Paraffin and Its Different Grades
Paraffin is a white or colorless soft solid derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale. It’s composed mainly of straight-chain alkanes and is widely used in candles, cosmetics, packaging, rubber, and as a moisture barrier. Paraffin comes in various grades, each suited for specific industrial or commercial applications.
- Fully Refined Paraffin Wax
Oil content: <0.5%
Appearance: White, odorless, and highly pure
Applications: Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food packaging, candles
Features: High purity, excellent color and odor stability - Semi Refined Paraffin Wax
Oil content: 1% , 1–2%, 1-3% , 3-5%, 5-7%
Appearance: White to slightly off-white
Applications: Candle-making, polishes, waterproofing, packaging
Features: Less refined than fully refined, but more economical - Slack Wax
Oil content: 5–30%
Appearance: Yellowish or brownish, more viscous
Applications: Lubricants, matches, rust protection, paraffin production
Grades:
Light Slack Wax (lower oil content, lighter color)
Heavy Slack Wax (higher oil content, darker and more viscous) - Microcrystalline Wax
Oil content: Variable
Appearance: More elastic and tacky than paraffin wax
Applications: Cosmetics, adhesives, coatings, pharmaceuticals
Features: Smaller crystals, more flexible and sticky
Choosing the right paraffin grade
Selecting the appropriate paraffin grade is crucial to ensure optimal performance, cost-efficiency, and product safety. Here are key factors to consider when choosing a paraffin grade for your application:
- Application Purpose
Candles & Cosmetics: Use fully refined paraffin wax for its purity and consistent performance.
Packaging & Waterproofing: Semi refined paraffin wax provides good performance at a lower cost.
Industrial Lubricants & Matches: Slack wax (light or heavy) is ideal due to its higher oil content.
Pharmaceutical & Personal Care: Microcrystalline wax is preferred for its tackiness and elasticity. - Oil Content
Lower oil content (e.g., <0.5%) is better for clean-burning and high-purity applications.
Higher oil content (5–30%) offers better lubrication and is more suitable for industrial use. - Melting Point
Affects how the wax behaves under heat.
Choose lower melting points for easy application (e.g., skin creams).
Higher melting points are better for structural integrity (e.g., container candles or technical coatings). - Purity and Color
High-purity white waxes are best for visible or skin-contact products.
Lower purity grades are sufficient for technical or hidden industrial applications. - Budget Constraints
Fully refined paraffin is costlier but essential for premium or regulated products.
Semi refined and slack wax are more economical for general or bulk industrial use.
Which paraffin grades are most widely used in Ukraine
In Ukraine, the most widely used paraffin grades reflect the country’s industrial, candle-making, and packaging sectors. Here’s a breakdown of the key paraffin grades in use:
- Fully Refined Paraffin Wax (FRPW)
Oil content: <0.5%
Melting point: 58–60°C or up to 64°C (depending on application)
Uses:
Religious and decorative candle production (a major industry in Ukraine)
Food packaging (meat, cheese, fruit coatings)
Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals
Popular due to: High purity, odorless/smokeless properties, compliance with EU standards. - Semi Refined Paraffin Wax (SRPW)
Oil content: 0.5–3%
Melting point: 54–60°C
Uses:
Lower-cost candle production (especially church and memorial candles)
Rubber industry, plywood gluing, matches
High demand due to balance between cost and usability. - Slack Wax (Light and Heavy)
Oil content: 5–30%
Uses:
As a raw material for paraffin wax refining
Rustproofing, lubricants, matches, rubber processing
Imported or locally sourced as base stock - Microcrystalline Wax (used in small volumes)
Uses:
Cosmetics, adhesives, packaging, chewing gum base
Niche demand in specialized industries
Packaging of various paraffin grades for Ukraine
- Fully Refined Paraffin Wax
Packaging:
Carton boxes (usually 25 kg net weight)
Plastic-wrapped slabs inside cartons
Block/slab form (rectangular, easy for melting and handling)
Stacking: Palletized (often 1 ton per pallet, shrink-wrapped for stability) - Semi Refined Paraffin Wax
Packaging:
Cardboard cartons or kraft paper bags, each ~25 kg
Sometimes PE-laminated paper to prevent sticking
Transport: Palletized and shrink-wrapped (1 ton pallets) - Slack Wax (Light & Heavy Grades)
Packaging options:
Steel drums (typically 180–210 liters, 180–200 kg net weight)
IBC tanks (Intermediate Bulk Containers – 1,000 liters)
Bulk in flexitanks (20 MT in ISO containers)
Used by: Blenders, processors, and industrial refineries - Microcrystalline Wax
Packaging:
Cartons (20–25 kg) with inner PE liners
Plastic bags inside boxes to maintain purity
Form: Slabs or pastilles
Markets: Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals; packaging must preserve hygiene
Key Ukraine ports for receiving paraffin grades
- Port of Odesa
Location: Black Sea, southern Ukraine - Port of Chornomorsk (formerly Illichivsk)
Location: Near Odesa - Port of Pivdennyi (Yuzhny)
Location: Southern Ukraine, near Odesa
Domestic and foreign Paraffin Supplier Ukraine
- Ukrnafta / Ukrtatnafta (Kremenchuk Refinery)
- Ukrparafin LLC
- Candle Manufacturers as Distributors
International Paraffin Supplier Ukraine
- Zümrüt International Kimya (Turkey)
One of the most active suppliers of fully and semi-refined paraffin wax to Ukraine.
Products: Fully refined, semi-refined, slack wax.
Certifications: REACH, ISO, kosher/halal, food-contact grades.
Routes: Delivered via Romania or Poland, especially since 2022. - Polwax S.A. (Poland)
Supplies high-quality paraffin for religious and utility candles.
Specifications of semi-refined paraffin with oil grade 1%, 1-2% and 3-5% for Paraffin Supplier Ukraine
| Property | 1% Oil Content | 1–2% Oil Content | 3–5% Oil Content |
| Oil Content | ≤ 1% | 1–2% | 3–5% |
| Melting Point (°C) | 58-60 | 58–62 | 56–60 |
| Color | White to snow white | Off-white to cream | Pale yellow to off-white |
| Odor | Odorless or very mild | Mild hydrocarbon scent | Noticeable hydrocarbon scent |
| Penetration @25°C (dmm) | ≤ 15 | 15–20 | 20–30 |
| Viscosity @100°C (cSt) | 4.0–5.5 | 4.5–6.0 | 5.5–7.5 |
| Flash Point (°C) | ≥ 240 | ≥ 230 | ≥ 220 |
| Moisture | None | None | None |
| Ash Content | ≤ 0.03% | ≤ 0.05% | ≤ 0.1% |
| Congealing Point (°C) | 58–62 | 57–61 | 55–59 |
| Applications | Cosmetics, food-grade candles, packaging | Candle making, paper coating, crayons | Matches, plywood, rubber, industrial candles |
