Paraffin a.k.a Lamp Oil, Mineral Oil

Unlike the other common names for fuels, Paraffin is a moniker for a type of hydrocarbon rather than a generic size range. Technically, paraffins are fully saturated hydrocarbons without benzene rings, exotic atoms, or any other imputities. The paraffins are biologically neutral, tasteless, odourless, and colourless. However, the legal for trade moniker Paraffin, allows for certain impurities, and outside the US, the percentage increases. Often, "pure" paraffin will contain up to 1% contaminants, enough to give it a distinctive gasoline smell and taste. In the UK and other Anglophones, Paraffin can be directly related to Kerosene.

Since, technically, a wide variety of chemicals from propane, to white gas, to lamp oil, to vasoline, can be called a paraffin, the properties are harder to pinpoint. For our purposes, we will stick to the more common forms: lamp oil and mineral oil. These liquid, long-chain hydrocarbons range from c10 to c18, have a very high flash point (200+ degrees f), and a very low vapor pressure. Lamp oil can oftem be left out, even in direct sunlight, without fear of it producing combustible vapors.

Because it is so stable at room temp, Lamp oil is very hard to light under most circumstances. It will only burn from a wick or other substance with a high surface area. It will often stain any surface it touches because of the difficulty it has migrating and evaporating. The notable exception to this stability is when in the presence of high surface area conditions. When lamp oil is applied to cotton balls, wood shavings, fur or feathers, it begins producing a cloud of vapors almost immediately. This cloud stays in a form that is readily ignitable from spark or intense heat.

From a performance standpoint, Lamp oil is one of the preferred fuels. It's accepted by even the most restrictive fire departments. Though it burns smokily, it can be found in forms that burn without a lot of toxins, and all forms produce a very long show. It's very high flash point means that it usually won't burn on your body, even if you smack yourself with a freshly lit wick. Ultra purified forms can be attained that are safe for consumption making them the ideal fuel for fire breathing. The biggest problem with lamp oil is in complacency. Proximity to feathers and fur should be avoided at all costs as these material make Lamp oil react like Naphtha.

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