How is it made?
Moth balls are primarily made of naphthalene. Over the years the production of mothballs changed due to hazards and is now made up of 1-4, dichlorobenzene.
Naphthalene naturally occurs in petroleum and coal tar (Schlager Etal, "Chemical Compounds", 06). To extract naphthalene from the two substances is a long process of heating the raw material at a specific temperature, allowing the production of middle oil (Schlager Etal, "Chemical Compounds", 06). Which is then distilled, separating into individual components, in which naphthalene is one (Schlager Etal, "Chemical Compounds", 06). Then takes place of cleansing the compound, which is washed in an acid and then dumped into a sodium hydroxide solution, and lastly is steamed distillation for it to be purified. (Schlager Etal, "Chemical Compounds", 06). Once the naphthalene is extracted, and purified, using the powdery self is once again melted, then molded, or can be blended in with low melting wax.
Once they are completely cooled down, the batch of balls are dumped into a machine that drops a number of mothballs into the bags. The bags they are placed in are small, dry, and cool allowing only a limited amount to fall in. Once they are placed in a bag, all the air is sucked out making it air-tight. Once that’s all done they are thrown into a box and shipped off. On the journey to another location, they are kept at an even/cool temperature. (Yahoo,07)
Naphthalene naturally occurs in petroleum and coal tar (Schlager Etal, "Chemical Compounds", 06). To extract naphthalene from the two substances is a long process of heating the raw material at a specific temperature, allowing the production of middle oil (Schlager Etal, "Chemical Compounds", 06). Which is then distilled, separating into individual components, in which naphthalene is one (Schlager Etal, "Chemical Compounds", 06). Then takes place of cleansing the compound, which is washed in an acid and then dumped into a sodium hydroxide solution, and lastly is steamed distillation for it to be purified. (Schlager Etal, "Chemical Compounds", 06). Once the naphthalene is extracted, and purified, using the powdery self is once again melted, then molded, or can be blended in with low melting wax.
Once they are completely cooled down, the batch of balls are dumped into a machine that drops a number of mothballs into the bags. The bags they are placed in are small, dry, and cool allowing only a limited amount to fall in. Once they are placed in a bag, all the air is sucked out making it air-tight. Once that’s all done they are thrown into a box and shipped off. On the journey to another location, they are kept at an even/cool temperature. (Yahoo,07)