Petroleum Jelly Production Process

Petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum and vaseline, is made from waxes and mineral oils. Understanding the process of making petroleum jelly can provide useful information about its quality and purity.

In general, the process of making petroleum jelly involves three main steps:

1. Blending of Wax and Oils

2. Hydrotreating

3. Filtration

In the remainder of this article, more details will be provided about each step of the petroleum jelly production process.

Petroleum Jelly Production Process

As mentioned, the main raw materials for petroleum jelly are waxes and mineral oils, which are obtained as by-products of refining crude oil.

Waxes: Paraffin wax or a combination of it with microcrystalline wax is usually used. Microcrystalline wax gives petroleum jelly a softer and more stable texture.
Base oils: Base oils can be high-quality synthetic or mineral oils. Although vegetable oils can also be used, mineral oils are preferred due to their greater stability and resistance to oxidation and rancidity. These properties make mineral oils less likely to cause allergies than vegetable oils.

Blending of Wax and Oils

In this step, varying amounts of wax and oil are blended together to produce different types of petroleum jelly. Vegetable oils, mineral and synthetic base oils, or other types of mineral waxes can be added to this mixture to achieve the desired properties of the petroleum jelly.
It is clear that petroleum jelly with a high wax content has a higher melting point and a stiffer consistency, while petroleum jelly with a high oil content is softer and more fluid. Therefore, the blending of oils and waxes must be done based on specific needs.

Hydrotreating

The hydrotreating process uses high volumes of hydrogen to remove all impurities such as sulfur, nitrogen, and metals. It also saturates the hydrocarbon bonds and increases the stability of the final product.

Bauxite Filtration

The petroleum jelly is filtered through bauxite to remove its odor, color, and taste. It has been found that petroleum jelly can be deodorized and decolorized in a single filtration step.
This process involves passing liquid petroleum jelly at temperatures between 130°F and 400°F (about 54°C and 204°C) through activated bauxite at pressures above atmospheric pressure.
Activated bauxite acts as a very effective adsorbent, removing impurities and leaving behind a purer form of petroleum jelly. This filtration process results in white petroleum jelly with minimal impurities