving — to suit a particular industry. The reason castor is such a rich feedstock comes down to its chemistry, which we cover in what is ricinoleic acid.
Ricinoleic acid's tri-functional structure is the key. Each of its three reactive sites opens a different route:
Most vegetable oils offer only the last of these. Castor's extra two sites are why one crop supports such a broad derivative tree.
Here is a map of the common castor derivatives, how each is made, and where it is used. Follow the links for the full guide on each.
| Derivative | Made by | Main uses |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) | Hydrogenating the double bond | Waxes, greases, cosmetics, coatings |
| 12-Hydroxystearic acid (12-HSA) | Splitting hydrogenated oil | Lithium greases, gels, cosmetics |
| Dehydrated castor oil (DCO) | Removing water across the –OH | Paints, coatings, inks (drying oil) |
| Blown castor oil | Controlled air oxidation | Lubricants, plasticisers, inks |
| Sebacic acid | Alkali cleaving of ricinoleic acid | Nylon-11 / polyamides, plasticisers |
| Ricinoleic acid | Splitting castor oil | Lubricants, resins, surfactants |
| Ethoxylates (PEG HCO) | Reacting HCO with ethylene oxide | Emulsifiers, solubilisers |
| Sulphated (Turkey Red) oil | Sulphating castor oil | Textile & leather wetting agents |
| Ricinoleate salts | Neutralising ricinoleic acid | Surfactants, specialty additives |
The same families make more sense grouped by the chemistry behind them:
Start from the property you need — hardness, drying, water solubility, lubricity or a specific building block — and work back to the reaction that delivers it. Sourcing the base oil and its derivatives from the same origin keeps specifications aligned across a product line; more on that in why source castor oil from Gujarat. For the commercial specification of our flagship derivative, see the ricinoleic acid product page.
Products made by chemically modifying castor oil or its main fatty acid, ricinoleic acid — including hydrogenated castor oil, 12-hydroxystearic acid, dehydrated castor oil, sebacic acid, ricinoleic acid, ethoxylates and sulphated oil.
Its dominant fatty acid, ricinoleic acid, has three reactive sites — an acid group, a double bond and a hydroxyl group — where most fatty acids have one. That allows many different chemical routes.
Commercially, hydrogenated castor oil, 12-hydroxystearic acid, dehydrated castor oil, sebacic acid, ricinoleic acid and the ethoxylated (PEG) grades are among the most widely used.
Lubricants and greases, paints and coatings, cosmetics and personal care, surfactants, textiles and leather, and bio-based polymers such as nylon-11.
