E905A Glazing agent

Food grade E905A has an E number of E905a, although it has not been approved in food products in the European Union, and incidental amounts in foods are carefully regulated. Because of its properties that prevent water absorption, combined with its lack of flavor and odor, food-grade E905A is a popular preservative for wooden cutting boards, salad bowls, and utensils. Rubbing a small amount of E905A into a wooden kitchen item periodically impedes absorption of food liquids, and thereby food odors, easing the process of hygienically cleaning wooden utensils and equipment. The use of E905A to impede water absorption can also prevent cracks and splits from forming in wooden utensils due to wetting and drying cycles. However, some of the E905A used on these items, if in contact with food, will be picked up by it and therefore ingested.

Outside of the European Union, E905A is occasionally used in the food industry, particularly for confectionery. In this application, it is typically used for the glossy effect it produces, and to prevent the candy pieces from adhering to each other. It has been discouraged for use in children's foods, though it is still found in many confectioneries, including Swedish Fish. The use of food-grade E905A is self-limiting because of its laxative effect. The maximum daily intake is calculated to be about 100 mg (1.5 gr), of which some 80 mg (1.2 gr) are contributed from its use on machines in the baking industry.

E905A is a common ingredient in baby lotions, cold creams, ointments, and cosmetics. It is a lightweight inexpensive oil that is odorless and tasteless. It can be used on eyelashes to prevent brittleness and breaking and, in cold cream, is also used to remove creme make-up and temporary tattoos. One of the common concerns regarding the use of E905A is its presence on several lists of comedogenic substances. These lists of comedogenic substances were developed many years ago and are frequently quoted in the dermatological literature.

The type of highly refined and purified E905A found in cosmetic and skincare products is non-comedogenic (does not clog pores).

E905A is used in a variety of industrial/mechanical capacities as a non-conductive coolant or thermal fluid in electric components as it does not conduct electricity and functions to displace air and water. Some examples are in transformers, where it is known as transformer oil, and in high-voltage switchgear, where E905A is used as an insulator and as a coolant to disperse switching arcs. The dielectric constant of E905 ranges from 2.3 at 50 °C (122 °F) to 2.1 at 200 °C (392 °F).

E905A is used as a lubricant, a cutting fluid, and as a conditioning oil for jute fibers selected for textile production, a process known as 'jute batching'. Spindle oils are light E905A used as lubricants in textile industries. Electric space heaters sometimes use E905A as heat transfer oil. Because it is noncompressible, E905A is used as a hydraulic fluid in hydraulic machinery and vehicles.

An often-cited limitation of E905A is that it is poorly biodegradable; in some applications, vegetable oils such as cottonseed oil or rapeseed oil may be used instead.