An oil is any nonionic chemical substance that’s a viscous liquid at close temperatures and is each hydrophobic (does not combine with water, virtually “water fearing”) and lipotropic (mixes with alternative oils, virtually “fat loving”). Oils have a high carbon and atomic number 1 content and are typically ignitable and surface active.
The general definition of oil includes classes of chemical compounds that may be otherwise unrelated in structure, properties, and uses. Oils may be animal, vegetable, or petrochemical in origin, and may be volatile or non-volatile. They are used for food (e.g., olive oil), fuel (e.g., heating oil), medical purposes (e.g., mineral oil), lubrication (e.g. motor oil), and the manufacture of many types of paints, plastics, and other materials. Specially prepared oils are used in some religious ceremonies and rituals as purifying agents.
