[Todd]

I just got of the phone with a pretty well know formulator who works for a major wax producing company. I'm not going to drop names and I don't know if what he told me is 100 percent accurate, but I though it would make for an interesting discussion.

I asked him about high percentage carnuaba waxes, specifically P21s 100, Zymol, and Swissvax. I asked if there was any benefit. His response was that no modern wax contains more then 10 percent carnuaba wax by volume. I asked him to explain.

When a company like Zymol tells you that they have 80 percent carnuaba wax, they are referring to the percentage of carnuaba in the amount of wax. That is, if the wax makes up 15 percent of the volume, then 80 percent of that wax is carnuaba. He went on to say that some older waxes (he named some old school brands that I never heard of) used as high as 30 percent wax in the old days, but the solvents needed to cut the wax are pretty wild and not enviromentally friendly.

Carnuaba is harder then concrete in natural forum and has to be softened and cut to be used in liquid or paste form. With modern California VOC regulations, I was told that it is basically impossible to get more then 10 percent carnuaba volume with out the use of harsh, fast drying solvents. These harsh, fast drying solvents are what create a "hard" feel to the wax, such as Meguiars #16.

Also, Carnauba wax is not glossy. Not at all, it is very cloudy and opaque and doesn't reflect light very well. It is the oils and solvents added to the 'nuba that produce the "nuba look" not the nuba itself. Also, while 'nuba wax does have great protective abilities, it melts at 139 degrees and once cut with sovlents, evaporates rather quickly. Most of the actually wax content is gone from the surface of the car pretty quickly. Its the oils, silicones, and solvents that stay behind and maintain the look, long after the wax is gone.

The last point that he made was that there is no such thing as white or pure carnauba wax. Over 99 percent of the carnauba wax harvested comes from a small area in Brazil, and for it to be commerically avialabe, it has to be #1 standard. #1 Standard is in reference to the color, which is a yellowish adobe color. Compaines claiming to use white carnauba are bleaching the wax to alter its color. It is also cheap, at roughly 5 dollars for 10lbs, when bought in bulk.

FWIW, I haven't done any research, but I do trust this guy. Like I said, he works for a major wax company (not sealant, but wax) and has helped forumlate carnauaba waxes for several pretty big companies world wide.

Just food for thought.