PARAFFIN (Fr. parallim , from Lat. parain, little + uffinis. akin, from fol. to — linl.ds end). A. hard, white. wax-like substance largely used for the manufacture of candles. a small amount of stearin being added to render the candle translucent. Paraffin is used. besides. in making matches. in preserving meat and wood, to im prove the quality of timber employed as fuel. to render fabrics waterproof. etc. it occurs natu rally in the mineral ozokerite. which W :1 - for merly the chief source of the substance. The manufacture of paraffin has developed into an industry since IS5 I , when it was founded by .1:1111t, Young. a t•It'nii-.t. At present. consi lerable quantities of paratlin are made in Germany. by distilling certain varieties of brown coal. In s.eotland. the chief seat of the industry. it is made from hoglicad coal and cer tain bituminous shales. When shale is suhi to a process of destructive distillations, a oily Iiquid over. which a largo amount of paratlin in solution. This crude oil is washed with sulphuric avid and with tie soda, and is divided into more and less vi la tile fractions by further distillation. Most of the
paraffin is contained in the heavy, non-volatile fractions; and when the latter are let stand for some time, at a sufficiently low temperature, the paraffin separates out in the form of it crystalline mass. The crude product is purified by Washing with benzine and decolorized by heating with waste coal. Chemically, paraffin is a mixture of the higher aliphatic hydrocarbons (see 11Y oaocAinioNs) the relative composition of the mixture is not always the same, and the melting tcmperatm•e varies with the product. being anywhere between 45° and 90° C'. Paraffin has neither taste nor odor; it is insoluble in and lighter than water.
Among the useful by-products obtained in the manufacture of paraffin are: Benzine (not ), asphalt, and paraffin oil. Paraffin oil yields oil-gas, which has a very high illuminating power and is used to enrich ordinary coal-gas; it is largely used also for lighting ships, railroad cars, etc.