Krill (Euphausia superba) is a small crustacean with an appearance similar to shrimp. Home Whale Uses Whale Oil Lighting Textiles Trench Foot Explosives Lubricants. Whale oil is oil that has been extracted from a whales lubber through the process of boiling strips or slabs of the whales blubber and extracting the oil that comes out of it. Whale oil, also called train oil, any oil derived from any species of whale, including sperm oil from sperm whales, train oil from baleen whales, and melon oil from small toothed whales. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Whale oil's potential as an energy source was discovered by the natural philosopher Esmond Roseburrow, who observed vagabonds in Slaughterhouse Row using collected whale oil to stoke fires. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Sperm whale oil is favored for lamps, because it burns slowly and does not emit bad odors as it burns. From the 16th century through the 19th century, whale oil was used principally as lamp fuel and for producing soap. Whaling houses like the Greaves Company and the Rothwild Slaughterhouse tu… Premodern oil was inedible, but advances in chemistry allowed fresh oil to be hardened into a fat, which was used for margarine and soap until vegetable oil became a practical alternative in the late 1930s. In the 20th century, whale blubber also began to be used in cosmetics, pet food and general commercial lubricants. Textile sizings were made from hardened oil. Omissions? Oil obtained from a whale’s blubber has been used for both lighting and lubricating purposes, and the bones of the whale were used to make a variety of useful products. Whale oil was so important it was declared key to national defense in World War II. In more modern times fresh oil was hardened and then it could be used in the manufacture of margarine. Jojoba oil became very important to the cosmetic industry in the 1970s, when whaling was banned and sperm whale oil was no longer available. But in the 1860s a new oil, petroleum, began its economic rise. The spermaceti that was found in the whale’s skull was originally believed to be semen as its pearly white wax like … Other uses came in time. Between the 17th – 20th century whale oil became very popular and was used in a variety of man-made chemicals, materials & tools such as lamp oil, margarine & transmission oil. Alkylglycerols have been studied as an immune system modulator an anti-inflammatory. The blubber is cooked until rendered into oil, known as whale oil, that can be used for soap, and as a component in makeup that contributes a glossy shine. Whale oil was used for a variety of purposes over the years. Most whales were hunted for their blubber, which was boiled and turned into "whale oil," used as fuel for lamps and candles. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Updates? The oil is used in perfume to fix other scents, and trappers also use it to make scent lures. The vast majority of whale products were used for industrial purposes, and initially for lighting as well - candles made of whale products burned 4-6 times brighter than traditional beeswax candles, and were very clean. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Whale oil was extremely important in the manufacture of nitroglycerin for explosives in both world wars, and whale liver oil was a major source of vitamin D through the 1960s. In the early 19th century, a typical American household might contain several items manufactured from whale products, such as candles or corsets made with whalebone stays. Whale oil was once the world’s leading fuel source before environmental concerns and inefficiency rendered it impractical, and now the same may be happening with crude oil Disclosure Policy | Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2021 WhaleFacts.org. Whale oil burns with a rather bright white, smokeless flame. The first principal use of whale oil was as an illuminant in lamps and as candle wax. It was popular in the vehicles produced by General Motors up until the considerably recent past in the 1970s. Blubber is also turned into fuel for lamps, wax for candles and grease for machinery. …of the century, demand for whale oil suddenly increased as soap and margarine production ran ahead of fat supplies, and Normann’s hydrogenation process enabled the transformation of oil into fat. It was used to lubricate the instruments in eexperimental high altitude aircraft as it stayed liquid and retained its properties as the temperature fell Second quality oil was recovered from the thick blubber. It wasn’t until the 19th – 20th centuries that advances in technology and better alternative resources began etching away at the popularity of whale oil. In addition to the oil found in some of the larger baleen whale species whalers also hunted the sperm whale (a toothed whale) which possessed spermaceti oil that can be found located in its head. Even though the sperm whale was hunted for its oil this species remains fairly abundant compared to its relatives the blue whale, right whale & bowhead whale. Eventually, the oil was used for soap, lighting, and treating wool and leather. Whales have been hunted since prehistoric times for meat and for the blubber's valuable properties as an oil or wax. For several centuries whale oil remained a popular chemical for margarine, cleaning chemicals, transmission fluids and burning oils. Even on whaling vessels, where up to recently whale oil, seal oil and sperm oil (see Waxes, below) were obtained exclusively by "trying," i.e. Yep, it was not that long ago that our government was still greasing their goodies with whale oil. Because of the popularity of whale oil several species were hunted into near extinction and are now considered endangered. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Whale oil was used for a variety of purposes such as for lighting, lubrication in machinery, and also in the manufacturing of soaps, cosmetics and varnish. Originally spermaceti oil was believed to actually be composed of sperm (hence the name) because the waxy substance appeared to strongly resemble the appearance of sperm, however later studies disproved this fact and the current belief held today is that spermaceti oil appears to play a big role in providing the sperm whale with buoyancy so that it can dive and rise in the water more easily. A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale… In the US, whale oil was used in cars as an additive to automatic transmission fluid until it was banned by the Endangered Species Act. Whalebone had a wide variety of uses as well. Once upon a time, whale oil was used to lube new cars, in the U.S. as well as Japan. Norwegian and British shore stations opened in the Antarctic, South America, and South Africa, and catches rose from approximately 2,000…. It wasn’t until the 19th – 20th centuries that advances in technology and better alternative resources began etching away at the popularity of whale oil. A whaling ship’s crew might make half a year’s wages in a single, successful voyage. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil. The stuff I have was used on some aerial surveillance camera. Generic Name: omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids Brand Names: Mercola Krill Oil, Schiff MegaRed Omega-3 Krill Oil, Neptune Krill Oil, Red Whale Krill Oil Uses; Warnings; What to avoid; Side effects; Interactions; What is Krill Oil? Long utilized for lubricating fine instruments, whale oil was treated with sulfur to provide high-pressure lubricants used in machinery, and it was also important in the manufacture of varnish, leather, linoleum, and rough cloth (especially jute). In addition to these refinements organizations such as the International Whaling Commission began stepping in and limiting/monitoring the killing of whales, especially endangered whales and in 1986 they banned the practice of whaling in a number of countries including the U.S. Today whaling is largely banned by most countries, however there are a few countries that still hunt whales primarily for their meat which is considered by some to be a delicacy. While modern-day transmissions use a lot of synthetic oils, whale oil used to be the fluid that kept automatic transmissions running. In the early 1970s, however, it was banned from vehicles sold in the U.S. because of environmental concerns. For several centuries whale oil remained a popular chemical for margarine, cleaning chemicals, transmission fluids and burning oils. Whale oil was once regularly used for many applications, including in the automotive field. Whale Oil Versus The Others. The name “spermaceti” comes from the whales historical past when whalers used to hunt these marine mammals for their blubber and spermaceti oil. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Ambergris oil is a product of ambergris, from the French amber gris meaning "gray amber," a waxy substance that comes from the digestive tracts of sperm whales. The creation and production of Kerosene, vegetable oil and hydrogenation led to refinements that eventually made whale oil a less desirable material. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil peaked at 18 million gallons in 1845, according to Starbuck’s whaling history of 1878. https://www.britannica.com/technology/whale-oil. The professor tells about the history of whale oil and shows some examples. In the first half of the 20th century, whale oil’s applications broadened immensely. Soon the U.S. rock oil industry boomed as whale oil increased in price owing to the growing scarcity of that mammal. Thankfully due to refinements in technology & the help of organizations such as the International Whaling Commission the practice of whale hunting has mostly come to an end allowing several of the endangered species to slowly repopulate and rebuild their species, albeit on a much smaller scale. Long before the coming of electricity, whale oil was the most desired fuel for the lamps people used to light their homes. Whaling ships of the 18th and 19th centuries used a variety of tools to butcher whales. Krill Oil. These baleen whales were also hunted largely because their oil contained much more useful properties than the oil found in toothed whales. Its best known usage was for illumination in gas lamps because it burned brighter and clearer without a foul odor, but it was also used in candles and had other more modern uses. Early on, whole towns were lit by whale-oil street lamps. Soap Margarine. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Through a special refinement process, he turned whale oil into a fuel source that advanced the Isles' technology by centuries. From the 16th to 19th centuries whale oil was inedible and was used principally for lighting, lubrication and the manufacture of soap, textiles, jute, varnish, explosives and paint. Commercial viability Back at the start of the industrial age, whale oil was used for heating, lubrication, soap, candle wax, and the processing of textiles and rope. [NEITHER AHAB ’S FIRST MATE NOR THE COFFEE CHAIN , BTW , BUT A GUY NAMED ALEXANDER STARBUCK .] Corrections? proven fact that whale meat and blubber contain a huge amount of toxins and can be mortal to consume one way or the other.. Ambergris, is another whale ingredient derived from the waxy oil that lines whale’s stomachs. Some of the uses of whale oil over the years include: 1. oil lamps/candles 2. watch oil 3. motor oil additives 4. lubricant for delicate instruments 5. glycerine 6. cosmetics 7. rust-proofing compounds 8. detergents 9. leather tanning 10. typewriter ribbons 11. perfumes 12. pharmace… Even the cost of alternative resources began to make more sense than continuing to use whale oil. It can sometimes be found on the beach or floating in the water. In the 1700's it was noted that the burning oil from sperm whales glowed brightly and clearly and did not have a disagreeable odor … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Take advantage of our Presidents' Day bonus! It also turned the once marginal and supplementary whaling industry into the most vital industry for all the Isles. Some of the most popular whales that were hunted during the whaling era include the blue whale, the right whale & the bowhead whale, which were hunted mainly because of their large size and relatively slow nature. That is why it was so desirable. Whale oil, refined from blubber, was used to fuel lamps and was made into soap and candles. Lubricants. Fatty acids for soaps and fatty alcohols for cosmetics and detergents were derived by immersing whale oil fats in alkalis. A few of the uses of sperm whale oil over the years were as follows: illuminant (lamps) including railroad signal lamps until replaced by Galena Signal Oil from a Franklin, Pa., refinery : candles (first made from sperm head oil in 1750+ in Newport by Jacob Rodriguez Rivera) Baleen whale oil is composed primarily of triglycerides which made it much more useful in a variety of chemicals & applications which caused it to be more valuable than toothed whale oil which was composed largely of wax like properties. The diagrams are dramatically out-of-proportion. By the end of the 18th century, the burgeoning industrial revolution was requiring more and more oil, for the lubrication of machinery, including the spinning-jenny that had so revolutionized the woolen textile industry. Shark liver oil (SLO) has been used to help treat cancer, skin conditions, and respiratory ailments, as well as to reduce recurrent aphthous stomatitis and prevent radiation sickness. Jonathan Nathan Cobb/Public doman. Whale oil, also called train oil, any oil derived from any species of whale, including sperm oil from sperm whales, train oil from baleen whales, and melon oil from small toothed whales. Blubber yielded 50–80 percent oil by weight, bones 10–70 percent, and meat 2–8 percent. However, limited clinical data are available. The diagrams in this illustration display only a few of the tools used to butcher whales. From the 16th century through the 19th century, whale oil was used principally as lamp fuel and for producing soap . Whale Oil Uses. Prior to 1972, over 30 million lb (14 million kg) of sperm whale oil was used annually in lubricants because of its exceptional lubricity and heat stability. Jojoba oil was deemed a suitable replacement for sperm wale oil, and it was used in cosmetic products throughout the U.S. In fact many businesses welcomed these new innovations because whale oil had a bad order when burned & had a tendency to bleach clothing and other materials. Sperm whale oil was used as watch oil selling at $5.00 per ounce in 1957! Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil substance is used to make the scent “set” in perfumes. 3 Apart from its scriptural usage, the word is applied to any gigantic marine animal such as the whale , and hence, figuratively, of very large ships, and also of persons of outstanding strength, power, wealth or influence. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Somewhere I may still have a vial of mil-spec sperm whale oil. This oil is mainly found in the blubber layer of the whales, and for one particular species, the sperm whale, a special and highly prized oil is found in its head (Petroleumhistory.org, 2015). Production of whale oil during the 20th century usually took place on large factory ships, where minced whale blubber, bones, and flesh were cooked under steam pressure.