Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology

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paraffin ( paraffin wax )

A waxy crystalline substance that in the pure form is white, odorless and translucent and has the approximate chemical formula of C 20 H 42 (and above). It is obtained from petroleum by distillation and is then purified by sweating or solvent refining. Paraffin, which is not a true wax, consists mainly of a mixture of saturated straight-chain solid hydrocarbons. Its melting points range from 50 to 57° C. It is used in the manufacture of certain types of paper, in leather dressings, in marbling, in producing paraffin prints, etc. (17 , 183 , 335 )




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