362 
Paraffine. 
f  Am.  Jode.  PhaeMo. 
1     Aug.  1, 1872. 
as  1820,  and  Buchner,  who  found  it  at  that  time  in  the  Bavarian  oily 
is  sometimes  called  its  discoverer.  The  idea  of  employing  petroleum 
as  a  source  for  paraffine  was  not  fully  cultivated  until  1856,  when  the 
market  became  supplied  with  an  oil  unusually  rich  in  this  material. 
American  petroleum  contains  very  little,  but  the  Indian,  and  espe- 
cially Rangoon  and  Java  oil,  affords  from  10  to  40  per  cent.  The 
crude  petroleum  is  distilled  until  25  per  cent,  has  gone  over ;  the  re- 
maining portion  is  subjected  to  a  higher  temperature,  and  toward 
the  last  the  paraffine  goes  over,  which  is  condensed  by  surrounding 
the  tanks  with  ice  or  artificial  mixtures  for  the  production  of  cold. 
Latterly  the  manufacture  from  ozokerite  has  been  conducted  on  an 
immense  scale.  The  introduction  of  this  name  into  commerce  af- 
fords a  striking  illustration  of  successful  advertising.  It  is  said  that 
the  originators  of  the  word  spent  twenty  thousand  pounds  sterling  in 
posting  it  on  to  every  available  dead  wall,  conspicuous  rock,  high 
fence,  and  in  advertising  it  in  every  language  and  every  country, 
until  the  curiosity  of  the  whole  world  was  raised  to  a  high  pitch  in 
anticipation  of  the  coming  wonder.  After  waiting  a  number  of  years,, 
public  curiosity  was  gratified  by  the  appearance  on  the  market  of 
some  remarkably  fine  candles,  which,  on  inspection,  proved  to  be  the 
well-known  paraffine.  The  capital  invested  in  the  new  enterprise  is 
very  large,  and  the  production  of  pure  paraffine  somewhat  startling. 
Ozokerite,  as  it  is  found  in  Austria,  Moldavia,  the  Caucasus,  and 
near  the  Caspian  Sea,  is  a  vegetable  wax  of  a  yellowish  color,  fibrous 
structure  and  light  specific  gravity.  In  its  natural  state  it  will  melt 
readily,  but  requires  to  be  wrapped  around  a  wick  before  it  will  burn. 
About  300  pounds  of  the  crude  material  are  subjected  at  a  time  to 
fractional  distillation  in  an  iron  still,  provided  with  coolers  and  con- 
densers. The  yield  is  8  per  cent,  oil  and  60  per  cent,  paraffine. 
The  oil  is  reserved  for  illuminating  purposes.  A  small  portion  of  the 
light  oil,  which  boils  before  212°  F.,  is  subsequently  used  in  refining 
the  paraffine.  The  crude  paraffine  contains  an  oil  which  is  removed 
under  a  hydraulic  press,  and  distilled  to  save  adhering  paraffine,  and 
for  other  purposes. 
The  press  cakes  are  melted  and  treated  with  sulphuric  acid.  The 
acid  is  neutralized  with  lime,  and  the  paraffine  distilled  off.  The  pro- 
duct is  again  pressed,  melted  with  the  light  oil  mentioned  above,  and 
once  more  pressed.  The  final  result  is  a  perfectly  white,  transparent, 
hard  substance,  quite  pure  and  inodorous,  having  a  metallic  ring,  and 
