1. production
Paraffin wax are separated from oil during the production of light (distillate) lubricating oils. The categorization of each wax corresponds to degree of wax refinement, and the various steps are as follows: slack wax, scale wax, semi refined paraffin wax, and finally fully refined paraffin wax. Semi refined paraffin waxes contain less than 1.5% oil compared to fully refined paraffin which typically contains less than 1% oil content. SRP waxes have water-like clarity (especially in thin films) and are odorless. SRP waxes have melting points spanning low, medium, and high temperatures. They consist predominantly of long straight chain hydrocarbons and are crystalline in structure, with molecular weights ranging from 360 to 420, with an average carbon content of 26 to 30 atoms. SRP waxes are inert, insoluble in water and alcohol, and only slightly soluble in absolute alcohol.
