About 90% of the fatty acid content in castor oil is the ricinolein.

Ricinoleic acid is manufactured for industries by saponification or fractional distillation of hydrolyzed castor oil.

[2] The first attempts to prepare ricinoleic acid were made by Friedrich Krafft in 1888.

[4][5] The mechanism of the base-induced cleavage is proposed to proceed by initial dehydrogenation of the secondary alcohol, affording the ketone.

[6] The zinc salt is used in personal care products such as deodorants.