What is the difference between soy wax and paraffin?

There are differences between soy wax and paraffin in terms of raw material sources, characteristics and uses, as follows:

Raw material sources

Soy wax: soy wax is a natural wax, mainly made from soybean oil through hydrogenation and other processes. soy wax is a renewable resource and its source is relatively environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Paraffin: It is a hydrocarbon mixture extracted from certain distillates of petroleum, shale oil or other asphalt mineral oils. It is a petrochemical product and its raw material is non-renewable fossil energy.

Physical properties

Appearance: Soy wax is generally white or light yellow, with a relatively light and soft color; paraffin is usually white, whiter and purer in color, and may be more shiny in appearance.

Melting point: The melting point of soy wax is usually between 48℃ - 58℃; the melting point range of paraffin is wider, generally between 47℃ - 64℃, and the melting point of common paraffin used for candle making is about 52℃ - 56℃.

Hardness: Soy wax is relatively soft, and soy wax is easy to leave marks when gently pressed with fingers; paraffin wax is relatively hard, has a certain degree of brittleness, and is not easy to bend.

Chemical properties

Ingredients: The main component of soybean wax is fatty acid esters, which are produced by the esterification reaction of fatty acids and alcohols; the main component of paraffin wax is normal alkanes, and soy wax also contains a small amount of isoalkanes, cycloalkanes and trace amounts of aromatic hydrocarbons.

Combustion products: Soy wax produces carbon dioxide and water when it burns, and the combustion is more complete, and less black smoke is produced; paraffin wax may produce some harmful gases and more black smoke when it burns, especially in the case of incomplete combustion.

Features

Soy wax: Soy wax has good biodegradability, is environmentally friendly, non-toxic and odorless, has high safety, can be well integrated with plant essential oils, and has a good fragrance effect.

Paraffin wax: It has stable chemical properties, good waterproofness and insulation, but it may release some substances harmful to the human body when burning, and its integration with flavors is relatively poor.