ASTM D938 Method for Congealing Point of Petroleum Waxes, Including Petrolatum
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 A sample of wax is melted and a droplet is made to adhere to the bulb of a thermometer. Using a prewarmed flask as an air jacket, the droplet on the bulb is allowed to cool at a fixed rate until it congeals. The congealing point is observed as the temperature at which the droplet ceases to flow as the thermometer is turned.
5. Significance and Use
5.1 Congealing point is a wax property that is of interest to many petroleum wax consumers. The procedure described here measures the temperature at which a sample being cooled develops a "set" or resistance to flow. At that temperature, the wax may be at or close to the solid state, or it may be semisolid and quite unctuous, depending on the composition of the wax or petrolatum being tested. In the case of petrolatums, congealing property is associated with the formation of a gel structure as the sample cools.
