Talk:Paraffin

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Contents 1 What is paraffin? 2 The term "paraffin oil" 3 Is paraffin digestible? 4 Manufacture 5 Paraffin wax price 6 Paraffin oil to stop Mosquito's breeding in a Water Tank. 7 Density 8 Making Paraffin wax 9 What is the volumetric change ratio of paraffin as it changes from the solid to the liquid state?

[edit] What is paraffin?

I would like to know the maximum length of the alkane chain found in common paraffin, e.g. in paraffin candles. -- Leocat 14:22, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The term "paraffin oil"

I suggest that this article mention the various meanings of the term "paraffin oil". Apparently in the UK it refers to kerosine (US kerosene), but at least in the US it can also mean "An oil either pressed or dry-distilled from paraffin distillate. Liquid petrolatum is also known as paraffin oil. Combustible. ... Used as a floor treatment; lubricant; when purified, as medicine" [Gessner G. Hawley, Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 9th edn. New York-London, etc.: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1977.] -- User:Thomas.Hedden 10:15, 19 December 2006 (EST)

[edit] Is paraffin digestible?

(question asked by anon user at Wikipedia:Reference desk)

Is the wax they sell for canning and for adding to some candy recipies digestible or is it like fiber in that it just passes?

As long as it's food-grade paraffin wax, it's edible but not digestable. Which means it passes right through the body without being broken down. As long as you don't eat too much or swallow a large lump of it (might cause a blockage), it's safe to eat. As you say, it is used in some candies to make them look shiny. (Eating too much of it might cause olestra-like distress, though...) Note: non-food grade paraffin wax can contain oils and other impurities which may be toxic or harmful, so it should not be eaten. -- DrBob

Actually, I asked myself the same question. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, somebody is caught in a cave and eats all candles he can find by feeling around. It seems that couldn't really help him... Or maybe 19th century candles contained something digestible? -- dnjansen 18:25, 24 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Probably tallow. Rmhermen 18:35, Mar 24, 2004 (UTC)

Paraffin was not used in candles prior to 1850, before this they were either beeswax or tallow. Beeswax candles were expensive and only used by the rich. As the story was set in about 1841, they would not have had access to paraffin candles. Even after 1850, many poor people continued to use tallow candles as they could make them themselves instead of buying manufactured paraffin ones. -- 205.175.225.5 20:13, 13 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Manufacture

The article should explain more about where we get paraffin. I'm guessing it's the very high-molecular-weight fraction of crude petroleum, but I don't know; maybe it's made by reducing lower-molecular-weight hydrocarbons? Somebody who knows ... please add this info to the article.

ACW 02:39, 7 Nov 2004 (UTC)

I'd like to see the number of carbon atoms per chain in candle wax, parrafin oil, etc added to this article. It would be most useful, does anyone know?

--TerrorBite 19:58, 25 Jan 2006 (AEST)

[edit] Paraffin wax price

Does anyone know where to get info on the paraffin wax price in relative to crude oil prices ??

[edit] Paraffin oil to stop Mosquito's breeding in a Water Tank.

I've been told to use Paraffin Oil (or kerosene) to stop mosquito's breeding in a water tank. http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ideas/diseases/mosbites.htm#tanks

Would Paraffin Oil, which I imagine I can get from a hardware store, be harmful. I'm thinking it would be better than Kerosean. Know any better ideas?

Is it likley I can buy 'food grade' Paraffin oil easily? Or could I just use another 'food-grade' oil like sunflower oil or somthing.

Thanks, Evolve2k

[edit] Density

What is the density of paraffin?

At 20°C 900-910Kg m3

[edit] Making Paraffin wax

I'm on a mission to prove the show Mythbusters wrong and am on a personal quest to make some paraffin wax, which I will then mix with carbon to make it burn more evenly. Is any one commercially available form of paraffin wax more flammable than another. I am assuming that food grade paraffin is not the best choice for this project. I'll be using the paraffin wax, and an oxidizer to propel a Civil War Era rocket. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

~Josh

Waxes burn, albeit pretty slowly. Paraffin wax is just like any other wax, but it does burn very cleanly, as its mainly normal alkanes. Depending on the oxidizer your using, you may want to consider fully refined paraffin, or food grade, which is <1% oil content, or a slack wax, which is anywhere form ~4% - 40% oil. Doing searches on the websites of several major oil conglomerates may also help... such as Exxon Mobil, PetroCanada, or Hase Petroleum. IGI also deals in paraffin waxes. Hope this helps.

Food grade paraffin really burns the best? I'm probably using CO2 for my oxidizer, but depending on what I turn up, I may be using NO2, because I can fit a lot more NO2 into the canister, but I’m not sure how well it would work as an oxidizer (again, still checking). I'm going to mix carbon into the paraffin wax (and it has to be paraffin wax for the test), so it will burn better. Thanks for your help.

CO2 is not a good oxydizer (it can be reduced to CO, but I doubt if this reaction can be used to propel a rocket). NO2 is a strong oxydizer, but it is very poisonous, so you should be very careful (I recommend wearing a gas mask when dealing with NO2).

-- Leocat 14:22, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What is the volumetric change ratio of paraffin as it changes from the solid to the liquid state?

I was wondering if anyone can tell me what the volumetric change ratio is when wax goes through a phase change from its solid to liquid state? Noctroglyph 21:18, 25 January 2007 (UTC)