Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
PARAFFINS
Boiling Range
Name
Carbons
Use
65-212
°
F
Ligroin
C
5
-C
7
Solvents
180-250
°
F
Naphtha
C
6
-C
8
Paint thinner
160-390
°
F
Gasoline
C
6
-C
11
Motor fuel
390-570
°
F
Kerosene
C
12
-C
16
Heating
Above 570
°
F
Heavy oil
C
13
-C
18
Fuel oil
Lubricating oil
C
16
-C
20
Lubricant
Petroleum jelly
C
18
-C
22
Pharmaceutical
Paraffin wax
C
20
-C
30
Candles
Asphaltic
bitumen
C
36
-C
40
Asphalt, tar,
coke
The chief sources of the paraffins are natural gas and petroleum. Petroleum
(also called “crude oil”) is a complex mixture of paraffins that can be
separated by a process called distillation into fractions according to their
boiling range. The C
1
-C
4
paraffins under normal conditions are gases, C
5
-C
17
are liquids, and C
18
and higher are solids. Paraffins serve many uses to help
mankind. Perhaps most importantly, they are the building blocks from which
most of our industrial organic chemicals are manufactured.
