Castor is also an alien species in China. This rugged grassland, which can reach a height of 5 meters, was originally a species in Africa. After international exchanges, it was spread to Asia for planting. Castor has strong adaptability and can survive well in all kinds of soil. It can grow well without planting in the field and fertilization, but there will be different sizes on the plants.
According to the records of public data, the oil extracted from castor has low freezing point and high viscosity. It is resistant to cold and high temperature. It is not frozen at – 8 ~ – 10 ℃ and will not solidify or change performance at up to 500-600 ℃, which is unmatched by other oils and fats. Therefore, castor oil can be used in light industry, textile, dye, printing and other industries, and even become an important field in chemical industry, metallurgy, electromechanical and so on. It is for this reason that castor is listed as a strategic material in the United States.
With the development of modern economy, the definition of strategic materials is no longer just those that can be used on the battlefield, but those that can play an important and irreplaceable role in all walks of life. The reason why castor is qualified to be included in the ranks of strategic materials is mainly because it has the following four characteristics.
First, as a high-grade industrial oil
Because castor oil can not solidify at low temperature and deteriorate at high temperature, castor oil is mainly used as high-grade industrial oil. The most common is made into liquid supply aviation lubricating oil, automobile field, paint, etc. it provides stable use value for transportation, which can not be replaced by other substances in this regard.
Second, as an important raw material
In addition to its significant role in automobile and aviation, castor can process more than 3000 kinds of products from beginning to end, including raw materials needed in important industrial fields such as Kui acid and nylon 11.
Third, the application in the medical field
The competition of modern science and technology is not only in the industrial field, but also in the medical field. After all, the medical level is not only a simple way to “save the dying and heal the wounded”, but also has a voice in many international aspects, and can also promote the economy. Especially in the recent two years, many people can better understand the strategic significance of medical technology. Castor seed has high medicinal value. Because it can damage normal cells, it is used in the treatment of malignant tumor cells.
Ricin can not only inhibit the combination of t-RNA and nuclear protease, make RNA inactive, so as to inhibit the synthesis of protein and achieve the effect of target cell death. Therefore, the purified ricin will be widely used to inhibit the growth of cancer cells such as lymph node cancer. In addition, castor has more undeveloped functions, has high medical research value, and may play a greater role in the medical field in the future.
Fourth, economic value
Based on the value of castor oil in many fields, it is also called “renewable oil”. At present, the global demand for castor oil is not only large, but also rising every day.
Global demand for castor oil
Although most of the income of mainstream countries comes from industry, the economic assistance brought by agriculture can not be underestimated. Take India for example. At present, the most stable income of the economy still comes from agriculture, and the planting income of castor is also good. Relevant statistics show that at present, the global planting area of castor is about 16.5 million mu, of which more than 90% is from India, China, Brazil and other countries, and less than 10% of the output is from other countries.
The global annual demand for castor oil is 550000 tons, of which India accounts for more than 50%. It is the most important producer and exporter of castor oil in the world. The demand for castor oil in many mainstream countries is increasing day by day. For example, China needs 400000 tons of castor oil every year. Although the global output of castor is not low, it still leads the trend of short supply. Based on the above factors, the United States has long listed castor as a strategic material.
The resources used in many industrial fields are non renewable resources, such as oil. If countries want economic development not to stop because of the depletion of traditional energy, then seeking and developing new energy may become the only way. Having more strategic materials can undoubtedly bring more support to the country’s economy and development. For example, the United States not only listed castor as a strategic material, but also increased the cultivation of castor, and changed from a pure exporter of castor to an importer of castor in 2011. This shows the importance of castor for modern industrial and economic development.
Post time: Jan-05-2022