Sunday, January 18, 2026

What is Paraffin made of?

My wife asked me a question regarding what Paraffin was made out of. off the top of my head I said I think it comes from Oil. I looked it up and I was right.
 
Where we live often there are power outages sometimes for a day to a week where we live in a forest on the ocean in Northern California on the coast. So, having paraffin Candles that are long lasting are an emergency backup for when power goes out, even though I do have a gasoline powered generator which is a Yamaha 2200 inverter which I highly recommend for keeping your refrigerator running through a power outage so you can save each power outage around 500 to 1000 dollars worth of perishable food in a power outage. So, each power outage the generator pays for itself again just in food that doesn't go bad.
 
So, batteries are good for lanterns and flashlights too but it is always nice to have long lasting candles too. I told her I prefer beeswax candles because they don't smell like paraffin Candles do but she said they don't make the beeswax candles in 24 hour candle versions. 
 begin quotes:
Paraffin wax is
primarily made from petroleum (crude oil), but can also come from coal or oil shale; it's a byproduct of the refining process, specifically from dewaxing lubricating oils, consisting of a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes) with 20-40 carbon atoms, resulting in a soft, colorless solid used in candles, cosmetics, and more. 
How it's Made (from Petroleum) 
  1. Crude Oil Extraction: Crude oil, a fossil fuel, is pumped from the earth.
  2. Fractional Distillation: At refineries, crude oil is heated and separated into different components (fractions).
  3. Dewaxing: Paraffin wax is found in the residue fraction and is separated from lubricating oils through crystallization and chilling
    .
  4. Refining: The wax undergoes purification (like hydrofinishing and clay filtration) to remove impurities, oil, and color, creating a fully refined, clean-burning product. 
Composition 
  • It's a blend of alkanes (saturated hydrocarbons) with the general formula
    CnH2n+2cap C sub n cap H sub 2 n plus 2 end-sub
    .
  • The specific carbon chain lengths (from C20 to C40) determine its properties like melting point and hardness. 
Other Sources & Types 
  • Coal & Oil Shale: Can also be sources for paraffin.
  • Synthetic Paraffin: Man-made versions exist but have different properties. 
Key Characteristics 
  • Low melting point, water-repellent, odorless (when refined). 
  • What is Paraffin Wax? - The Flaming Candle
    Understanding Paraffin Wax. Paraffin wax is a white or colorless soft solid derived from petroleum, coal, or shale oil. It was fir...
    The Flaming Candle
  • Paraffin wax - Wikipedia
    Paraffin wax (or petroleum wax) is a soft colorless solid derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale that consists of a mixture of...
    Wikipedia
  • Paraffin Guide - Uses, Benefits, History & more - Crown Oil
    Paraffin wax is acquired from petroleum by dewaxing light lubricating oil stocks. It was first produced in 1830 by Carl Reichenbac...
    Crown Oil
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