Castoreum a tincture in some perfumes and as a food additive. The government of Ontario pays trappers to harvest beaver castor sacs. The sacs brought between 2.62 - 5.10 Canadian dollars per ounce when auctioned at the May–June 2016 North American Fur Auction. At least 24 compounds are known constituents of beaver castoreum. Some of these have pheromonal activity. These are the phenols 4-ethylphenol and 1,2-dihydroxybenzene (catechol) and the ketones acetophenone and 3-hydroxyacetophenone. Five additional compounds noted are 4-methyl-1,2-dihydroxybenzene (4-methylcatechol), 4-methoxyacetophenone, 5-methoxysalicylic acid, salicylaldehyde, and 3-hydroxybenzoic acid. Other neutral compounds are oxygen-containing monoterpenes such as 6-methyl-l-heptanol, 4,6-dimethyl-l-heptanol, isopinocamphone, pinocamphone, two linalool
Castor wax Castor wax Castor wax, also called hydrogenated castor oil, is an opaque, white vegetable wax. It is produced by the hydrogenation of pure castor oil often in the presence of a nickel catalyst to increase the rate of reaction. The hydrogenation of castor oil forms saturated molecules of castor wax; this saturation is responsible for the hard, brittle and insoluble nature of the wax. Castor wax is used in polishes, cosmetics, electrical capacitors, carbon paper, lubrication and coatings and greases where resistance to moisture, oils and petrochemical products is required. Castor wax is also useful in polyurethane coating formulation, as