What is Paraffin Wax?
Paraffin wax, colorless or white, somewhat translucent, is a hard wax consisting of a mixture of solid straight-chain hydrocarbons ranging in melting point from about 48ᵒ to 66ᵒ C. It is obtained from petroleum by dewaxing light lubricating oil stocks. It is solid at room temperature and begins to melt above approximately 37 °C (99 °F). Common applications for paraffin wax include lubrication, electrical insulation, and candles, wax paper, polishes, cosmetics, and electrical insulators. It assists in extracting perfumes from flowers, forms a base for medical ointments, and supplies a waterproof coating for wood. In wood and paper matches, it helps to ignite the matchstick by supplying an easily vaporized hydrocarbon fuel.
Fully refined paraffin wax of which oil content is maximum 0.5% and melting point 60/62 C. semi refined paraffin wax of which oil content is from 1% to 10% and melting point 58/60, 60/62 or 62/64 C, our paraffin wax colors differ from snow white transparent to cream depending its oil content and being heavy or light grade which is related to the melting point of the raw material used. Paraffin wax is a white or colorless soft solid derivable from petroleum, coal or oil shale, that consists of a mixture of hydrocarbonmolecules containing between twenty and forty carbon atoms. These waxes are categorized by oil content and the degree of refinement. The crudest versions fall into the slack wax category and contain between 7% to 20% oil. Next on the step of refinement are scale waxes containing between 0.5% to 7% oil that are called Semi Refined Paraffin Wax. The highest grade of refinement is the Fully Refined Paraffin Wax that has maximum 0.5% oil. Paraffin wax, colourless or white, somewhat translucent, hard wax consisting of a mixture of solid straight-chain hydrocarbons ranging in melting point from about 52° to 66° C (120° to 150° F). It is solid at room temperature and begins to melt above approximately 37 °C (99 °F) its boiling point is >370 °C (698 °F) Common applications for paraffin wax include lubrication, electrical insulation,rubber, and candles. It is distinct from kerosene, another petroleum product that is sometimes called paraffin. Praffin wax are semi refined and fully refined type. Semi refined is large used for making rubber product.
History and Manufacturing process of Paraffin Wax
Paraffin wax was first produced commercially in 1867, less than 10 years after the first petroleum well was drilled. It precipitates readily from petroleum on chilling. Technical progress has served only to make the separations and filtration more efficient and economical. Purification methods consist of chemical treatment, decolorization by adsorbents, and fractionation of the separated waxes into grades by distillation, recrystallization, or both. Crude oils differ widely in wax content. Synthetic paraffin wax was introduced commercially after World War II as one of the products obtained in the Fischer–Tropsch reaction, which converts coal gas to hydrocarbons. Snow-white and harder than petroleum paraffin wax, the synthetic product has a unique character and high purity that make it a suitable replacement for certain vegetable waxes and as a modifier for petroleum waxes and for some plastics, such as polyethylene.
Crude oil is the most important source of paraffin wax. Oil Refineries produce two main streams product category from crude oil; Fuels and lubricants. In the production of lubricants, refineries use atmospheric distillation residue as raw material and process it further until finished lubricant product is made. The byproduct of this process is called SLACK WAX, which is the raw material for paraffin wax manufactures in order to produce paraffin wax. Slack wax in general, is a mixture of Wax and Oil, which depend on the origin of material, can contain 25% oil content.
The other and most advanced process of making paraffin wax is by Conversion of natural gas, gasified coal, and biomass to synthetic fuels. See the below process flow diagram.
It is proven that commercially processing slack wax is more economical compared to the conversion of natural gas into paraffin wax. However, recent changes in oil and gas industry and environmental concerns shifted the view of manufacturers to use advanced manufacturing process and use natural gas as the feedstock.
There are several methods which manufacturers and refineries can obtain paraffin wax from slack wax. The oldest method is Appling pressure on slack wax in order to separate oil from wax and filter the recovered wax. The finished product of this process is outdated in today’s world but still, local manufacturers use this process.
Usage of Paraffin
Our state of the art refinery makes us able to source high quality semi-refined paraffin wax and fully refined paraffin wax with oil content in the ranges of 3-5 %, 1-2 %, and less than 1%, which can be used in various industries.
Paraffin wax is the primary raw material utilized in the production of candles and is used in the manufacture of rubber and tires, chipboard, plastics, foodstuffs, food packaging, printing inks and paints, textiles, asphalt and many other products.
- It is used in candles, wax paper, polishes, cosmetics, and electrical insulators.
- It assists in extracting perfumes from flowers, forms a base for medical ointments, and supplies a waterproof coating for wood.
- In wood and paper matches, it helps to ignite the matchstick by supplying an easily vaporized hydrocarbon fuel.
Other usage of Paraffin
Bottles: to seal, dip the top of the bottle in melted wax.
Irons: to keep them smooth, rub hot iron over a bar of wax wrapped in cloth.
Drawers: to lubricate, rub a bar of wax over the sliders.
Windows: to keep them opening and closing smoothly, run a bar of wax over the tracks.
Zippers: to keep them from sticking, rub the teeth of the zipper with a bar of wax.
Snow Shovels: to help the snow slide off the shovel, rub a bar of wax over a dry shovel.
Toboggans: to lubricate, rub the skin with a bar of wax.
Trash cans: to keep things from sticking, coat the inside with melted wax.
Chocolate Making: for a shiny coat, add a little (food grade) wax to the melted chocolate.
Hard Cheese: to keep it fresh, dip the exposed cheese in melted (food grade) wax.
Handrails: to lubricate, rub the handrails with a bar of wax.
Steel or Iron: to prevent oxidation; rub the surface with a bar of wax.
Fruits and Vegetables: to keep fresh longer, dip the fruit or vegetables in melted (food grade) wax. This will slow down the moisture loss and keep them from spoiling.
Candles: to make your own, there are several tutorials on the web for making your own candles.
Hands & Feet: to soften, dip hands and feet into a low temperature wax bath. Wait 10-15 minutes then remove the wax.
Crayons: to make your own, all you need is paraffin wax and some pigments.
Benefits of Paraffin Wax
Paraffin wax offers two significant benefits, which make it the obvious choice for the cosmetics industry.
Cosmetics (General)
Petroleum waxes serve as safe base material, solvent or carrier to provide moisture barrier, modify viscosity, or solidify formulations.
Softens skin: Paraffin hydrates and coats skin making it softer and smoother. It also opens up the skin’s pores and increases blood circulation, which helps skin absorb moisture. Wax is a great ingredient for moisturizing skin cuticles and treating extremely dry skin. This makes it an important in gradient for the cosmetic industry.
Relieves pain: wax is also used as a pain treatment ingredient. Smoothing molten wax on to the pain spot encases the area, helping trap in heat to relax and soothe the surrounding tissues. Although it began being used to treat stiff joints and arthritis pains, therapists began using it all over the body for de-stressing and relaxing treatments.
Paraffin wax color
It is generally white in color, whereas microcrystalline wax and petrolatum range from white to almost dark brown. A fully refined wax should be virtually colorless (water-white) when examined in the molten state. The absence of color is of particular importance in wax used for pharmaceutical purposes or for the manufacture of food wrappings. The significance of the color of microcrystalline wax and petrolatum depends on the use for which they are intended. In some applications (e.g., the manufacture of corrosion preventives), color may be of little importance.
The Say bolt color test method (ASTM D156) is used for nearly colorless waxes, and in this method, a melted sample is placed in a heated vertical tube mounted alongside a second tube containing standard color disks. An optical viewer allows simultaneous viewing of both tubes. The level of the sample is decreased until its color is lighter than that of the standard, and the color number above this level is the Say bolt color.
The test method for the color of petroleum products (ASTM DI500, IP 196) is for wax and petrolatum that are too dark for the Say bolt colorimeter. A liquid sample is placed in the test container, a glass cylinder of 30-35 min ID, and compared with colored glass disks ranging in value from 0-5 to eight-0, using a standard light source.
