Researchers from Brazil conducted an experiment to evaluate the antimicrobial actions of sodium hypochlorite and castor oil solutions against specific microorganisms. Acrylic 
resin specimens were obtained, sterilized and contaminated with important bacterial and Candida species.
Results showed that sodium hypochlorite solutions completely eliminated all microorganisms while castor oil solution provided moderate efficacy and performed differently on tested species.
Researchers from Spain used castor oil as a matrix material to prepare biocompatible and biodegradable nanocomposite films filled with chitosan modified ZnO nanoparticles for wound healing. The biocomposites were prepared by solution mixing and casting method. The morphology, structure and wound healing properties of the films were analysed. The antibacterial activity of the films were investigated in the presence and absence of UV light.
Results showed that the antibacterial activity was stronger against gram positive bacteria. Composites with nanoparticle loading enabled faster wound healing thus showing the potential to be applied as antibacterial wound dressings.
Scientists performed an experiment to analyze the effect of catalysis pyrolysis of
castor seed on the yield of oil. Catalytic pyrolysis was carried out at 400°C for different ratios of catalyst to biomass using zeolite as catalyst.
Results showed that compared to thermal pyrolysis of castor seed, catalytic pyrolysis decreased the yield of oil and that the bio oil contained compounds with carbon chain length in the range of C4-C24 that is similar to most of the fuels used.
Scientists from Malaysia performed an experiment to determine the solubility of castor oil by using supercritical carbon dioxide as extracti
ng solvent. A simple dynamic technique was used to obtain the solubility of castor oil in super critical carbon dioxide. Five semi-empirical models were tested for their ability to correlate the experimental data.
Results showed that the test models used correlated the castor oil solubility data with the lowest average absolute relative deviation percentage (AARD %).
Researchers from Japan performed an experiment to analyze the change in characteristics of PLLA by introducing a biobased branched polymer bearing castor oil core as a nucleating agent. The Biobased polymer bearing castor oi
l core was synthesized. The nucleating effect of the branched polymer on the crystallization of PLLA was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry and a polarized optical microscopy.
Results showed that by the addition of the branched polymer, the spherulite size of PLLA became smaller and the strain at break of PLLA containing the branched polymer was improved.
Scientists conducted an experiment to analyze the influence of isocyanate, hydroxyl groups and transesterified castor oil on the structure and properties of polyurethane. 
Polyurethane was synthesized using transesterified castor oil and partially Biobased isocyanate with varying concentrations of isocyanate and hydroxyl groups.
The chemical and mechanical properties, thermal stability of polyurethanes were analyzed. Results showed that NCO/OH molar ratio had profound effect on the tensile properties and modulus of polyurethanes.
Scientists from Korea have conducted an experiment to test the effects of castor oil/ polycaprolactone hybrid polyols on the properties of biopolyurethane. Organic solvent soluble castor oil/polycaprolactone diol (PCL) based polyurethane was prepared.
The results showed that the tensile properties and shape memory of castor oil/PCL based polyurethane were enhanced when compared with PCL based polyurethane. The enhancement in properties was due to the increased hard segment portion and cross linking density by 3 urethane bonds formed per molecule in the castor oil/PCL mixed system.
This research suggests that castor oil/ PCL based polyurethane could be used as biobased coating materials.
Scientists from India synthesized a renewable resource based epoxidized castor
oil (ECO) and used it as a prime material to develop acrylated epoxidized castor oil (AECO) networks. AECO nanocomposites were prepared by sol-gel method using OMMT clay and silane.
The results showed that AECO/1 wt.% OMMT system increases in tensile strength from 28 to 37 MPa and flexural strength from 54 to 63 MPa as compared with the AECO system, respectively.
A team of researchers from China have conducted an experiment to synthesize castor oil based plasticizers containing flame retarded group and their use in poly vinyl chlor
ide as a secondary plasticizer. Initially epoxidized castor oil (ECO) and castor oil phosphate ester (COPE) were synthesized and their structure was characterized. The property of PVC blends plasticized with ECO and COPE as a secondary plasticizer was studied.
The results showed that the thermal stability of plasticized PVC blends was improved; the flame retardant performance of COPE was put into effect by promoting polymer carbonization and forming a consolidated and thick flame retardant coating.
Increasing the yield of castor from 1 T/hectare per year (the average right now in India) to something much higher is a highly desirable outcome, but not very easy.
The best way to overcome yield challenge in castor industry is to concentrate more on research and development (R&D) area.
Many techniques are emerging in R&D sector to increase the yield of castor. These include