Another bullet lube tangent...

Paden

Active Member
This stuff is entertaining reading, tho largely over my head. One thing I know tho is that "100% pure petrolatum" regardless of brand tends to darken/yellow with age/oxidation, so not sure how much can be inferred by color (?).
 

JonB

Halcyon member
Paden,
What kind of age are you talkin ? I'm a bit skeptical.
If it's oxidation or something like aging via UV exposure, wouldn't the yellowness be darker on the top and sides where it was exposed to air or light? The color of the Vaseline in these containers is consistent throughout...also the containers are labeled, "BEST BY NOV 2017"
 

Paden

Active Member
Apologies. I misinterpreted based on your statement the store was a liquidator. I assumed perhaps the darker product was older stock.

Yes, depending on size and type of container, often coloration occurs from outside in, but eventually the entire product darkens. This based on my experience with stuff left on the shelf for many years. Back in the day, vaseline was packaged in tin cans which blocked UV and same darkening still occurred, so I assume it has more to do with oxidation and possibly loss of volatiles? The smell changes over time too. (Bag Balm currently packaged in tin cans and same occurs with it).

I know nothing about how petroleum jelly is manufactured/refined. Question about what can be inferred from color was honest/innocent, not intended as judgmental/critical.

Edit: So, in the quest to answer my own curiosity reference product color differences I found this:

"The substance consists of saturated hydrocarbons with carbon numbers mainly higher than 25.
Its composition depends upon the petroleum source and refining process.
Highly refined (White Petrolatum) grades are used in pharmacy and cosmetics.
Less refined grades (Yellow, amber or brown Petrolatum) are used industrially and may contain impurities such as carcinogenic polycyclic aromatics."

and this:

http://www.kerasalpro.com/resources/key-ingredients/petrolatum-pharmaceuticalexcipients.pdf

So, I've learned that petrolatum is a variable hydrocarbon mixture, not a compound; may contain stabilizers/antioxidants; and color is dependent upon source ingredients and degree of refinement... All vaseline is not the same. (And it darkens with age).
 
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JonB

Halcyon member
Paden,
Hey, thanks for the info...no need to apologize...I didn't take you question as judgmental/critical. We are sharing knowledge here.

"carcinogenic polycyclic aromatics", sounds delicious !

I'm thinking (or hoping) that this cheap and slightly more yellow colored Vaseline will have more "junk" in it (less refined), which sounds quite likely from the info you posted...which might make SL68 better.
 
F

freebullet

Guest
With all the experimental lubes and discussion of such I'm baffled we don't have a 4k fps plain base lube worked out yet.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
oh you can get to 4-k without any leading with no problem.
making any of them actually hit the berm, or getting any of them even close together is another story.
 

Ian

Notorious member
The petrolatumy stuff sold in stores USED to be a section of the crude spectrum, I think now it's probably manufactured with a few, highly-refined leftover HC components from other refining processes to make something approximating what we used to know as "Vaseline". Industrial, non-USP varieties of petrolatum are still widely available.....if you want a railcar load or a the very least a 55-gallon drum.

I have an old, glass container of gen-u-ine yaller Vaseline from probably the late 60s or early 70s, it has a really oily smell and is smooth and uniform in texture, nothing like the white, USP stuff we buy today.