Paraffin Wax CAS 8002-74-2
Chelora Chemicals supplies fully refined, semi-refined and slack paraffin wax to candle, packaging, rubber, cosmetic and industrial users worldwide. Every consignment leaves with a batch-specific COA covering melting point, oil content, penetration and colour, the current SDS and full export documentation.
Also known as: Paraffin wax · Fully refined wax · Semi refined wax · Slack wax · FRP wax · Candle wax
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Price, lead time and a sample COA for Paraffin Wax, usually within one working day. We ship worldwide.
Request a Quote Email the DeskDocumentation
- Batch-specific COA (melting point, oil content, penetration, colour)
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
- Transport and export documents
- Third-party inspection on request
- Certificate of origin
What is Paraffin Wax?
Paraffin wax is a mixture of straight-chain alkanes, typically C20 to C40, recovered from the dewaxing of lubricating base oil fractions.
Grades are defined by melting point, oil content and colour. Fully refined wax has oil content below 0.5% and is water white; semi-refined allows more oil; slack wax carries several percent and goes to industrial uses or further refining.
Candles remain the single largest application worldwide, with packaging, rubber processing, cosmetics, hot melt adhesives and board coating behind them.
Because paraffin wax comes from Group I base oil dewaxing, its supply is tied to a refining route that has been contracting, which has made availability less predictable than it once was.
Why paraffin wax specifically
- Sharp melting behaviour. Melts over a narrow range, which is what makes candles burn evenly and coatings set cleanly.
- Chemically inert. Does not react with food, cosmetics or most chemicals, which supports its food contact and personal care uses.
- Hydrophobic. Provides moisture barrier in board coating, packaging and textile treatment.
- Low cost per unit of function. Cheaper than synthetic waxes for the great majority of applications.
How Paraffin Wax is Manufactured
Paraffin wax is recovered from lubricant base oil dewaxing and then de-oiled and refined.
- Base oil dewaxing. Solvent dewaxing of vacuum distillate with MEK and toluene removes wax to meet base oil pour point.
- Slack wax recovery. The removed wax, carrying several percent oil, is slack wax.
- De-oiling. Sweating or solvent de-oiling reduces oil content to semi-refined or fully refined levels.
- Hydrofinishing. Hydrogen treatment removes colour bodies and odour, and improves stability.
- Clay or carbon treatment. An alternative or additional finishing route for colour and odour.
- Forming. Wax is cast into slabs, formed into pastilles, or loaded hot into heated tankers.
Typical Commercial Specification
Figures below are representative of a fully refined paraffin wax. Semi-refined and slack wax grades differ substantially — tell us the application and we will send the matching sheet.
| Parameter | Typical Value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White odourless solid slabs or pastilles |
| Congealing point | 52 – 70 °C depending on grade |
| Oil content | 0.5% max fully refined; 1 – 3% semi-refined; 3%+ slack wax |
| Penetration at 25 °C | Typically 14 to 22 dmm |
| Colour (Saybolt) | +28 min for fully refined |
| Odour | Odourless for fully refined grades |
| Flash point | Above 200 °C |
| Viscosity at 100 °C | Typically 3 to 6 cSt |
| Polycyclic aromatics | To FDA or EU limits for food contact grades |
| Ash content | To grade, typically 0.01% max |
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Composition | Straight-chain alkanes, C20 to C40 |
| Average molecular weight | About 350 to 450 g/mol |
| Appearance | White translucent solid, odourless when fully refined |
| Melting point | 52 to 70 °C depending on grade |
| Density | About 0.90 g/cm³ solid |
| Flash point | Above 200 °C |
| Solubility in water | Insoluble |
| Solubility in organics | Soluble in hot hydrocarbons, chloroform and ether |
| Dielectric strength | Excellent, used in electrical insulation |
| Thermal behaviour | Sharp melting with significant latent heat |
| Incompatibilities | Strong oxidisers |
Behaviour in the process
Paraffin wax is simple to handle, with behaviours that matter mainly in processing:
- Sharp melting point. Melts over a narrow range, which gives clean candle burning and crisp coating set.
- Significant latent heat. Absorbs and releases substantial heat on melting and freezing, exploited in phase change materials.
- Oil bleeding. Semi-refined and slack grades can exude oil over time, staining packaging and affecting appearance.
- Shrinkage on solidification. Causes cavities in candle casting unless the process allows for it.
Wax Grades and Alternatives
Paraffin wax is bought by melting point and oil content, with the application dictating the refining level.
| Material | Origin / type | When it is the right choice |
|---|---|---|
| Fully refined paraffin wax | Under 0.5% oil, odourless | Candles, food contact packaging, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals |
| Semi-refined paraffin wax | 1 to 3% oil | Candles, board coating and general industrial use |
| Slack wax | 3%+ oil | Industrial applications, further refining and particleboard |
| Microcrystalline wax | Branched and cyclic, higher melting | Where flexibility and adhesion are needed, as in laminating and cosmetics |
| Soy and vegetable waxes | Renewable | Candle applications with natural positioning, at higher cost |
Stated plainly: fully refined wax exists because odour and oil bleed matter in candles, cosmetics and food contact. Where they do not, semi-refined or slack wax does the same physical job for less money.
Industries We Supply Paraffin Wax To
Paraffin wax serves candles, packaging, rubber, personal care and construction.
Where Paraffin Wax is Used
Candles take the largest share of paraffin wax worldwide, with packaging, rubber and board applications behind them.
In candle manufacture
Melting point governs how the candle behaves: lower melting grades give better scent throw in container candles, higher melting grades give pillar candles that hold their shape. Oil content governs odour and mottling, which is why fully refined wax commands a premium in scented and premium candles while semi-refined serves commodity production.
In rubber compounding
Wax is added to rubber compounds not as a filler but as a carrier: it blooms slowly to the surface, bringing antiozonant with it and forming a physical barrier against ozone attack. The melting point and chain length distribution control the bloom rate, so wax selection is a formulation variable rather than a commodity choice.
Need a specific grade, purity and packing format?
Tell us the grade, the melting point, oil content and whether food contact documentation is needed, the packing format you can receive and the annual quantity. We will come back with a price, a lead time, a sample COA and the full documentation set.
Quality Control & Testing
Every lot is released against a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis with melting point, oil content and colour, and polycyclic aromatic data for food contact grades.
- Congealing or melting point — the primary grade measure, by ASTM D938.
- Oil content — defining the refining level and acceptable applications.
- Penetration — measuring hardness, which affects candle and coating behaviour.
- Colour and odour — confirming refining quality for consumer applications.
- Polycyclic aromatic content — for food contact grades, to FDA or EU limits.
- Flash point and ash — confirming safety and freedom from contamination.
Common Process Problems & Likely Causes
When paraffin wax causes trouble, it is usually melting point, oil content or crystallisation. This table is the shortcut our technical desk works through before anyone opens a complaint file.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Candles slumping in warm weather | Melting point too low for the climate | Congealing point against the storage and use temperature |
| Mottling or sweating on candle surfaces | Oil content too high for the grade | Oil content figure and grade selection |
| Poor scent throw in container candles | Melting point too high or wax too hard | Congealing point, penetration and fragrance load |
| Cavities in cast candles | Shrinkage on solidification | Casting process, topping up and cooling rate |
| Coating cracking on board | Wax too hard or melting point mismatch | Penetration and blend design |
| Odour in cosmetic or food applications | Semi-refined grade used where fully refined is required | Oil content and refining grade |
Packaging, Storage & Shipping
- Standard packing. 25 kg slabs in cartons, pastilles in bags, jumbo bags and heated bulk tankers.
- Storage. Cool, dry, covered warehousing below 40 °C; slabs deform and block in warm conditions.
- Stack height. Limit stacking in warm climates; wax slabs cold flow and fuse together.
- Bulk handling. Heated storage and traced lines for bulk liquid wax, typically held 10 to 15 °C above the melting point.
- Contamination control. Keep dedicated equipment for food contact and cosmetic grades.
- Segregation. Keep apart from strong oxidisers and from materials that could taint odourless grades.
- Shelf life. Typically 24 months or more in cool, dry storage; odour pick-up is the practical limit.
- Transport classification. Not classified as dangerous goods for transport; molten shipments are declared as elevated temperature cargo.
Hazards & Safe Handling
Paraffin wax is a benign solid with very low toxicity. The practical hazards are hot molten wax and the fire behaviour of wax at temperature.
- Low toxicity. Fully refined paraffin wax is not classified as hazardous and is accepted in food contact and pharmaceutical use.
- Hot molten wax. Molten wax above 70 °C causes burns and solidifies on skin, which worsens the injury; use heat-resistant PPE.
- Fire behaviour. Molten wax above its flash point can ignite; wax fires must never be extinguished with water, which causes violent boilover.
- Slip hazard. Spilled solid or molten wax is a serious slip hazard; clean up promptly.
- Dust. Wax dust from pastille handling can be combustible in high concentration; maintain housekeeping.
- Refining grade. Poorly refined waxes can contain polycyclic aromatics; food contact grades are tested against FDA or EU limits.
- Environment. Inert and poorly soluble; contain spills as a housekeeping matter.
Regulatory & Compliance Notes
Paraffin wax is unregulated for transport, with food contact and cosmetic purity rules applying by application. The notes below are orientation rather than legal advice.
- GHS classification. Fully refined paraffin wax is generally not classified as hazardous.
- Transport. Not classified as dangerous goods. Molten shipments are declared as elevated temperature substances.
- Food contact. Food contact grades must meet FDA 21 CFR 178.3710 and EU requirements, including polycyclic aromatic limits.
- Cosmetic and pharmaceutical. Pharmacopoeial grades require USP or EP compliance for ointment and cosmetic use.
- Candle standards. Finished candles are subject to safety and emissions standards in several markets.
- REACH and inventories. Registered under EU REACH as a petroleum substance with defined refining description.
We Supply Paraffin Wax Worldwide
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and export partner, not a single-plant trader. We ship Paraffin Wax from India and from partner sources to customers across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North and South America, handling the export documentation, transport paperwork and freight so the material arrives ready to use.
- Incoterms. EXW, FOB, CIF, CFR and DAP quoted to suit your purchasing terms and freight arrangements.
- Ports. Regular shipments through Nhava Sheva (JNPT) and Mundra, with other ports arranged where routing and cargo rules allow.
- Documentation. Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, COA, SDS and the transport declaration issued as a complete set.
- Flexible volumes. From a pallet of slabs up to repeat bulk shipments on a supply contract.
- Supply continuity. Because we are independent of any one producer, a plant turnaround or a shipping disruption at one source does not have to become your stock-out.
Buying Paraffin Wax from Chelora
We are an independent sourcing and supply partner. For paraffin wax that means settling three things at enquiry: the melting point your climate and application require, the oil content and refining grade, and whether food contact or pharmacopoeial documentation is needed.
- Documentation on every lot. Batch-specific COA (melting point, oil content, penetration, colour), plus SDS and the full transport paperwork.
- Analysis before commitment. Representative analysis shared ahead of a commercial order so your lab can qualify the material.
- Quantities. From a pallet of slabs through to full bulk shipments on contract supply.
- Grade matching. Fully refined, semi-refined or slack wax at the melting point, oil content and colour your application requires.
- Inspection. Independent third-party inspection available at loading when the contract requires it.
- Related products. Base Oil — Group I / II / III, Petroleum Coke, Naphtha and other feedstocks alongside Paraffin Wax from one supplier.
How ordering works
- Send the enquiry. Product, grade or purity, quantity, destination port and the Incoterm you buy on. If you have a spec sheet, attach it — it saves a round trip.
- We quote. Price, lead time, packing format and a sample COA, normally within one working day.
- Qualify the supply. For first orders or critical applications, we share the analysis and handling documentation so your technical and safety teams can sign off before you commit.
- Confirm the order. Proforma invoice issued; payment terms agreed against the volume and the relationship.
- Allocation and QC. Material allocated and released against a batch-specific COA, with an independent inspection where the contract calls for it.
- Ship and document. Filled, labelled and loaded with the full export document set, and tracked through to arrival.
Paraffin Wax — Common Questions
The questions our technical desk is asked most often about Paraffin Wax. If yours isn't here, call or email and you will reach someone who knows the chemistry.
What is the CAS number of paraffin wax?
The CAS number for paraffin wax is 8002-74-2, with EC number 232-315-6. It is classified under HS code 2712.20 for wax containing less than 0.75% oil.
What is paraffin wax used for?
Candles are the largest application worldwide. It is also used for corrugated board and paper coating, as an antiozonant carrier in rubber compounds, in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, in particleboard and in hot melt adhesives.
Do you supply paraffin wax worldwide?
Yes. Chelora Chemicals supplies and exports paraffin wax worldwide — across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, as well as throughout India, in slabs, pastilles, bags and heated bulk.
What is the difference between fully refined, semi-refined and slack wax?
Oil content. Fully refined is under 0.5% oil, water white and odourless; semi-refined is 1 to 3% and can bleed or smell; slack wax carries 3% or more and is for industrial use or further refining.
How is paraffin wax produced?
As a co-product of Group I base oil manufacture: solvent dewaxing removes wax from the lubricant fraction as slack wax, which is then de-oiled by sweating or solvent processing and hydrofinished for colour and odour.
Why is paraffin wax supply tightening?
Because it depends on Group I base oil dewaxing, and Group I refining capacity has been closing as engine oil specifications moved to Group II and III. Fully refined grades in particular have become less freely available.
How do I choose a melting point?
By the climate and the application. Higher melting grades hold shape in warm conditions and suit pillar candles; lower melting grades give better scent throw in container candles. Match it to the destination market, not your own warehouse.
Is paraffin wax food contact approved?
Fully refined grades are, under FDA 21 CFR 178.3710 and EU requirements, including limits on polycyclic aromatic content. Semi-refined and slack wax are not suitable for food contact.
Is paraffin wax hazardous?
No. It is a benign solid with very low toxicity and is not classified as dangerous goods. The practical hazards are burns from molten wax and the fact that wax fires must never be fought with water.
Why do candles develop mottled surfaces?
Usually oil content above what the grade and application allow, causing oil to exude to the surface. Fully refined wax avoids it; semi-refined grades are more prone, particularly in warm storage.
How should paraffin wax be stored?
In cool, dry, covered warehousing below 40 °C with limited stacking, since slabs cold flow and fuse in warm conditions. Bulk liquid wax is held heated 10 to 15 °C above its melting point.
What packing sizes are available?
25 kg slabs in cartons, pastilles in bags, jumbo bags and heated bulk tankers. Orders run from a pallet of slabs up to full bulk shipments on contract supply.
Ready to source Paraffin Wax?
Send us your specification, grade and annual volume. You will get a price, a realistic lead time and a sample COA from someone who understands what the material has to do in your process — delivered anywhere in the world.