Paraffin is a kind of mixture extracted from some distillates of petroleum, shale oil or other asphalt mineral oil. Its main component is solid alkane, odorless and tasteless, which is white or light yellow translucent solid. Paraffin is amorphous, but it has a crystal structure of *. There is also artificial paraffin.

Paraffin is a kind of petroleum processing products, mineral wax and petroleum wax. It is a kind of flake or needle like crystal which is obtained from the crude oil distillation by solvent refining, solvent dewaxing or wax freezing crystallization and pressing dewaxing. It is used for making high-grade fatty acids, high-grade alcohols, matches, candles, waterproof agents, ointments, electrical insulation materials, etc.

Paraffin is divided into food grade (food grade and packaging grade, the former is superior) and industrial grade, food grade ~, industrial grade is not edible.