Paraffin Wax
Straight-chain alkanes long enough to be solid at room temperature. They come out of the lube oil chain as the fraction that had to be removed before the oil would flow in the cold — and the melting point you buy is really a chain length distribution.
Molecular Structure
What is Paraffin Wax?
Paraffin wax is a mixture of straight-chain alkanes, mostly from C20 to C40, that are solid at ambient temperature because the chains pack into a crystal lattice. It is a by-product of lubricant manufacture: the wax has to be removed from base oil to give an acceptable pour point, and solvent dewaxing with a methyl ethyl ketone and toluene mixture is the traditional route.
The recovered slack wax still carries a substantial amount of oil. De-oiling and hydrofinishing reduce that to under half a per cent for fully refined grades, between half and one and a half per cent for semi-refined, and slack wax is sold as it comes with anything up to thirty per cent oil.
Grades are named by melting point — 52/54, 56/58, 58/60 and so on — and that figure is a proxy for average chain length. Longer chains melt higher and give a harder, more brittle wax; shorter chains melt lower and are softer. Microcrystalline wax, from heavier branched and cyclic fractions, melts higher still and is flexible and tacky rather than brittle.
Oil content is the specification that decides where a wax can go. It governs mould release and burn quality in candles, blocking and odour in packaging, and whether the material qualifies for food contact at all. Two waxes with the same melting point and very different oil contents are not the same product.
Quick Reference
Key Physical & Chemical Properties
Structure & Bonding
Straight-chain alkanes long enough to crystallise at room temperature. The chains lie parallel and pack closely, and the length of those chains sets the melting point — which is why a wax grade is named by a temperature rather than by a formula.
Chain packing — parallel n-alkanes forming the wax crystal
Structural Identity
- ProductParaffin wax
- CompositionMainly straight-chain alkanes
- Chain range≈ C₂₀ – C₄₀
- Crystal typeMacrocrystalline
- Grade namingBy congealing or melting point
- Made fromSlack wax, de-oiled and hydrofinished
- Dewaxing solventMEK and toluene
- Microcrystalline alternativeBranched and cyclic, higher melting
- Synthetic alternativeFischer-Tropsch wax from GTL
- CAS Number8002-74-2
- Specified byMelting point, oil content, penetration
Product Specifications
Chelora supplies Paraffin Wax in standard and custom grades. Contact us for specification sheets tailored to your process.
| Product | Paraffin wax, fully refined |
|---|---|
| CAS Number | 8002-74-2 |
| Composition | CₙH₂ₙ₊₂, mainly C₂₀ – C₄₀ |
| Congealing point | Declared per grade, e.g. 56 – 58 °C |
| Melting point (ASTM D87) | Declared per grade |
| Oil content (max) | ≤ 0.5 wt% fully refined; ≤ 1.5% semi-refined |
| Penetration at 25 °C (max) | ≤ 20 dmm, grade dependent |
| Colour (Saybolt, min) | ≥ +28 for fully refined |
| Odour (max) | ≤ 1 on the ASTM scale |
| Viscosity at 100 °C | 3.5 – 6.0 mm²/s, grade dependent |
| Flash point (COC, min) | ≥ 200 °C |
| Water (max) | ≤ 0.05 wt% |
| Acidity / alkalinity | Neutral |
| UV absorbance (food grade) | Meets FDA 21 CFR 172.886 limits |
| Sulphur (max) | ≤ 5 ppm wt |
| Supply form | Slab, pastille or bulk molten |
| Transport classification | Not regulated as dangerous goods |
Downstream Applications & Derivatives
Key derivative chains and industrial uses of Paraffin Wax.
Candles
The largest single outlet worldwide. Melting point sets rigidity and burn rate, and oil content governs mould release, surface finish and smoking behaviour.
Packaging & Paper Coating
Wax coating and lamination of paper and board for moisture barrier, plus corrugated board treatment for cold chain and produce packaging.
Rubber Antiozonant
Blended into rubber compounds, wax migrates to the surface and blooms into a physical barrier that protects the unsaturated polymer against ozone attack.
Cosmetics & Pharmaceutical
Ointment and balm bases, depilatory wax and formulation hardeners, using grades meeting pharmacopoeial and food-contact purity standards.
PVC & Polymer Lubricant
External lubricant and release agent in rigid PVC processing, and a processing aid and slip additive across other polymer compounds.
Investment Casting & Technical
Pattern wax for lost wax casting, plus crayons, matches, chipboard sizing, hot melt adhesives and fire log manufacture.
Why source Paraffin Wax through Chelora Petrochem?
Verified Origin
Full origin certification and asset-backed supply chain documentation — no grey-market or reprocessed material passed as fully refined.
Grade Flexibility
Fully refined, semi-refined and slack wax supplied across the melting point range, plus microcrystalline grades. We certify oil content and penetration alongside melting point, because those are what determine performance.
Full Documentation
CoA covering congealing point, oil content, penetration, colour, odour and viscosity; SDS; REACH compliance; and food-contact documentation including UV absorbance for grades supplied to that standard.
Logistics Support
Experienced in wax logistics — slab in cartons, pastille in bags and jumbo bags, and heated ISO tanks for bulk molten delivery, for Indian and international delivery.
Storage & Handling Guidelines
Always refer to the full SDS before handling. The following is a summary of key requirements.
- Specify oil content alongside melting point. Two grades with the same congealing point and different oil contents behave differently in candle burn, board coating and food contact acceptability.
- Store cool, dry and out of direct sunlight, away from heat sources. Wax softens and slabs deform and block together well below the melting point in a warm store.
- Hold molten wax at the minimum workable temperature and avoid prolonged heating in contact with air, which oxidises the wax, darkens it and creates odour that cannot be removed.
- Keep bulk molten storage under a nitrogen pad where colour and odour are specified, and use stainless steel for wetted parts.
- Trace-heat and insulate all molten lines. Wax solidifies in unheated dead legs and clearing a plugged line is slow work.
- Treat molten wax as a thermal burn hazard. It adheres to skin and continues to transfer heat, and burns from wax at 80 to 100 °C are more serious than the temperature suggests.
- Never allow water into hot wax above 100 °C. Water flashes to steam and ejects hot wax violently — the same mechanism as a chip pan fire, and the reason wax fires must never be fought with water.
- Segregate food-grade and pharmacopoeial material on dedicated equipment with documented cleaning, since UV absorbance and purity specifications cannot be restored after contamination.
- Provide extraction where wax is heated and sprayed, since wax fume and mist are respiratory irritants at coating and spray application points.
Hazard Summary
Classification: fully refined paraffin wax is not classified as hazardous under CLP. It is inert, has very low toxicity and is used in food contact and pharmaceutical applications. Slack wax and less refined grades may carry classification depending on residual oil and aromatic content — confirm on the specific safety data sheet.
Molten wax burns: the principal acute hazard. Wax at 80 to 100 °C adheres to skin, solidifies on it and continues transferring heat, producing burns disproportionate to the temperature. Splash protection covering forearms and face is required at transfer and pouring points.
Water in hot wax: water entering wax above 100 °C flashes instantly to steam and ejects the wax violently. This is the mechanism behind wax fires spreading catastrophically when water is applied, and it means water must never be used on a wax fire and moisture must be excluded from heated vessels.
Fire: a combustible solid with a flash point between 200 and 250 °C. Above the flash point wax vapour ignites readily, and a wax fire behaves like an oil fire — foam, dry powder or carbon dioxide, never water.
Food-grade requirements: waxes for food contact must meet purity criteria including a UV absorbance test that limits polycyclic aromatic content. A grade that meets the melting point and oil content specification does not automatically meet the food-contact standard, and the two should not be conflated.
Fume and mist: heated wax generates fume, and spray application generates mist. Both are respiratory irritants and require extraction at the point of generation.
Slack wax: higher oil content brings the classification profile of the residual oil with it, including any aromatic content. Slack wax should not be assumed to share fully refined wax's benign status.
PPE minimum: safety glasses and gloves for solid handling; heat-resistant gloves, forearm protection and face shield for molten work.
Consult the safety data sheet for the specific grade, and confirm food-contact status before use in any food or pharmaceutical application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technical and commercial questions about Paraffin Wax sourcing and specifications.
What is paraffin wax used for?
Candles are the largest single outlet worldwide. Packaging and paper coating is next, using wax as a moisture barrier on board and corrugated packaging. In rubber compounding, wax blooms to the surface and forms a physical barrier against ozone attack. Beyond those, paraffin wax goes into cosmetic and pharmaceutical ointment bases, PVC processing lubricants, investment casting pattern wax, crayons, matches, chipboard sizing and hot melt adhesives.
What is the difference between fully refined, semi-refined and slack wax?
Oil content, and with it the refining effort. Slack wax comes straight from the dewaxing unit and carries anything up to thirty per cent oil — it is soft, yellow and oily to the touch, and is used where appearance does not matter or as feedstock for further processing. Semi-refined wax has been de-oiled to between half and one and a half per cent and serves general industrial applications. Fully refined wax is de-oiled below half a per cent and hydrofinished for colour and odour, and it is what candle, packaging, cosmetic and food-contact applications require. Price follows the sequence, and so does performance in almost every property that matters.
Why does oil content matter so much?
Because it affects nearly everything the wax is judged on. In candles, oil migrates to the surface, causing mottling and sweating, reduces mould release and makes the flame smoke. In paper and board coating it causes blocking, where coated sheets stick together, and it carries odour into packaged product. In cosmetics and food contact it brings the residual oil's own purity profile with it, including aromatic content. And in rubber, oil content changes how effectively the wax blooms to the surface. Two waxes with identical melting points and different oil contents will behave differently in every one of those applications, which is why oil content belongs next to melting point on every enquiry.
What is the difference between macrocrystalline and microcrystalline wax?
Chain structure, and therefore crystal habit. Macrocrystalline paraffin wax is made of straight-chain alkanes that form large, well-defined crystals — it is hard, brittle and melts sharply, which suits candles and coating. Microcrystalline wax comes from heavier residual fractions and contains branched and cyclic hydrocarbons that cannot pack as regularly, so it forms very small crystals. The result is a higher melting point, more flexibility, more tack and better oil binding. Microcrystalline wax is used where a wax has to flex without cracking or hold oil in a formulation — laminating adhesives, cosmetics, tyre and rubber applications, and as a blending component to toughen paraffin.
What is tested for food-grade wax?
Beyond the usual melting point, oil content and colour, food-contact waxes must meet purity criteria aimed at polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The FDA requirement under 21 CFR 172.886 uses an ultraviolet absorbance test on a dimethyl sulphoxide extract, with limits at specified wavelengths, and European requirements are comparable in intent. This is a refining severity test rather than a composition test — it confirms that the aromatic species associated with less refined petroleum fractions have been removed. A grade can meet every mechanical specification and still fail it, so food-contact status has to be certified specifically rather than inferred from the refined designation.
What documentation does Chelora provide?
Every shipment includes a Certificate of Analysis covering congealing and melting point, oil content, penetration at 25 °C, Saybolt colour, odour, viscosity at 100 °C, flash point, water and sulphur; a Safety Data Sheet for the specific grade; REACH compliance confirmation; food-contact documentation including UV absorbance results under FDA 21 CFR 172.886 where the grade is supplied to that standard; an origin certificate; and destination-market certificates where required.
Request a quote or specification sheet
Talk to Chelora's sourcing team about Paraffin Wax grade, volume, logistics, documentation, and lead times. We respond within one business day.
