Sperm oil is a waxy liquid obtained from sperm whales. It is a clear, yellowish liquid with a very faint odor. Sperm oil has a different composition from common whale oil, obtained from rendered blubber. Although it is traditionally called an "oil", it is technically a liquid wax. It is composed of wax esters with a small proportion of triglycerides, an ester of an unsaturated fatty acid, and a branched-chain fatty alcohol.[1] It is a natural antioxidant and heat transfer agent.[1] In the late-18th and early-19th centuries, sperm oil was prized as an illuminant for its bright, odorless flame and as a lubricant for its low viscosity and stability. It was supplanted in the late 19th century by less expensive alternatives such as kerosene and petroleum-based lubricants. With the 1987 international ban on whaling, sperm oil is no longer legally sold.[2]
The oil from bottlenose whales was sometimes called "Arctic sperm oil." It was cheaper than but inferior to true sperm oil.[3][4]
- ^ a b [Transmission Digest, Volume 26, No. 2, October 2006, "The Science of Synthetic Sperm Whale Oil"]
- ^ "$2,000 Penalty Assessed for Illegal Attempted Sale of Sperm Whale Oil Over Internet". NOAA. 8 June 2004. Archived from the original on 30 October 2004.
- ^ Julius Lewkowitsch (1904). Chemical technology and analysis of oils, fats, and waxes. pg 870
- ^ "Official Swatch Website - Swatch International". Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2014.