Paraffin Wax

Paraffin wax is a white or colourless soft solid derived from petroleum that consists of a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules containing between twenty and forty carbon atoms. It is solid at room temperature and begins to melt above approximately 37 °C and has a boiling point of 370°C

Paraffin wax is mostly found as a white, odourless, tasteless, waxy solid form of paraffin, a specific type of alkane hydrocarbon, with a typical melting point between about 46 and 68 °C and a density of around 900 kg/m³. It is used in a wide range of everyday applications, most notably in common candles. This wax also sees a great deal of use in industrial applications, and it is present in everything from the Lunar Rover to drywall. It is also found in many foods, where it is used as a preservative, so it is present in many ingredient lists, and even in some recipes.

Because of its tasteless quality, it is added to foods as a preservative and to make them more attractive. Many chocolates and sweets, for example, contain this wax to give the candy a shiny coating. It is also used on fruits to protect it from moisture.

It is used in many other products such as candles, wax paper, polishes, cosmetics, and electrical insulators, assisting in extracting perfumes from flowers, forming a base for medical ointments, and supplying a waterproof coating for wood, In wood and paper matches, helping matchsticks to ignite by supplying an easily vaporized hydrocarbon fuel. These are just some of the many uses of paraffin wax.