Semi-refined paraffin wax is petroleum wax with a measurable residual oil content, set apart from fully de-oiled paraffin by how much oil remains after processing. Oil content is measured by ASTM D721 and melting point by ASTM D87; grade names like HP3, M3 and UL2 are shorthand for combinations of these two figures, so buyers should always confirm the certificate of analysis behind the label. BHD Group supplies Turkish-origin Paraffin Wax within its Waxes family, one of two divisions — BHD Chemical and BHD Sourcing — under a single accountable house.
Semi-refined paraffin wax is a petroleum wax with a measurable oil content, typically produced and graded from slack wax through partial de-oiling — a lower level of refinement than fully de-oiled paraffin. Buyers researching what is semi refined paraffin oil content hp3 m3 grades usually want two things: what the oil-content number means for their process, and how grades like HP3, M3 and UL2 map onto that number. This guide answers both, using recognized test methods and published standards rather than marketing claims.
Who this guide is for
This page is written for three buyers who search this topic for different reasons:
- Candle makers and blenders sourcing paraffin for economy/utility candles, grave/church/mourning candles, container candles or slack-wax blending, who need to know how oil content affects hardness and scent retention.
- Wax distributors comparing supplier grade sheets and tariff classifications before placing an order.
- Procurement and quality teams who need a defensible specification — a test method, a tolerance, a document — before they sign a purchase order.
What is semi-refined paraffin wax?
Semi-refined paraffin wax is petroleum wax that has undergone partial oil removal during processing, leaving a measurable residual oil content — as distinct from fully de-oiled paraffin, which is processed further to strip oil down close to zero. According to Hydrocarbon Processing (2024), paraffin wax production starts at the crude distillation unit, where petroleum crude is separated into fractions by boiling point, and under vacuum, fractions boiling above 650°F can be separated efficiently at lower temperatures. The oil that remains in the wax after this separation is what the "semi-refined" label refers to.
Oil content is not a cosmetic detail. According to ASTM International (2017), oil content can significantly affect wax strength, hardness, flexibility, scuff resistance, coefficient of friction, coefficient of expansion, melting point, and oil straining. That single figure on a certificate of analysis explains why a buyer's finished candle or coating performs differently from batch to batch if the oil content drifts.
How oil content is measured
The standard reference method is ASTM D721. Per ASTM International (2017), ASTM D721 covers determination of oil in petroleum waxes having a congealing point of 30°C (86°F) or higher and containing not more than 15% of oil. A buyer asking for oil content on a spec sheet should ask which method produced the number — D721 is the one to check for.
Note that not every wax-testing method applies to paraffin. ISO states that certain of its methods are unsuitable for waxes of the petroleum group, the microcrystalline waxes, or blends of such waxes with paraffin wax or scale wax — a reminder to confirm the test method matches the wax type before comparing numbers across suppliers.
Melting point and why it travels with oil content on a spec sheet
Melting point is the second figure buyers ask for alongside oil content, because the two together describe how the wax will behave in a mold or blend. According to ASTM International (2018), ASTM D87 is the standard test method for the melting point of petroleum wax, determined by cooling curve. A grade sheet that lists melting point without naming D87 as the method leaves the buyer unable to compare it against another supplier's figures.
HP3, M3 and UL2: what these grade names mean to a buyer
HP3, M3 and UL2 are grade designations that candle makers and wax distributors search for by name when comparing paraffin suppliers. They function as shorthand for a combination of melting point and oil-content band, the same two properties covered by ASTM D87 and ASTM D721 above. When a buyer asks "what is semi refined paraffin oil content hp3 m3 grades mean," the honest answer is that the letters point to a use case — HP for higher-melting-point candle wax, M for mid-range, LP for lower-melting-point, UL for utility-leaning blends — while the underlying number that matters for a purchase order is the oil-content and melting-point figure on that specific shipment's certificate of analysis, not the grade label alone.
Petroleum Jelly grading follows the same logic
The same buyer logic applies one shelf over. Cosmetics and wax buyers also search white-tier petroleum jelly by name — including the 'Ultra Snow White' (BP-2017, 0.5Y) designation, and White, Snow White and Super Snow White tiers generally — for the same reason they search HP3/M3 paraffin: the tier name is a shorthand, and the certificate of analysis is the document that confirms it.
Regulatory and tariff context a buyer should know
Oil content thresholds also show up outside the technical spec sheet, in food-contact rules and customs codes.
Food-contact use
Under US federal rule, the eCFR, 21 CFR 175.250 states that synthetic paraffin for food-contact use "has an oil content not exceeding 2.5 percent as determined by ASTM method D721-56T" — an early version of the same D721 method described above. Separately, EFSA / PMC record that the EFSA CEP Panel assessed the safety of refined paraffinic waxes (FCM No. 93) for extended use in articles contacting fatty foods — a different assessment covering a different, more refined material than the semi-refined grades this page discusses.
Tariff classification (paraffin wax in usa import context)
Oil content also determines tariff treatment. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission (1998) Harmonized Tariff Schedule, subheading 2712.20.00 covers "paraffin wax containing by weight less than 0.75 percent of oil," separating it tariff-wise from other paraffin waxes with higher oil content — a distinction that matters for any buyer importing paraffin wax in usa trade.
Chemical stability
On handling and storage, NOAA CAMEO Chemicals notes that paraffin wax "may be incompatible with strong oxidizing agents... in other settings, mostly unreactive. Not affected by aqueous solutions of acids, alkalis, most oxidizing agents, and most reducing agents" — useful context for a warehouse or blending-facility safety data sheet.
National standards outside the US
Buyers sourcing internationally should know that oil-content grading is standardized elsewhere too. GB/T 254-2022, "Semi-refined paraffin wax," is the current valid Chinese national standard for semi-refined paraffin wax, superseding GB/T 254-2010, 254-1998 and GB 254-1987 — a useful cross-reference when a grade sheet cites a Chinese standard instead of ASTM.
Semi-refined paraffin oil content grades 1 to 3: reading the chart
Buyers comparing what is semi refined paraffin oil content hp3 m3 grades 1 versus what is semi refined paraffin oil content hp3 m3 grades 3 are really asking to see the numbers side by side. The table below sets out the standards referenced above — not brand-specific figures, but the reference points a buyer should hold any supplier's certificate of analysis against.
| Standard | What it measures | Why a buyer checks it |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D721 | Oil content in petroleum waxes (congealing point ≥30°C, ≤15% oil) | Confirms the method behind the oil-content figure on a certificate of analysis |
| ASTM D87 | Melting point of petroleum wax by cooling curve | Confirms the melting point figure was produced by a recognized method |
| 21 CFR 175.250 | Oil content ceiling (2.5%, via ASTM D721-56T) for food-contact synthetic paraffin | Sets the US regulatory threshold for food-contact use |
| HTS 2712.20.00 | Paraffin wax with less than 0.75% oil by weight | Determines US tariff classification on import |
| GB/T 254-2022 | Chinese national standard for semi-refined paraffin wax | Reference point when a supplier cites a Chinese standard |
What to check before you order
- Ask which test method produced the stated oil-content figure — confirm it is ASTM D721 or an equivalent named standard.
- Ask which test method produced the stated melting point — confirm it is ASTM D87 or an equivalent named standard.
- Request the certificate of analysis for the specific shipment, not a generic grade datasheet.
- If the material is for food-contact use, confirm the oil-content ceiling applicable in your market.
- If importing, confirm the HTS or destination-country tariff code implied by the oil-content figure.
- Confirm storage compatibility, particularly separation from strong oxidizing agents.
- Match the grade name (HP3, M3, UL2, or a white-tier petroleum jelly designation) against the numeric spec, not the label alone.
- Ask whether the standard referenced is ASTM, GB/T, or another national standard, and reconcile the units before comparing suppliers.
Working with BHD
BHD Group operates as two divisions under one accountable house: BHD Chemical and BHD Sourcing. Paraffin Wax sits in the Waxes family alongside Petroleum Jelly and Slack Wax — the range this business leads with, supplied Turkish-origin and processed to origin. Buyers evaluating semi-refined paraffin against HP3/M3-style grade sheets are welcome to request the certificate of analysis for a given batch, with the test method named, before placing an order. BHD Group works on spec and on time, and quietly reliable is the standard we hold ourselves to.
Sources
- ASTM International (2017) — ASTM D721-17 Standard Test Method for Oil Content of Petroleum Waxes, store.astm.org/d0721-17.html
- ASTM International (2018) — ASTM D87 Standard Test Method for Melting Point of Petroleum Wax (Cooling Curve), store.astm.org/d0087-09r18.html
- U.S. Government Publishing Office (eCFR) — 21 CFR 175.250, Paraffin (synthetic), ecfr.gov
- U.S. International Trade Commission (1998) — Harmonized Tariff Schedule, Chapter 27, usitc.gov
- EFSA / PMC — Safety assessment of refined paraffinic waxes for food contact (FCM No. 93), pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- NOAA CAMEO Chemicals — WAXES: PARAFFIN, cameochemicals.noaa.gov
- ISO — Standard scope note on applicability to petroleum-group waxes, iso.org
- Chinese Standard (2022) — GB/T 254-2022 Semi-refined paraffin wax, chinesestandard.net
- Hydrocarbon Processing (2024) — Paraffin wax: A detailed look at its production process, hydrocarbonprocessing.com
Frequently asked questions
What is what is semi refined paraffin oil content hp3 m3 grades?
It refers to semi-refined paraffin wax's residual oil content — the percentage of oil left in the wax after partial refining, measured by ASTM D721 — and to grade names such as HP3, M3 and UL2 that shorthand a combination of oil content and melting point (ASTM D87). The grade name is a starting point; the certificate of analysis for a specific shipment carries the actual figures.
How does what is semi refined paraffin oil content hp3 m3 grades work?
Paraffin wax is separated from crude oil at the distillation unit and then partially de-oiled; the oil that remains is quantified using ASTM D721, and the wax's melting behavior is measured separately using ASTM D87 (Hydrocarbon Processing, 2024; ASTM International, 2017/2018). Grade labels like HP3 or M3 map to bands within these two measurements, so a buyer comparing grades is really comparing oil-content and melting-point figures on a certificate of analysis.
What are the benefits of what is semi refined paraffin oil content hp3 m3 grades?
Knowing the oil-content figure lets a buyer predict wax strength, hardness, flexibility, scuff resistance and melting point before committing to an order (ASTM International, 2017), and it clarifies which regulatory or tariff thresholds apply — for example the 2.5% food-contact ceiling in 21 CFR 175.250 or the 0.75% threshold in US tariff subheading 2712.20.00. Matching the grade name against the underlying numbers, rather than trusting the label alone, is what prevents a mismatch between what was ordered and what performs in production.
Why buyers work with BHD Group
Two divisions operate under a single accountable house. There is no handoff between a trading desk and a sourcing desk that leaves a buyer chasing an answer — one team owns the order from enquiry to delivery.
About