Camphor
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General |
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| Missing image Campher.png (+)-Campher |
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| Name | Camphor |
| Chemical formula | C10H16O. |
| Appearance | White or clear crystals |
| CAS-number | 76-22-2 |
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Physical |
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| Formula weight | 152.2358 amu |
| Melting point | 177 °C |
| Boiling point | 207 °C |
| Density | 0.99 ×103 kg/m3 |
| Solubility | 0.12 g in 100 ml water |
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Safety | |
| Dangers | Flammable, combustible |
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Information from Chemfinder (http://chemfinder.cambridgesoft.com). SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used. | |
Camphor, also known as 1,7,7-trimethyl-bicyclo(2,2,1)heptan-2-one, d-camphor, d-(+)-camphor, (+)-2-bornanone, d-2-bornanone, 1,7,7-Trimethylnorcamphor, 2-Camphanone, 2-camphonone, Bornan-2-one, or Caladryl has the chemical formula C10H16O.
Camphor is a white transparent waxy crystalline solid with a strong penetrating pungent aromatic odor. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel, Cinnamonum camphora, which is a large evergreen tree found in Asia (particularly in Borneo, hence its alternate name); it can also be synthetically produced from oil of turpentine.
Modern uses include as a plasticizer for cellulose nitrate, as a moth repellent, in embalming, and in fireworks. A form of anti-itch gel currently on the market uses camphor as its active ingredient. Historically it has been used in medicine. In 1980, the United States Food and Drug Administration set a limit of 11% allowable camphor in consumer products and totally banned products labeled as camphorated oil, camphor oil, camphor liniment, and camphorated liniment. Camphor is readily absorbed through the skin and produces a feeling of cooling similar to that of menthol and acts as slight local anesthetic; however, it is poisonous when ingested and can cause seizures, mental confusion, irritability, and neuromuscular hyperactivity. Since alternative treatments exist, medicinal use of camphor is discouraged, except for skin-related uses, such as medicated powders, which contain only small amounts of camphor.
Other substances deriving from trees are sometimes wrongly sold as camphor.
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de:Campher
ja:樟脳
pl:Kamfora
sv:Kamfer