Source, Etc

The oil expressed from the Bitter or Sweet Almond. See p. 161.

Description, Etc

Pale yellow, nearly inodorous. Specific gravity 0.915 to 0.920; iodine value 93 to 100; does not congeal above - 18°.

Consists of the glyceride of oleic acid and a little linolic acid; it contains no stearic acid. 'Kernel' oil, which may be used to adulterate almond oil, is obtained from apricot kernels (or possibly peach kernels); it may be detected by shaking 1 c.c. with 5 c.c. of a cooled mixture of equal parts by weight of sulphuric acid, fuming nitric acid and water (Bieber's test).