Most often, mineral oil is a liquid by-product of refining crude oil to make gasoline and other petroleum products. This type of mineral oil in is a transparent, colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes[2] and cycloalkanes, related to petroleum jelly. It has a density of around 0.8 g/cm3.[3]
Mineral oil is a substance of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large quantities. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and can often be found in drug stores.