What is paraffin wax? 27th October 2022
Paraffin wax is the most commonly used embedding medium for the preparation of histological slides. Since the fixed tissue is not miscible with the wax, selected pieces are passed in alcohol baths of increasing concentration to remove all water. The alcohol-saturated tissue is then transferred to an alcohol- and paraffin-miscible antifreeze.
What is paraffin?
Paraffin is a soft, solid, white or colourless wax. It is composed of saturated hydrocarbons.
It is often used in salons and spas to soften the skin of hands, cuticles and feet as it is colourless, tasteless and odourless. It can also be used to relieve joint and muscle pain.
Paraffin also has many other uses. It is often used as a lubricant, electrical insulator and to make candles and crayons.
What are the benefits of paraffin wax?
There are several advantages to using paraffin wax. The first, which we have already mentioned, is its versatility. It has so many uses and can even be used for different projects! Purchased in bulk, it also offers excellent value for money, an important aspect in manufacturing.
When used in candles, this type of wax has excellent burning and smelling qualities, good colour and high fragrance loading capacity. However, it is very reliable in a wide range of applications and is considered very easy to work with non-hardening wax. Whether for candles or anything else, you can count on this wax.
Paraffin oil
Paraffin oil or liquid paraffin oil is obtained from the distillation process of crude oil.
It is a colourless and odourless oil that is used for various purposes. In some cases, paraffin oil and mineral oil are synonymous.
Paraffin Wax Uses
Paraffin is an alkane hydrocarbon that has a variety of practical uses in areas such as medicine, agriculture and cosmetics. Paraffin is widely used as a fuel for jet engines and rockets and as a fuel or component for diesel engines and tractors. In past centuries, before the invention of electricity, paraffin was used in lamps and lanterns as the main source of illumination. Today, paraffin is the most widely used heating oil in central heating systems in the UK and in less developed countries it is still used as the main fuel for cooking. Paraffin is also used as fuel for portable cookers for outdoor activities and mountaineering. Liquid paraffin can be used as a lubricant for machinery. Lubricants can help extend the life of expensive machinery and equipment by reducing friction, seizing and wear. Paraffin can also be used as a coolant for electrical systems, as hydraulic fluid and as a solvent for greases and insecticides. Liquid paraffin also has medicinal properties. It is commonly used to treat dry skin, constipation and eczema. Paraffin is also used as a soil treatment to collect water, to provide run-off water to dry areas, as an adhesive and as a waterproofing agent.
What happens during a treatment?
Some salons and spas may offer a paraffin bath as part of a manicure and pedicure, but most also offer a separate treatment.
The cost of a paraffin treatment varies greatly from salon to salon, starting at around $15. It usually takes about 30 minutes.
Composition
Paraffin wax is a solid, crystalline mixture of linear (normal) chain hydrocarbons ranging from C20 to C30 and possibly higher, i.e. CH3 (CH2)n CH3 where n ≥ 18. It is characterised by its solid state at normal temperatures (25°C, 77°F) and its low viscosity (35-45 SUS at 99°C, 210°F) when melted. However, unlike petroleum wax, petrolatum (Vaseline), although solid at normal temperatures, actually contains solid and liquid hydrocarbons. It is essentially a ductile microcrystalline wax with a low melting point.
Although many natural waxes contain esters, paraffins are hydrocarbon derivatives, mixtures of alkane derivatives usually in a homologous series of chains. These materials represent a significant fraction of crude oil and are refined by vacuum distillation. Paraffins are mixtures of n- and isoalkanes saturated, alkane-substituted and naphthenic aromatics. The chemical composition of a typical alkaline paraffin includes hydrocarbons of the general formula CnH2n+2. The degree of branching has an important influence on the properties.