The secret life of crayons

misslily The rapid chill mold

misslily Crude to Color

misslily The oily origin of paraffin wax

misslily The great melt and mix

misslily The clever double wrap

misslily How Crayons Are Made

Melting wax, melting wax, We're turning oil into color!

misslily The rapid chill mold

Fun Fact

Crayon smell: The iconic scent of Crayola crayons comes from stearic acid, a beef-tallow derivative added to make the wax glide smoothly.

misslily The great melt and mix

Glossary

paraffin (noun)
A waxy, flammable solid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum and used especially in candles. In 1903, Binney and Smith first used this oil-derived substance to manufacture their iconic children's crayons.

Quiz

How do modern factories quickly cool liquid wax into solid crayons?

Gossip

Which crayon color is most satisfying?

Quiz

At what temperature is paraffin wax heated before pigments are added in a crayon factory?

Quiz

In what physical state are color pigments added to the melted wax mixture?

Quiz

What is the primary raw material used to make modern commercial wax crayons?

Quiz

What ingredient is added to crayons to give them a smooth glide and their iconic smell?

Quiz

What happens to crayons that are rejected for being chipped or broken during factory inspection?

Quiz

What mechanism pushes the cooled crayons out of their molds in a factory?

Quiz

Why are crayon labels wrapped twice around the wax stick by manufacturing machines?