What are the uses of paraffin?

There are many substances in modern life that are gradually produced by people in the development of science and technology. For example, paraffin is a product of science and technology that was discovered during traditional industrial refining. It is a raw material that can be used in various industries. Paraffin wax is almost everywhere in our lives, as there are a large number of items that require paraffin wax to make. Let’s take a look at the uses of paraffin wax.

Paraffin is a hydrocarbon mixture extracted from certain distillates of petroleum, shale oil or other asphalt mineral oils. Its main component is solid alkanes. It is odorless and tasteless and is a white or light yellow translucent solid. Paraffin wax has a variety of uses, mainly in the manufacture of matches, fiberboard, tarpaulin, etc.

1. Paraffin wax can be made into wax paste by solvent dewaxing or wax freezing crystallization and squeeze dewaxing, and then solvent deoiling and refining to obtain flake or needle-shaped crystals. Used in the production of higher fatty acids, higher alcohols, matches, candles, waterproofing agents, ointments, electrical insulating materials, etc.

2. Paraffin wax is divided into food grade (food grade and packaging grade, the former is better) and industrial grade. Food grade is non-toxic, while industrial grade is inedible.

3. Crude paraffin wax is mainly used to make matches, fiberboards, tarpaulins, etc. due to its high oil content. After adding polyolefin additives to paraffin, its melting point increases, and its adhesion and flexibility are improved. It is widely used in moisture-proof and waterproof packaging paper, cardboard, surface coating of certain textiles and candle production.

4. After soaking paper in paraffin wax, various wax papers with good waterproof properties can be produced, which can be used for food, medicine packaging, metal rust prevention and printing industry; after adding paraffin wax to cotton yarn, textiles can be made soft, smooth and elastic; paraffin wax can also be used to make detergents, emulsifiers, dispersants, plasticizers, greases, etc.

5. Fully refined paraffin wax and semi-refined paraffin wax have a wide range of uses. They are mainly used as components and packaging materials for food, oral medicines and certain commodities (such as wax paper, crayons, candles, carbon paper), coatings for baking containers, for fruit preservation, insulation of electrical components, improving rubber's anti-aging properties and increasing its flexibility, etc.