In chemistry, paraffin is the common name for the alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to the solids with n=20–40.
The simplest paraffin molecule is that of methane, CH4, a gas at room temperature. The solid forms of paraffin, called paraffin wax, are from the heaviest molecules from C20H42 to C40H82. Paraffin wax was identified by Carl Reichenbach in 1830.
Paraffin, or paraffin hydrocarbon, is also the technical name for an alkane in general, but in most cases it refers specifically to a linear, or normal alkane — whereas branched, or isoalkanes are also called isoparaffins. It is distinct from the fuel known as paraffin oil or just paraffin, which is called kerosene.
The name is derived from the Latin parum (= barely) + affinis with the meaning here of "lacking affinity", or "lacking reactivity". This is because alkanes, being non-polar and lacking in functional groups, are very unreactive.
Liquid paraffin, or mineral oil, is a mixture of heavier alkanes, and has a number of names, including nujol, adepsine oil, alboline, glymol, medicinal paraffin, saxol, or USP mineral oil. It has a density of around 0.8 g/cm3. Liquid paraffin (medicinal) is used to aid bowel movement in persons suffering chronic constipation; it passes through the gastrointestinal tract without itself being taken into the body, but it limits the amount of water removed from the stool. In the food industry, where it may be called "wax", it can be used as a lubricant in mechanical mixing, applied to baking tins to ensure that loaves are easily released when cooked and as a coating for fruit or other items requiring a "shiny" appearance for sale. It is often used in infrared spectroscopy, as it has a relatively uncomplicated IR spectrum. When the sample to be tested is made into a mull (a very thick paste), liquid paraffin is added so it can be spread on the transparent (to infrared) mounting plates to be tested.
PARAFFIN, the name given to a mineral wax and oil, and also used as a generic name of a particular series of hydrocarbons.
Paraffin is a white or bluish-white, translucent, waxy solid substance, of laminocrystalline structure, devoid of taste and smell, and characterized by chemical indifference. It consists of about 85% of carbon and 15% of hydrogen. Although the credit of having first (in 1830) investigated the properties of solid paraffin, obtained from wood-tar, belongs to Karl Reichenbach, the existence of paraffin in petroleum had been more or less hazily known for some time previous. In 1809 Fuchs found solid hydrocarbons in the Tegernsee oils, and in 1819 Buchner separated them from these oils in comparative purity. By the latter they were described as " mountain-fats," and they were identified with paraffin in 1835 by von Kobel. Reichenbach described the results of a series of experiments on the reactions between various substances and paraffin, and on account of the inert nature of the material gave to it its present name (from the Lat. parum, too little, and affinitas, affinity); he expressly stated that the accent should fall on the second " a," but usage has transferred it to the first.
Paraffin was obtained by Laurent in 1830 by the distillation of bituminous schist, and in 1835 by Dumas from coal-tar; but the product appears to have been regarded only as a curiosity, and Lord Playfair has stated that prior to 1850 he never saw a piece of more than one ounce in weight. Paraffin is asserted to have been made for sale by Reichenbach's process from wood-tar by John Thom, of Birkacre, before 1835. In 1833 Laurent suggested the working of the Autun shale, and products manufactured from this material were exhibited by Selligue in 1839.
According to F. H. Storer, the credit of having first placed the manufacture of paraffin on a commercial basis is deservedly given to Selligue, whose patent specifications, both in France and England, sufficiently clearly show that his processes of distilling bituminous schist, &c., and of purifying the distillate, had reached considerable perfection prior to 1845. In its. present form, however, the paraffin or shale-oil industry owes its existence to Dr James Young. In 1850 he applied for his celebrated patent (No. 13,292) " for obtaining paraffine oil, or an oil containing paraffine, and paraffine from bituminous coals " by slow distillation. The process was extensively carried out in the United States under licence from Young,, until crude petroleum was produced in that country in such abundance, and at so low a cost, that the distillation of bituminous minerals became unprofitable. The highly bituminous Boghead coal, or Torbanehill mineral, which yielded 120 to 130 gallons of crude oil per ton, was worked out in 1862, and since then the Scottish mineral oils and paraffin have been obtained from the bituminous shales of the coal-measures, the amount of such shale raised in Great Britain in 1907 being 2,690,028 tons.
I’ve decided to focus on the wax of meat because it was commonly thrown, in short useless. Without knowing that it is a paraffin wax which could be a cheaper alternative for Biofuel. And we all know that Biofuel is one on the great list of problems in poverty. One great circumstance that paraffin wax was used is when Paraffin fuels test launch on Oct. 18, a scorching blaze lit up the moonscape of Nevada's Black Rock Desert as a 10-foot rocket burst 16,000 feet into the air. The launch was powered by an unlikely but potentially safe and effective new rocket fuel -- candle wax.
It surprised me at first because I don't think of wax as a particularly energetic or powerful rocket fuel.
Paraffin was previously thought to be weak, easily broken and unsuitable for use as rocket fuel. But Cantwell's team found that it is quite strong -- at least twice as strong as conventional solid propellants. The paraffin they use as rocket fuel is the same material used as hurricane candles and sculptor's wax. "Paraffin" is a generic name for a family of simple hydrocarbons with carbon chain lengths ranging from 20 to 40. Different group members are suited to different applications.
Paraffin fuel can contribute significantly to making it safer and cheaper to get into space. If that were accomplished, human access to space would become more routine, and the ability to do scientific studies and commercialize the use of space would also increase dramatically.
Conventional rocket fuels are either solids or liquids, but paraffin fuels are used in a hybrid system combining solid and liquid materials. An oxidizer such as oxygen or nitrous oxide is generally used with all fuel types to aid burning.
Solid fuels include a rubberized material incorporating the oxidizer and other additives such as aluminum or ammonium perchlorate. The fuel-oxidizer composite is dangerous, as it may explode even during shipping and installation. The fuel burns very rapidly in the rocket combustion chamber to generate the rocket propulsion force known as thrust. Once the solid fuel is ignited, the rocket motor cannot be shut off. This is dangerous because there is no chance to ensure adequate thrust build-up before take-off.
Liquid rocket fuels include kerosene and liquefied hydrogen. In these systems, the fuel and oxidizer are held separately in large tanks and then fed into the rocket chamber, where they mix and burn. Valves are used to regulate fuel and oxidizer flow, and increase, decrease or shut off thrust. This allows more control over the launch process than do solid fuels. The system relies on complex and expensive machinery, however, and is subject to catastrophic fires.
Hybrid rocket fuels are considered a safer alternative to traditional solid and liquid fuel systems. In hybrids, the thrust chamber contains only solid fuel. This reduces the potential for devastating fires and explosions. The oxidizer is ignited as it is forced over the fuel surface. Like liquid systems, hybrids can be throttled, but require only one set of valves -- for the liquid oxidizer.
