DESCRIPTION

Petrolatum occurs as an unctuous mass varying in color from white to yellow or light amber. It is transparent in thin layers, and has not more than a slight fluorescence, even after being melted. It is a purified mixture of semisolid saturated hydrocarbons, mainly paraffinic in nature, obtained from petroleum. In general, it has a viscosity of NLT 3 centistokes at 100°. At 5% initial distillation, 95% of material has a carbon number equal to or greater than 18. It has a minimum average molecular weight of 350. It is partially soluble in ether, insoluble in water, and is almost insoluble in cold or hot alcohol and in cold absolute alcohol. It is partially soluble in solvent hexane, and in most fixed and volatile oils, and is freely soluble in chloroform and in turpentine oil. It may contain any antioxidant permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in an amount not greater than that required to produce its intended effect.