View source for Chemistry:Camphor

{{Short description|Toxic, waxy, and transparent aromatic organic compound}}
{{Chembox
| Verifiedfields = changed
| Watchedfields = changed
| verifiedrevid = 464187620
| Reference=<ref>''The Merck Index'', 7th edition, Merck & Co., Rahway, New Jersey, 1960</ref><ref>''Handbook of Chemistry and Physics'', CRC Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA</ref>
| ImageFile1 = Alcanfor-2D.svg
| ImageName1 = Structural formula of ''(R)'' and ''(S)''-camphor
| ImageCaption1 = (+)- and (−)-camphor
| ImageFile2 = Alcanfor-3D-xray.png
| ImageName2 = Ball and stick model of camphor (both enantiomers).
| IUPACName = 1,7,7-Trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one
| OtherNames = 2-Bornanone; Bornan-2-one; 2-Camphanone; Formosa
|Section1={{Chembox Identifiers
| CASNo = 76-22-2
| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| CASNo2 = 464-49-3
| CASNo2_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| CASNo2_Comment = (''R'')
| CASNo3 = 464-48-2
| CASNo3_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| CASNo3_Comment = (''S'')
| PubChem = 2537
| PubChem1 = 9543187
| PubChem1_Comment = (''R'')
| PubChem2 = 10050
| PubChem2_Comment = (''S'')
| ChemSpiderID = 2441
| ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}}
| ChemSpiderID1 = 7822160
| ChemSpiderID1_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}}
| ChemSpiderID1_Comment = (''R'')
| ChemSpiderID2 = 9655
| ChemSpiderID2_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}}
| ChemSpiderID2_Comment = (''S'')
| UNII_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}
| UNII = 5TJD82A1ET
| UNII1_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}
| UNII1 = N20HL7Q941
| UNII1_Comment = (''R'')
| UNII2_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}
| UNII2 = 213N3S8275
| UNII2_Comment = (''S'')
| EINECS = 200-945-0
| UNNumber = 2717
| KEGG = D00098
| KEGG_Ref = {{keggcite|correct|kegg}}
| MeSHName = Camphor
| ChEBI_Ref = {{ebicite|correct|EBI}}
| ChEBI = 36773
| ChEMBL = 504760
| ChEMBL_Ref = {{ebicite|changed|EBI}}
| IUPHAR_ligand = 2422
| RTECS = EX1225000
| Beilstein = 1907611
| Gmelin = 83275
| 3DMet = B04902
| DrugBank_Ref = {{drugbankcite|correct|drugbank}}
| DrugBank = DB01744
| SMILES = CC1(C)C2CCC1(C)C(=O)C2
| SMILES1 = O=C1CC2CCC1(C)C2(C)C
| StdInChI = 1S/C10H16O/c1-9(2)7-4-5-10(9,3)8(11)6-7/h7H,4-6H2,1-3H3
| StdInChI_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}
| InChI = 1/C10H16O/c1-9(2)7-4-5-10(9,3)8(11)6-7/h7H,4-6H2,1-3H3
| StdInChIKey = DSSYKIVIOFKYAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N
| StdInChIKey_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}
| InChIKey = DSSYKIVIOFKYAU-UHFFFAOYAK
}}
|Section2={{Chembox Properties
| C=10 | H=16 | O=1
| Appearance = White, translucent crystals
| Odor = Fragrant and penetrating
| Density = 0.992 g·cm<sup>−3</sup>
| MeltingPtC = 175–177
| BoilingPtC = 209
| Solubility = 1.2 g·dm<sup>−3</sup>
| Solvent1 = acetone
| Solubility1 = ~2500 g·dm<sup>−3</sup>
| Solvent2 = acetic acid
| Solubility2 = ~2000 g·dm<sup>−3</sup>
| Solvent3 = diethyl ether
| Solubility3 = ~2000 g·dm<sup>−3</sup>
| Solvent4 = chloroform
| Solubility4 = ~1000 g·dm<sup>−3</sup>
| Solvent5 = ethanol
| Solubility5 = ~1000 g·dm<sup>−3</sup>
| LogP = 2.089
| VaporPressure = 4{{nbsp}}mmHg (at 70&nbsp;°C)
| SpecRotation = +44.1°
| MagSus = {{val|-103e-6|u=cm<sup>3</sup>/mol}}
}}
|Section6={{Chembox Pharmacology
| ATCCode_prefix = C01
| ATCCode_suffix = EB02
}}
|Section7={{Chembox Hazards
| GHSPictograms = {{GHS02}}{{GHS07}}{{GHS08}}
| GHSSignalWord = Warning
| HPhrases = {{H-phrases|228|302|332|371}}
| PPhrases = {{P-phrases|210|240|241|260|261|264|270|271|280|301+312|304+312|304+340|309+311|312|330|370+378|405|501}}
| NFPA-H = 2
| NFPA-F = 2
| NFPA-R = 0
| ExploLimits = 0.6–3.5%<ref name=PGCH/>
| FlashPtC = 54
| AutoignitionPtC = 466
| IDLH = 200 mg/m<sup>3</sup><ref name=PGCH>{{PGCH|0096}}</ref>
| REL = TWA 2 mg/m<sup>3</sup><ref name=PGCH/>
| PEL = TWA 2 mg/m<sup>3</sup><ref name=PGCH/>
| LD50 = 1310 mg/kg (oral, mouse)<ref name=IDLH>{{cite web |url = https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/idlh/76222.html |title = Camphor (synthetic) |date = 4 December 2014 |publisher = National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |access-date = 19 February 2015 |archive-date = 13 March 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150313172407/http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/idlh/76222.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
| LCLo = 400 mg/m<sup>3</sup> (mouse, 3 hr)<ref name=IDLH/>
| LDLo = 800 mg/kg (dog, oral)<br/>2000 mg/kg (rabbit, oral)<ref name=IDLH/>
}}
|Section8={{Chembox Related
| OtherFunction_label = [[Chemistry:Ketone|Ketone]]s
| OtherFunction = [[Chemistry:Fenchone|Fenchone]], [[Chemistry:Thujone|Thujone]]
| OtherCompounds = [[Chemistry:Camphene|Camphene]], [[Chemistry:Pinene|Pinene]], [[Chemistry:Borneol|Borneol]], [[Chemistry:Isoborneol|Isoborneol]], [[Chemistry:Camphorsulfonic acid|Camphorsulfonic acid]]
}}
}}

'''Camphor''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|æ|m|f|ər}}) is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma.<ref>{{Cite book |vauthors=Mann JC, Hobbs JB, Banthorpe DV, Harborne JB |title=Natural products: their chemistry and biological significance |publisher=Longman Scientific & Technical |location=Harlow, Essex, England |year=1994 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780582060098/page/309 309–11] |isbn=978-0-582-06009-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780582060098/page/309 }}</ref> It is classified as a [[Biology:Terpenoid|terpenoid]] and a cyclic ketone.  It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (''[[Biology:Cinnamomum camphora|Cinnamomum camphora]]''), a large [[Biology:Evergreen|evergreen]] tree found in East Asia; and in the kapur tree ([[Biology:Dryobalanops|''Dryobalanops'' sp.]]), a tall timber tree from South East Asia. It also occurs in some other related trees in the [[Biology:Lauraceae|laurel family]], notably ''[[Biology:Ocotea usambarensis|Ocotea usambarensis]]''. [[Biology:Rosemary|Rosemary]] leaves (''[[Biology:Rosmarinus officinalis|Rosmarinus officinalis]]'') contain 0.05 to 0.5% camphor,<ref>{{cite web|title=Rosemary|url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/rosemary.html|publisher=Drugs.com|access-date=23 July 2016|archive-date=14 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914165804/https://www.drugs.com/npp/rosemary.html|url-status=live}}</ref> while camphorweed (''[[Biology:Heterotheca|Heterotheca]]'') contains some 5%.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lincoln |first1=D.E. |first2=B.M. |last2=Lawrence |year=1984 |title=The volatile constituents of camphorweed, Heterotheca subaxillaris |journal=Phytochemistry |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=933–934 |doi=10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85073-6}}</ref> A major source of camphor in Asia is [[Biology:Ocimum kilimandscharicum|camphor basil]] (the parent of [[Biology:African blue basil|African blue basil]]). Camphor can also be synthetically produced from oil of [[Chemistry:Turpentine|turpentine]].

The compound is chiral, existing in two possible [[Chemistry:Enantiomer|enantiomer]]s as shown in the structural diagrams. The structure on the left is the naturally occurring (+)-camphor ((1''R'',4''R'')-bornan-2-one), while its mirror image shown on the right is the (−)-camphor ((1''S'',4''S'')-bornan-2-one). Camphor has few uses but is of historic significance as a compound that is readily purified from natural sources.

==Etymology==
The word camphor derived in the 14th century from Old {{lang-fr|link=no|camphre}}, itself from Medieval {{lang-la|camfora}}, from {{lang-ar|كافور|kāfūr}}, perhaps through {{lang-sa|कर्पूर|karpūra}}, apparently from Austronesian {{lang-ms|kapur}} 'lime' (chalk).<ref>{{cite web |title=Camphor |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/camphor |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Douglas Harper |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523165548/https://www.etymonline.com/word/camphor |url-status=live }}</ref>

In Old Malay, camphor was called {{lang|ms|kapur barus}}, meaning "the chalk of Barus", referring to Barus, an ancient port near modern Sibolga on the western coast of Sumatra.<ref name="Persee">{{cite journal|title = An Indian Ocean Port: Sources for the Earlier History of Barus | first =Jane |last =Drakard |journal= Archipel |year =1989 |volume =37 |pages = 53–82 |doi=10.3406/arch.1989.2562}}</ref> This port traded in camphor extracted from the Borneo camphor trees (''[[Biology:Dryobalanops aromatica|Dryobalanops aromatica]]'') that were abundant in the region.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Laufer|first=Berthold|date=1919|title=SINO-IRANICA: Chinese Contributions to the History of Civilization in Ancient Iran|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/29782155|journal=Publications of the Field Museum of Natural History. Anthropological Series|series=Publication. Field Museum of Natural History |volume=15|issue=3|pages=478–479|doi=10.5962/bhl.title.3538 |jstor=29782155 |issn=0894-8380|access-date=2022-01-22|archive-date=2020-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117223750/https://www.jstor.org/stable/29782155|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Production==

===Natural camphor===
Camphor has been produced as a forest product for centuries, condensed from the vapor given off by the roasting of wood chips cut from Camphora officinarum, and later by passing steam through the pulverized wood and condensing the vapors.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | url = https://www.britannica.com/science/camphor | title = Camphor | publisher = | encyclopedia= britannica.com | access-date = 12 December 2018 | archive-date = 13 December 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181213114736/https://www.britannica.com/science/camphor | url-status = live }}</ref> By the early 19th century most camphor tree reserves had been depleted with the remaining large stands in {{wipe|Japan}} and Taiwan, with Taiwanese production greatly exceeding Japanese. Camphor was one of the primary resources extracted by Taiwan's colonial powers as well as one of the most lucrative. First the Chinese and then the Japanese established monopolies on Taiwanese camphor. In 1868, a British naval force sailed into Anping harbor and the local British representative demanded the end of the Chinese camphor monopoly. After the local imperial representative refused, the British bombarded the town and took the harbor. The "camphor regulations" negotiated between the two sides subsequently saw a brief end to the camphor monopoly.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cheung |first1=Han |title=Taiwan in Time: The camphor dispute |url= https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2020/11/15/2003746932 |publisher= | work= Taipei Times |access-date=14 November 2020 |archive-date=15 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115175311/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2020/11/15/2003746932 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Synthetic camphor===
Camphor is produced from alpha-pinene, which is abundant in the oils of coniferous trees and can be distilled from turpentine produced as a side product of chemical pulping. With acetic acid as the solvent and with catalysis by a strong acid, alpha-pinene is converted to [[Chemistry:Isobornyl acetate|isobornyl acetate]]. Hydrolysis of this ester gives [[Chemistry:Isoborneol|isoborneol]] which can be oxidized to give racemic camphor. By contrast, camphor occurs naturally as <small>D</small>-camphor, the (''R'')-[[Chemistry:Enantiomer|enantiomer]].{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

==Reactions==
The reactions of camphor have been extensively examined.  Some representative transformations include
*[[Chemistry:Sulfonation|sulfonation]]:<ref>{{OrgSynth | title = D,L-10-Camphorsulfonic acid (Reychler's Acid) | first1 = Paul D.| last1= Bartlett | first2= L. H.| last2= Knox | doi = 10.15227/orgsyn.045.0012 | year = 1965 | volume = 45 | pages = 12}}</ref>
:[[File:10-CSA synthesis.png|center|frameless|400x400px]]
<!--:[[File:Camphor-3-Brominecampher.png|500px]]-->
*oxidation with [[Chemistry:Selenium dioxide|selenium dioxide]] to [[Chemistry:Camphorquinone|camphorquinone]] .<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.15227/orgsyn.079.0125|title=Camphorquinone and Camphorquinone Monoxime |journal=Organic Syntheses |year=2002 |volume=79 |page=125|first1=James D.|last1=White|first2=Duncan J.|last2=Wardrop|first3=Kurt F.|last3=Sundermann }}</ref>  
:[[File:CamphorquinoneSynthesis.svg| center|frameless|320x320px]]

<!--[[File:Camphor-Camphor acid.png|500px]]-->

Camphor can also be reduced to [[Chemistry:Isoborneol|isoborneol]] using [[Chemistry:Sodium borohydride|sodium borohydride]].<!--

In 1998, K. Chakrabarti and coworkers from the [[Organization:Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science|Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science]], [[Place:Kolkata|Kolkata]], prepared diamond thin film using camphor as the precursor for [[Chemistry:Chemical vapor deposition|chemical vapor deposition]].<ref>{{Cite journal|vauthors=Chakrabarti K, Chakrabarti R, Chattopadhyay KK, Chaudhuri S, Pal AK |title= Nano-diamond films produced from CVD of camphor |journal=Diam Relat Mater|volume=7 |issue= 6|pages=845–52 |year=1998 |doi=10.1016/S0925-9635(97)00312-9 |bibcode = 1998DRM.....7..845C }}</ref>

In 2007, carbon nanotubes were successfully synthesized using camphor in [[Chemistry:Chemical vapor deposition|chemical vapor deposition]] process.<ref>{{Cite journal|vauthors=Kumar M, Ando Y |title=Carbon Nanotubes from Camphor: An Environment-Friendly Nanotechnology |journal=J Phys Conf Ser |volume=61 |issue= 1|pages=643–6 |year=2007 |doi=10.1088/1742-6596/61/1/129 |url=http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/1742-6596/61/1/129 |bibcode=2007JPhCS..61..643K|doi-access=free }}</ref>-->

==Biochemistry==
[[File:Camphor_biosynthesis_en.svg|400px|center|Biosynthesis of camphor from geranyl pyrophosphate]]

===Biosynthesis===
In [[Biology:Biosynthesis|biosynthesis]], camphor is produced from [[Chemistry:Geranyl pyrophosphate|geranyl pyrophosphate]], via cyclisation of [[Chemistry:Linalool|linaloyl]] pyrophosphate to [[Chemistry:Borneol|bornyl]] pyrophosphate, followed by hydrolysis to [[Chemistry:Borneol|borneol]] and oxidation to camphor.

==Uses==
The first significant manmade plastics were low-nitrogen (or "soluble") [[Chemistry:Nitrocellulose|nitrocellulose]] (pyroxylin) plastics. In the early decades of the plastics industry, camphor was used in immense quantities<ref name="Kennedy_Duncan_1911"/>{{rp|130}} as the plasticizer that creates [[Chemistry:Celluloid|celluloid]] from nitrocellulose, in [[Engineering:Lacquer#Nitrocellulose lacquers|nitrocellulose lacquers]] and other plastics and lacquers.

===Alternative medicine and scent===
Camphor has been used for its scent, as an embalming fluid, as [[Medicine:Topical medication|topical medication]], as a manufacturing chemical, and in religious ceremonies.
[[File:Camphor Cubes.jpg|thumb|Camphor cubes]]Camphor has been used as a folk medicine over centuries, probably most commonly as a decongestant.<ref name="Gilman">{{cite book|title=Goodman and Gilman, ''Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics'', Macmillan 1965, p. 982-983|isbn=9780071468046|last1=Parker |first1=Keith |last2=Brunton |first2=Laurence |last3=Lazo |first3=John |last4=Buxton |first4=Iain |last5=Blumenthal |first5=Donald |date=September 2005 }}</ref> Camphor was used in ancient Sumatra to treat sprains, swellings, and inflammation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Miller |first=Charles |title=History of Sumatra : An account of Sumatra |page=121}}</ref> Camphor also was used for centuries in [[Medicine:Traditional Chinese medicine|traditional Chinese medicine]] for various purposes.<ref name="Gilman" /> In Europe, camphor was used after the Black Death era.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Weiyang |last2=Vermaak |first2=Ilze |last3=Viljoen |first3=Alvaro |date=10 May 2013 |title=Camphor—a fumigant during the Black Death and a coveted fragrant wood in ancient Egypt and Babylon—a review |journal=Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=5434–5454 |doi=10.3390/molecules18055434 |issn=1420-3049 |pmc=6270224 |pmid=23666009|doi-access=free }}</ref> 

In the 20th century, camphor was used as an analeptic by injection,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wax |first=P. M. |date=1997 |title=Analeptic use in clinical toxicology: a historical appraisal |journal=Journal of Toxicology. Clinical Toxicology |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=203–209 |doi=10.3109/15563659709001195 |issn=0731-3810 |pmid=9120893}}</ref> and to induce seizures in [[Medicine:Schizophrenia|schizophrenic]] people in an attempt to treat [[Medicine:Psychosis|psychosis]].<ref>Bangen, Hans: Geschichte der medikamentösen Therapie der Schizophrenie. Berlin 1992, Page 51-55 {{ISBN|3-927408-82-4}}</ref>

Camphor has limited use in [[Medicine:Veterinary medicine|veterinary medicine]] by intramuscular injection to treat breathing difficulties in horses.<ref name="drugs-vet">{{cite web |title=Camphor injection (Canada) |url=https://www.drugs.com/vet/camphor-injection-can.html |publisher=Drugs.com |access-date=19 February 2020 |date=6 February 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727064923/https://www.drugs.com/vet/camphor-injection-can.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Topical medication===
Camphor is commonly applied as a [[Medicine:Topical medication|topical medication]] as a skin cream or ointment to relieve itching from insect bites, minor skin irritation, or joint pain.<ref name=drugs/> It is absorbed in the skin [[Biology:Epidermis|epidermis]],<ref name="drugs">{{cite web |title=Camphor cream and ointment |url=https://www.drugs.com/cdi/camphor-cream-and-ointment.html |publisher=Drugs.com |access-date=19 February 2020 |date=25 August 2019 |archive-date=3 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503034409/https://www.drugs.com/cdi/camphor-cream-and-ointment.html |url-status=live }}</ref> where it stimulates nerve endings sensitive to heat and cold, producing a warm sensation when vigorously applied, or a cool sensation when applied gently, indicating its properties as a counterirritant.<ref name = "Gilman"/> The action on nerve endings also induces a slight local analgesia.<ref name="Bonica">{{cite book| title=Bonica's Management of Pain|isbn=9780781768276|publisher=Wolters Kluwer - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|year=2009|location=Philadelphia, Baltimore|edition=4th|pages=29}}</ref>

===Respiratory aerosol===
Camphor is also used via an [[Chemistry:Aerosol|aerosol]], typically by steam inhalation, sometimes in the form of branded nasal inhaler sticks, to inhibit coughing and relieve upper airway congestion due to the common cold.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Camphor Inhalation Liquid: Indications, Side Effects, Warnings |url=https://www.drugs.com/cdi/camphor-inhalation-liquid.html |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Drugs.com |language=en}}</ref> However, the clinical efficiency of these remedies is challenged.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Burrow |first1=A. |last2=Eccles |first2=R |last3=Jones |first3=AS |date=July 1983 |title=The effects of camphor, eucalyptus and menthol vapour on nasal resistance to airflow and nasal sensation |journal=Acta Oto-Laryngologica |volume=96 |issue=1–2 |pages=157–161 |doi=10.3109/00016488309132886 |issn=0001-6489 |pmid=6613544}}</ref>

===Other niche uses===
Camphor is used by marksmen to blacken the front and rear sights of rifles to prevent the sights from reflecting.<ref>[some marksmen] "always blackened their sights by using a small piece of camphor."Chapel, Charles Edward, "The Boy's Book of Rifles, " Coward-McCann, Inc., New York, Copyright 1948, page 96.</ref> This is done by setting light to a small amount of camphor, which burns at a relatively low temperature, and using the soot rising from the flame to deposit a coating on a surface held above it. Historically, this soot blackening was also used to coat [[Engineering:Barograph|Barograph]] record charts.

===Pest deterrent and preservative===
Camphor is believed to be toxic to insects and is thus sometimes used as a repellent.<ref>The Housekeeper's Almanac, or, the Young Wife's Oracle! for 1840!. No. 134. New-York: Elton, 1840. Print.</ref> Camphor is used as an alternative to [[Biology:Mothball|mothball]]s. Camphor crystals are sometimes used to prevent damage to insect collections by other small insects. It is kept in clothes used on special occasions and festivals, and also in cupboard corners as a cockroach repellent. The smoke of camphor crystal or camphor incense sticks can be used as an environmentally-friendly mosquito repellent.<ref>{{Cite book
|publisher = APH Publishing
|isbn = 978-8-176-48135-9
|last = Ghosh
|first = G.K.
|title = Biopesticide and Integrated Pest Management
|year = 2000}}</ref>

Recent studies have indicated that camphor essential oil can be used as an effective fumigant against red fire ants, as it affects the attacking, climbing, and feeding behavior of major and minor workers.<ref>{{Cite journal
|vauthors = Fu JT, Tang L, Li WS, Wang K, Cheng DM, Zhang ZX
|title = Carbon Nanotubes from Camphor: An Environment-Friendly Nanotechnology 
|journal = J Insect Sci
|volume = 15
|issue = 1
|pages = 129
|year=2015|doi = 10.1093/jisesa/iev112 
|pmid = 26392574 
|pmc = 4664941 
}}</ref>

Camphor is also used as an [[Biology:Antimicrobial|antimicrobial]] substance. In embalming, camphor oil was one of the ingredients used by ancient Egyptians for mummification.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1475-mummymaking-complexity-revealed.html#.VKVwGMksoow|title=Mummy-making complexity revealed|access-date=3 July 2018|archive-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518073513/http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1475-mummymaking-complexity-revealed.html#.VKVwGMksoow|url-status=live}}</ref>

Solid camphor releases fumes that form a rust-preventative coating and is therefore stored in tool chests to protect tools against rust.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Remove rust from tools |url=https://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/inftools/infremove_rust_from_tools.html |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=www.naturalhandyman.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Perfume===
In the ancient Arab world, camphor was a common perfume ingredient.<ref>{{Cite book
|publisher = Springer Netherlands
|isbn = 978-9-401-12296-2 
|last = Groom
|first = N.
|title = The Perfume Handbook
|year = 2012
}}</ref> The Chinese referred to the best camphor as "dragon's brain perfume", due to its "pungent and portentous aroma" and "centuries of uncertainty over its provenance and mode of origin".<ref name="Donkin 1999">{{Cite book
|publisher = Brill
|isbn = 978-9-004-10983-4
|last = Donkin
|first = R. A.
|title = Dragon's Brain Perfume: An Historical Geography of Camphor
|year = 1999}}</ref>

===Culinary uses===
One of the earliest known recipes for ice cream dating to the Tang dynasty includes camphor as an ingredient.<ref name=rsc>{{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Chris |title=Science of Ice Cream |year=2004 |url=https://archive.org/details/scienceicecream00clar_002 |url-access=limited |publisher=Royal Society of chemistry |page=[https://archive.org/details/scienceicecream00clar_002/page/n21 4]}}</ref> It was used to flavor leavened bread in ancient Egypt.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Muller |first1=H. G. |title=Baking and bakeries |date=1986 |publisher=Shire Publications |isbn=9780852638019 |page=7}}</ref> In ancient and medieval Europe, camphor was used as an ingredient in sweets. It was used in a wide variety of both savory and sweet dishes in medieval Arabic language cookbooks, such as ''al-Kitab al-Ṭabikh'' compiled by ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq in the 10th century.<ref>{{Cite book
| publisher = Brill
| series = Islamic History and Civilization, 70
| isbn = 978-0-415-35059-4
| last = Nasrallah
| first = Nawal
| title = Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayyâr al-Warrâq's Tenth-century Baghdadi Cookbook
| location = Leiden, The Netherlands
| year = 2007
}}</ref> It also was used in sweet and savory dishes in the ''Ni'matnama'', according to a book written in the late 15th century for the sultans of Mandu.<ref>{{Cite book
| publisher = Routledge
| series = Routledge Studies in South Asia
| isbn = 978-0-415-35059-4
| last = Titley
| first = Norah M.
| title = The Ni'matnama Manuscript of the Sultans of Mandu: The Sultan's Book of Delights
| location = London, UK
| year = 2004
}}</ref> It is a main constituent of a spice known as "edible camphor" (or ''kapur''), which may be used in traditional South Indian desserts like Payasam and Chakkarai Pongal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=5 Unique Culinary Uses Of Edible Camphor To Add To Your Diet |url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/5-interesting-culinary-uses-of-edible-camphor-you-must-know-1826287 |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=NDTV Food |language=en}}</ref>

===Religious rites===

Camphor is widely used in Hindu religious ceremonies. Aarti is performed after placing it on a stand and setting fire to it usually as the last step of [[Religion:Puja (Hinduism)|puja]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The book of Hindu festivals and ceremonies|last=Bahadur|first=Om Lata|isbn=978-81-86112-23-6|publisher=UBS Publishers Distributors ltd.|year=1996|location=New Delhi|edition=3rd|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bookofhindufesti0000baha/page/172 172–3]|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofhindufesti0000baha/page/172}}{{dead link|date=January 2023}}</ref> Camphor is mentioned in the [[Religion:Quran|Quran]] as being the fragrance of wine given to believers in heaven.<ref>Quran 76:5 pg 578</ref>

==Toxicity==
Applied on skin, camphor may cause allergic reactions in some people; when ingested by mouth, camphor cream or ointment is poisonous.<ref name=drugs/> In high ingested doses, camphor produces symptoms of irritability, disorientation, lethargy, muscle spasms, vomiting, abdominal cramps, convulsions, and seizures.<ref name="Medline">{{Cite web | title = Camphor overdose | url = https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002566.htm | publisher = MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, US National Institutes of Health | date = 12 January 2019 | access-date = 19 February 2020 | archive-date = 5 July 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160705120523/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002566.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> Lethal doses by ingestion in adults are in the range 50–500 [[Chemistry:Lethal dose#Units and measurement|mg/kg]] (orally). Generally, ingestion of two grams causes serious toxicity and four grams is potentially lethal.<ref>{{cite web | publisher = International Programme on Chemical Safety | title = Poisons Information Monograph: Camphor | url = http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/pharm/camphor.htm | access-date = 12 December 2008 | archive-date = 2021-02-11 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210211082914/http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/pharm/camphor.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>

Airborne camphor may be toxic if respired by humans. The Permissible Exposure Limit ([[Earth:Permissible exposure limit|PEL]]) for camphor in ambient air is 2 mg/m<sup>3</sup> at exposure time (TWA) not more than 8 hours. 200 mg/m<sup>3</sup> is considered a very dangerous concentration ([[Chemistry:Immediately dangerous to life or health|IDLH]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=CAMPHOR {{!}} Occupational Safety and Health Administration |url=https://www.osha.gov/chemicaldata/612 |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.osha.gov}}</ref>

==History of synthetic camphor==
When its use in the nascent [[Engineering:Chemical industry|chemical industries]] (discussed below) greatly increased the volume of demand in the late 19th century, potential for [[Finance:Supply and demand|changes in supply and in price]] followed. In 1911 Robert Kennedy Duncan, an industrial chemist and educator, related that the [[Place:Empire of Japan|Imperial Japanese]] government had recently (1907–1908) tried to monopolize the production of natural camphor as a forest product in Asia but that the monopoly was prevented by the development of the [[Chemistry:Total synthesis|total synthesis]] alternatives,<ref name="Kennedy_Duncan_1911">{{Citation |last=Kennedy Duncan |first=Robert |year=1911 |title=Some Chemical Problems of Today |chapter=Camphor: An Industry Revolutionized |publisher=Harper and Brothers |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JBVDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA128 |lccn=11026192 |postscript=. |access-date=2018-01-17 |archive-date=2020-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727161621/https://books.google.com/books?id=JBVDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA128 |url-status=live }}</ref> which began in "purely academic and wholly uncommercial"<ref name="Kennedy_Duncan_1911"/> form with Gustav Komppa's first report:

{{Blockquote|"{{Omission}} but it sealed the fate of the Japanese monopoly {{Omission}} For no sooner was it accomplished than it excited the attention of a new army of investigators—the industrial chemists. The patent offices of the world were soon crowded with alleged commercial syntheses of camphor, and of the favored processes companies were formed to exploit them, factories resulted, and in the incredibly short time of two years after its academic synthesis artificial camphor, every whit as good as the natural product, entered the markets of the world {{Omission}} And yet artificial camphor does not—and cannot—displace the natural product to an extent sufficient to ruin the camphor-growing industry. Its sole present and probable future function is to act as a permanent check to monopolization, to act as a balance-wheel to regulate prices within reasonable limits."<ref name="Kennedy_Duncan_1911"/>{{rp|133–134}}}}

This ongoing check on price growth was confirmed in 1942 in a monograph on [[Company:DuPont|DuPont]]'s history, where William S. Dutton said, "Indispensable in the manufacture of pyroxylin plastics, natural camphor imported from Formosa and selling normally for about 50 cents a pound, reached the high price of $3.75 in 1918 [amid the global trade disruption and high explosives demand that World War I created]. The organic chemists at DuPont replied by synthesizing camphor from the turpentine of southern US pine stumps, with the result that the price of industrial camphor sold in carload lots in 1939 was between 32 cents and 35 cents a pound."<ref name="Dutton_1942">{{Citation |last=Dutton |first=William S. |year=1942 |title=Du Pont: One Hundred and Forty Years |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WEtZAAAAYAAJ |lccn=42011897 |postscript=. |access-date=2018-01-17 |archive-date=2020-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804134517/https://books.google.com/books?id=WEtZAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|293}}


==See also==
* [[Chemistry:1,4-Dichlorobenzene|1,4-Dichlorobenzene]]
* [[Chemistry:Citral|Citral]]
* [[Chemistry:Eucalyptol|Eucalyptol]]
* Lavender
* Vaporizer

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Camphors}}
*[http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/pharm/camphor.htm INCHEM] at IPCS ([[Chemistry:International Programme on Chemical Safety|International Programme on Chemical Safety]])
*[https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0096.html NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards – Camphor] at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

{{Non-timber forest products}}
{{Transient receptor potential channel modulators}}

[[Category:Perfume ingredients]]
[[Category:Ketones]]
[[Category:Monoterpenes]]
[[Category:Cyclopentanes]]

{{Sourceattribution|Camphor}}