Bowl of black walnuts in shells
Black walnut (Juglans nigra) or American walnut is a native American hardwood tree that yields edible nuts in shells. The timber, bark, shells and nuts all have uses. It is native to the eastern and central United States.
Black Walnut Shells Are Used in Cosmetics
Dried, milled black walnut shells are used for self-tanning cosmetics. It is a big business in Europe at 200,000 pounds annually.
Industrial Uses
Ground-up black walnut shells go into products used for metal cleaning and polishing, oil well drilling, paint and explosives. They are used to clean jet engines, electronic circuit boards, ships and auto gear systems. The paint industry uses the shells to make plaster-effect paints. The ground-up shell also can be used as a natural stain. The shells are used as filler in dynamite.
Herbal and Dietary Supplements
There are many links on the Internet advertising black walnut products in herbal or dietary supplements. Such supplements are not regulated by the government, so take care in using them. People have used home remedies made from black walnuts, shells and bark for centuries. The husk of the shell has been chewed for colic, used as a poultice for swelling, and used to cure fungal infections of the skin, hair and fingernails.
Other Uses
Crushed black walnut shells are used as a cleaning agent for guns. Walnut shelling plants in Lodi, California, and Stockton, Missouri, sell the shells as fuel for cogeneration (steam and electricity-producing) power plants. Black walnut shells make gritty agents for soaps and dental cleansers. The husk of the black walnut shell may be spread on pastures or other land areas when the walnuts are processed. It is plowed under to break up the soil and encourage the grass to grow.
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