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Sperm oil (see also: Spermaceti) is a waxy liquid obtained from . It is a clear, yellowish liquid with a very faint odor. Sperm oil has a different composition from common whale oil, obtained from rendered blubber. Although it is traditionally called an "oil", it is technically a liquid wax. It is composed of with a small proportion of , an ester of an unsaturated fatty acid, and a branched-chain fatty alcohol. It is a natural antioxidant and heat transfer agent. In the late-18th and early-19th centuries, sperm oil was prized as an illuminant for its bright, odorless flame and as a lubricant for its low viscosity and stability. It was supplanted in the late 19th century by less expensive alternatives such as kerosene and petroleum-based lubricants. With the 1987 international ban on whaling, sperm oil is no longer legally sold.
The oil from was sometimes called "Arctic sperm oil." It was cheaper than but inferior to true sperm oil.
On land, the casks of head-matter were allowed to chill during the winter, causing it to congeal into a spongy and viscous mass. The congealed matter was then loaded into wool sacks and placed in a press to squeeze out its liquid. This liquid was bottled and sold as "winter-strained sperm oil". This was the most valuable product: a lubricant that remained liquid in freezing winter temperatures. When spring came and the leftover solid matter melted a bit, the liquid was strained off and sold as "spring-strained sperm oil". In summer, the matter melted some more and the liquid was strained off to leave a fully solid wax. This wax, brown in color, was then bleached and sold as "spermaceti wax". Wilson Heflin (2004). Herman Melville's Whaling Years. pg 232
Spermaceti is a liquid wax, composed mostly of (chiefly cetyl palmitate) and a smaller proportion of , with oleic acid being the most common fatty acid. The proportion of wax esters in the spermaceti organ increases with the age of the whale: 38-51% in calves, 58-87% in adult females, and 71-94% in adult males. The blubber oil of the whale is about 66% wax.William F. Perrin, Bernd Würsig, J. G. M. Thewissen (2002). Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. pg 1164 When cooled to below , the waxes in spermaceti begin to crystallize.
Winter-strained sperm oil is roughly two-thirds wax esters and one third triglycerides. Most of the carbon chains are unsaturated, with 18:1 being the most common. Unlike other toothed whales save the Amazon river dolphin, most of the carbon chains in the wax esters are relatively long (C10-C22).
In the US, sperm oil was used in cars as an additive to automatic transmission fluid until it was banned by the Endangered Species Act. It was also a major component of hydraulic fluid in (like the ubiquitous JDM Type 303 Special Hydraulic Fluid) until its withdrawal in 1974." The Yellow Bucket", Thomas Glenn, Lubes N' Greases, LND Publishing Co., Inc., February 2012, Vol. 18, No. 2, p.12.
Prior to 1972, over of sperm whale oil was used annually in lubricants because of its exceptional lubricity and heat stability.Landis, Phil. Gears for the Transmission Rebuilding Industry. Oxnard: Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, 2010. Print. In 1972, the sperm whale was listed as an Endangered Species. The following year, the US Congress amended the Endangered Species Act, outlawing the killing of whales and the use of their oil. The loss of sperm oil had a profound impact in the automotive industry, where for example, transmission failures rose from under 1 million in 1972 to over 8 million by 1975.
Sperm oil was a popular lubricant. It worked well for fine, light machinery such as sewing machines and watches because it is thin, does not congeal or dry out and does not corrode metals. It was also used in heavy machinery such as locomotives and steam-powered looms because it can withstand high temperatures.: Paul Lucier, Scientists and Swindlers (2008). Consulting on Coal and Oil in America. pg 152. In the late 20th century, jojoba oil was discovered to be a better substitute for high-friction applications because it is even more stable at high temperatures. This caused sperm oil's price to collapse to a tenth of its previous value.James R. McGuigan, R. Charles Moyer, Frederick H. deB Harris (2010). Managerial Economics, pg 29.
Because of its very low freezing point, sperm oil saw widespread use in the aerospace industry. American Whaling, New Bedford Whaling Museum. Modified August 22, 2014.
Sperm oil was used to protect metals from rust. A coat of sperm oil provided a temporary protection for the metal components in firearms, because it did not dry out or gum up.Roy F. Dunlap (1963). Gunsmithing: The complete sourcebook of firearms design, construction, alteration, and restoration for amateur and professional gunsmiths. pg= 84.William S. Brophy (1985). The Springfield 1903 Rifles. pg 71. It was the basis of the original (but not current) Rust-Oleum.
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