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I am doing a project where I heat up a container (around 500ml) filed with castor oil at room temperature. I want to add a pressure/safety valve that opens up when the castor oil reaches around 300 degrees Celsius (boiling temperature). In order to get the right valve I have to know how much the pressure increases with in that process. How can I calculate this? And were can I find the required data?

Is there something else I need to consider?

Thanks,

EDIT: Like I have experienced, it seems impossible to find the required data. What if I used mineral oil instead?

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  • $\begingroup$ If castor oil boils at 300 °C, then adding a pressure would increase the boiling point. What you need is a thermometer that signals when a defined temperature is reached. The boiling point of mineral oil depends on the refinement. Although I would think most would be above 300 °C. $\endgroup$
    – LDC3
    May 17, 2014 at 14:04
  • $\begingroup$ pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/je049898o $\endgroup$
    – DavePhD
    May 17, 2014 at 14:17
  • $\begingroup$ Can you be more precise about the intended function of the "safety" valve? If it's just intended to release pressure to avoid rupturing the container, you can just use what is called a "check valve", set at the appropriate pressure. In that case, if the pressure rises too high in the vessel, it will release pressure until it drops back down below the limit of the check valve (within some specified tolerance). Does that sound like what you need? I'd also point out that castor oil vapor may not be compatible with the designs of many standard check valves .. you need to check with the vendor. $\endgroup$
    – dtmoore1971
    Jan 9, 2015 at 2:39
  • $\begingroup$ Meh .. just noticed the date on this question. Oh well, perhaps the OP is still interested in this project. $\endgroup$
    – dtmoore1971
    Jan 9, 2015 at 2:40

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