CASHEW NUTSHELL LIQUID

Cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) or cashew shell oil is a natural resin with a yellowish sheen found in the honeycomb structure of the cashew nutshell, and is a byproduct of processing cashew nuts. It is a raw material of multiple uses in developing drugs, antioxidants, fungicides, and biomaterials.  It is used in tropical folk medicine and for antitermite treatment of timber.

Its composition varies depending on how it is processed.

These substances are skin allergens, like the oils of poison ivy, and present danger during manual cashew processing.

Anacardic acid is also used in the chemical industry for the production of cardanol, which is used for resins, coatings, and frictional materials.

These substances are skin allergens, like the oils of poison ivy, and present danger during manual cashew processing.