How is wax produced

During the latter half of the 20th century, several synthetic and chemically synthesized waxes, including gels, were developed largely for specialty candle uses. Two vegetable-based candle waxes — soy wax and palm wax — were developed for commercial use in the candle market during the late s by hydrogenating soybean and palm oils, respectively.

Paraffin is by far the most frequently used candle wax on a worldwide basis today. Beeswax is also used around the globe, although in significantly smaller quantities. Stearin candle wax is largely limited to European use. In , a Japanese team discovered that a gene responsible for breast cancer can also cause super-smelly armpits and goopy wet earwax.

Other researchers see earwax as a time capsule, recording information like the rings of a tree. Since baleen whales do not use Q-tips, their earwax accumulates in their ear canals as they age. One last little earwax nugget before we close: Cerumen, or cerumen flavor, anyway, can also be a punishment. After the conversation, the women were asked to choose which flavor of jellybean the offender would be given: cherry, lemon, earwax, or dirt. The experiment seems bizarre, but the world would be a very different place if every racist statement earned its speaker a talking-to or a mouthful of earwax.

What Is Wax, Anyway? How Is Wax Used? Eagle-eyed consumers can find wax in… Cosmetics. Where Does Earwax Fit In? Many of the waxes mentioned are used in ointments, hand creams, and cosmetics read the ingredients lists.

Paraffin wax, used in some candles, is not based upon the ester functional group, but is a mixture of high molecular weight alkanes. Ear wax is a mixture of phospholipids and esters of cholesterol. The waxes with their component alcohols and fatty acids are listed below.

Simple esters are made from an organic acid and an alcohol. The ester functional group is of primary importance in the biochemical group of compounds called waxes, triglycerides, and phospholipids. The simplified reaction reveals the process of breaking some bonds and forming the ester and the by product, water. Refer to the graphic on the left for the synthesis of carnuba wax. Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of a carnauba palm and is sometimes referred to as palm wax. Carnauba wax has a glossy finish and is a popular wax to use in car polish, shoe polish and even floor and furniture polish.

Soy wax is made from the oil of soybeans. The most popular use for soy wax is in making candles, but is used in cosmetics as well. Soy Wax is a great choice for those wanting an environmentally friendly product since it is a renewable and sustainable resource.

Both animal and plant waxes are considered by many as Natural Waxes. Two types of petroleum waxes are Paraffin and Microcrystalline wax. While both Paraffin and Microcrystalline waxes are derived from crude oil, each product is quite different. Paraffin wax is typically white and odorless. It is used in a wide variety of products and is one of the most commonly used types of wax.

Paraffin wax is used in candle making, paper coatings and crayons. Microcrystalline waxes are typically darker, heavier and tackier than paraffin waxes. It is de-oiled during the refining process, meaning the oil is removed leaving wax behind. This type of wax is used in the tire and rubber industry. Additionally, microcrystalline waxes are also used in candle making, cosmetics and can also be used as a blending ingredient to increase flexibility, viscosity, and hardness in other products.

A less commonly known type of wax is mineral waxes. One type of mineral wax is Montan wax. Montan wax is extracted from lignite and brown coal. It is only available in a few places throughout the world two locations are Germany and California.