Paraffin Wax Cube

Waxes can be animal, vegetable and mineral-derived, made by everything from otters and kale to beetles and bacteria. Waxes can also be synthesised from petrol, coal, gas or other chemicals. The synthetic waxes in our collection include this paraffin wax, montan wax, and microcrystalline wax that are used in printing inks, plastics, adhesives and more.

Synthetic waxes like this paraffin wax, our Renaissance wax and microcrystalline wax have been developed over the years to have specific properties that make them particularly good at waterproofing fabrics, holding fragrances, and resisting water corrosion and oxidisation of historically important museum objects and sculptures.

Paraffin is a comparatively brittle wax, so care must be taken when working or carving fine details as the material is liable to chip. With a melting point of between 50°C and 60°C, it can be easily cast and appears transparent when in its liquid phase. On solidification there is a notable degree of shrinkage in the material, resulting from the decreased volume in solid phase. 

These particular paraffin cubes were made by our director Zoe as part of her PhD to show how much this material expands when melted and contracts when cooled. The cube with the large dip in it was cast in an aluminium mould all in one go, up to the rim, and was precisely 4cm³ when liquid. The solid wax cube with visible layers was poured into the mould in 2mm increments. Each layer of wax was allowed to cool before a second layer of equal depth was poured on top. This process was repeated until the last cooled layer was flush with the top of the mould. Once cooled, this resulted in a solid cube of paraffin wax of even dimensions with no concavity on any surface. These cubes were then used to explain spark a discussion with visitors about the behaviours and properties of this material as it transforms from liquid to solid.

Check out our blog post for a longer read about the weird and wonderful properties of waxes, including beeswax (the glandular produce of the humble honeybee), earth wax that is mined from seams in the ground and Renaissance wax that used to protect Barbara Hepworth’s monumental bronze sculptures.