Paraffin waxes are characterized by a clearly defined crystal structure and have the tendency to be hard and brittle. The melt point of paraffin waxes generally falls between 120° and 160°F.
Individual test methods are determined by molecular size & structure, chemical composition and oil content. Paraffin wax consists mostly of straight chain hydrocarbons with 80 to 90% normal paraffin content and the balance consists of branched paraffins (iso-paraffins) and cycloparaffins.