Paraffin wax is a white or colorless soft solid derivable from
petroleum,
coal or
oil shale, that consists of a mixture of
hydrocarbon molecules containing between twenty and forty carbon atoms. It is solid at room temperature and begins to melt above approximately ; its boiling point is >. Common applications for paraffin wax include
lubrication,
electrical insulation, and
candles. It is distinct from
kerosene, another petroleum product that is sometimes called paraffin.