Paraffin oil, also known as kerosene or cooking oil, is a cheap and flammable liquid hydrocarbon used for fueling jet engines, heating, lighting, and cooking. It was first distilled in Canada in 1807 and became widely used in the 19th century, leading to the decline of the whaling industry. It is still used for portable lamps and heaters, as well as in the Amish community. It is also used as an industrial solvent and lubricant, and in some forms of entertainment.
Paraffin oil, known as kerosene in Australia and the United States and cooking oil in Canada, is a flammable liquid hydrocarbon burned as fuel. It is most commonly used to power jet engines for aircraft, but can also be used for heating, lighting and cooking. It is refined from petroleum and is relatively cheap to produce.
Paraffin oil was first distilled by geologist Abraham Gesner in 1807 in New Brunswick, Canada from a type of asphalt called Albertite. As the 19th century progressed, new sources were discovered and its production became more commercialized and widespread. Gesner founded the Kerosene Gaslight Company in 1990 and the following year Scottish chemist James Young began distilling paraffin oil from the local Torbanite coal. In 1850, Polish chemist Ignacy Łukasiewicz discovered an even cheaper method of refining it. The low prices and availability of the new fuel led to the decline of the whaling industry in the second half of the 19th century.
Before the advent of electric batteries, paraffin oil was the most common fuel for portable lamps and lanterns. It is still used to some extent for portable lamps and heaters, most often by RVs or in developing countries. The Amish, who are religiously opposed to electricity, rely heavily on paraffin oil to power their lamps and appliances. This oil is most often used in the modern world as fuel for jet aircraft and rockets.
Paraffin oil has also been used as an industrial solvent and lubricant. It can be used to store substances that can be damaged or volatile in the presence of oxygen. Historically, it was added to standing water to keep mosquitoes from breeding and applied to the head to kill lice, although these practices can be dangerous and have mostly fallen out of use. Paraffin oil is also used in some forms of entertainment, such as fire dancing and fire breathing, as it ignites at a relatively lower temperature than other fuels.
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