Vaseline Logo – The petrolatum is a mixture of hydrocarbons homogeneous saturated long chain. Typically, chains of more than 25 atoms of carbon, obtained from a refining heavy fraction oil. The composition of the mixture may vary depending on the kind of oil and the refining process. Highly refined (white petrolatum) is used in the pharmaceutical industry and cosmetics, as a lubricant or as a basis for the preparation of creams, respectively, and presents a whitish waxy transparent.
Less refined grades (petrolatum yellow, amber or brown) is commonly used in industry and may contain impurities such as compounds aromatic polycyclic carcinogenic character. Therefore, the European Union legislation the use of less refined fractions for exclusive use in industry and entering it unfit for human use.
When a mixture has a melting point not defined, a softening observed in the vicinity of 36 °C and completing the transition to the liquid state above 60 °C. The boiling point is above 350 °C. Vaseline is hydrophobic, ie practically does not dissolve in water and is less dense than this (0.9 g / cm 3 ). The term comes from German Wasser (= water) + Greek έλαιον (= oil).