Wax having a fine crystalline structure, comprising the remaining fraction of paraffin wax after the lower molecular weight waxes are removed; it has a higher melting point and viscosity than paraffin, is chemically inert, and a stronger adhesive than paraffin. It can be softened by adding mineral oil or petroleum jelly. Microcrystalline wax does not emulsify easily but can be modified with a catalyst to produce an oxidized, emulsifiable form that is used in hard, self-polishing floor wax. Microcrystalline wax is also used in laminating paper and foils, polishes, waxed paper, adhesives, coatings, linings, and sealants. Microcrystalline waxes were first made in the late 1930s by Baker Petrolite in Barnsdall, Oklahoma.
