Petrolatum wax
Description
Petrolatum (mineral jelly), freed from its liquid and semiliquid hydrocarbons, yields an amorphous, white, translucent, plastic wax. It is commercially available under the name of Protowax or Fybrene. Its plastic and noncrystalline properties make it very useful. It also has good oil-holding capacity and prevents leakage or sweating out of oils. Thus, it can replace ceresin and ozokerite, where their low melting point is not undesirable[1].
Petrolatum contains hydrocarbons of the paraffin series such as hexadecane, heptadecane, octadecane, etc., probably up to dotriacontane, together with hydrocarbons of the olefin series, cetane, heptadecene, octadecene, etc. These olefin hydrocarbons are less concrete than the corresponding paraffins, and give petrolatum its oleaginous characteristics. Virgin amorphous petroleum wax and distillation residues are known to contain a fairly large proportion of isoparaffins of somewhat varying side chain length, although the normal paraffins greatly predominate in much smaller size crystals than in paraffin wax[2].
Solubility
Petrolatum (USP) has a specific gravity of not less than 0.815 nor more than 0.865 at 60ºC. It is insoluble in water; scantly soluble in cold or hot alcohol, but soluble in absolute ethanol, and readily soluble in ether, chloroform, turpentine, petroleum benzine, benzene, and fixed or volatile oils. It melts between 36 and 60ºC. The various grades of petrolatum (petroleum jelly) marketed for pharmaceutical and cosmetic use are designated as to melting point, consistency, and color[3].
Properties
| White Fybrene Wax |
Olive Fybrene Wax | |
|---|---|---|
| Specific Gravity at 16ºC | 0.896 - 0.899 | 0.896 - 0.899 |
| API Gravity | 26.0 - 26.5 | 26.0 - 26.5 |
| ASTM Melting Point, ºC | 53 - 56 | 54 - 57 |
| ASTM Consistency (Method D-217) | 50 - 85 | 30 - 50 |
| ASTM Consistency (Method D-5) | 150 - 300 | 75 - 200 |
| Flash Point, ºC | 238 - 243 | 238 - 243 |
| Fire Point, ºC | 271 | 271 |
| Saybold Vis. at 99ºC | 50 - 55 | 50 - 55 |
| Color | white | olive green |
| Ash, % | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| Saponification Value | 0.3 | 0.3 |
References
- ↑ Bennett, H., Commercial Waxes, Second edition, p. 105
- ↑ Warth, A. H.; The Chemistry and Technology of Waxes. Reinhold Publishing Corporation. Second Edition, p. 419
- ↑ Warth, A. H.; The Chemistry and Technology of Waxes. Reinhold Publishing Corporation. Second Edition, p. 419
- ↑ Bennett, H., Commercial Waxes, Second edition, p. 105