Castor Oil Author:Frederic P. Miller, Agnes F. Vandome, John McBrewster Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean. Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point is 313 °C (595 °F) and its density is 961 kg·m−3. It is a triglyceride in which approximately ninety percent of fatty acid chains are ricinoleic acid. Oleic and linoleic acids are... more » the other significant components.« less