Preparation and use of paraffin wax

Preparation
Paraffin wax can be prepared from the wax-containing fractions of natural or man-made oils by cold pressing or solvent dewaxing and sweating.

Paraffin wax is usually a white, slightly odorous, waxy solid with a melting point of 47 °C-64 °C and a density of about 0.8 g/cm3. It is insoluble in water but soluble in ether, benzene, and some esters. Paraffin wax does not react with common chemical reagents, but can be burned.

Uses
Pure paraffin wax is an excellent insulator, with a resistivity of 1013-1017 ohm-meters, which is higher than most materials except some plastics (especially Teflon).

Paraffin is also a good heat storage material, with a specific heat capacity of 2.14-2.9 J-g-1-K-1 and a heat of fusion of 200-220 J-g-1.

Paraffin is the main component of candles.

Paraffin wax can also be used as detergent, emulsifier, dispersant, plasticizer, lubricating grease and so on.