[Todd]

From what I was told it that 51 or 60 percent refers to the volume of wax, not the volume of the total product. Anything above 17 percent total volume (I believe this was the number I was told) would require solvents that are not VOC complient.

[Grouse]

Originally Posted by Todd

From what I was told it that 51 or 60 percent refers to the volume of wax, not the volume of the total product. Anything above 17 percent total volume (I believe this was the number I was told) would require solvents that are not VOC complient.

that is my understanding also. Tomorrow i may learn something to the contrary though.

[Tampa-Brian]

Erin,

Did you find anything out that may contribute to this thread?

[Smith2287]

good information, very interesting

[Grouse]

Originally Posted by Tampa-Brian

Erin,

Did you find anything out that may contribute to this thread?

LOL, no i was referring to the possibility, or more correctly likely hood that i would learn something in the future that would add to it.

Along the lines. "tomorrow is a new day"

[togwt]

Carnauba wax is a vegetable wax (fat) obtained from the leaves of the Carnauba Palm, that has an affinity to water, the ability to retain oil and has excellent gloss properties making it applicable in a vast variety of industries. Carnauba is the hardest natural wax and has lustrous composition making it the leading choice for food coatings, pharmaceutical coatings and polishes. This (Copernicia prunifera) Arecaceae palm grows in the northern and north-eastern parts of Brazil along the riverbanks, valleys, and lagoons where the soil is dark and fertile. The tree needs very little water to grow, is very prolific and attains a height 40-50 feet after fifty years.

The natives in the surrounding area use the various products of the tree for many necessities in their lives; hence the name "Tree of Life." Of interest is the fact that only in northern Brazil does the Carnauba Palm produce wax.

Number one grade Carnauba varies from a very pale yellow (so called ‘white’), through a greenish brown (yellow). It is the world’s purest, hardest and most transparent natural wax repellent derived from the Brazilian palm Copernia Cerefera. This wax coats the leaves and is hydrophobic; it forms a barrier that is a natural deterrent from acid rain, airborne pollutants and acidic bird excrement.

Its colour is determined by the ages of the leaves when harvested, and ranges from pale yellow (new, unopened leaves) to a greenish brown (older leaves exposed to sun and weather).

There are various grades available (#1 Yellow and Yellow) the pale yellow wax (sometimes termed Ivory) has the highest clarity (very transparent) and is the highest grade of carnauba available, much sought after by concourse d’élégance entrants (See also Zymol website) A natural White Carnauba wax does not exist; this is just a marketing play on words to denote ‘purity’. In addition to colour, the wax is also graded according to area of origin—Parnahyba, Piaui, Ceara, and Bahai.

Percentage of wax content- most carnaubas advertised with 50% or more Carnauba wax content is truly advertising a weight, not a volume. 30% by volume is about 50% by weight is about the maximum content (approx 35% Carnauba by volume makes it almost impossible to add/remove) thats why you never can truly assess the amount of Carnauba in a manufactured wax unless the manufacturer specifically lists its content percentage by weight or volume. When making a comparison ensure you compare like with like i.e. % volume or % weight

#1 Yellow is actually an ivory colour, bleaching a wax is a very complicated and costly chemical process, going from an off-white to white would not be a viable proposition and is usually marketing misinformation. Calling an ivory coloured wax white is dubious at best

Information resource-
Relevant Material Data Sheet (MSDS) – http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Carnauba_wax-9923319
Zymol- (http://www.zymol.com/carnauba.htm)
Swissvax - SWISSVAX - the ultimate car care products hand-made in Switzerland
Wikipedia - Carnauba wax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Strahl & Pitsch - Carnauba Wax
Abstracts from articles related to Auto Appearance Chemicals – Dow Corning
The Chemistry and Technology of Waxes, by Albin H. Warth; Second Edition 1956

[Tonya]

Togwt I always love reading your post Sometimes I have to read them twice to make sure I understand all the great information I appreciate you sharing and educating us!!!

[sneek]

hmm interesting. I have heard things simalar to your first post, wax does nothing and it is all about the oils. I had a chat with eShine about this once. I think Zymol and Swissvax use oils to soften the wax instead of solvents. I heard they cost $1500 a gallon or something insane like that! One funny thing is Vintage gives really good clarity (even with my shitty application method). I didn't know until last week that I was applying it very wrong, but it still has a nice gloss to it. It seems to have more glow to it than other waxes I have tried, but again this isn't very scientific, and I am not sure if this glow can be measured with any sort of insterment. A while back a vendor on Autopia gave me a beta on some 51% by volume wax. It was pretty hard to apply but it had amazing shine. It had terrible durability, but that is besides the fact.

[Duratys]

Originally Posted by Tonya

Sometimes I have to read them twice to make sure I understand all the great information I appreciate you sharing and educating us!!!

And I thought I was the only one that needed to do that

[FMINUS]

Originally Posted by sneek

hmm interesting. I have heard things simalar to your first post, wax does nothing and it is all about the oils. I had a chat with eShine about this once. I think Zymol and Swissvax use oils to soften the wax instead of solvents. I heard they cost $1500 a gallon or something insane like that! One funny thing is Vintage gives really good clarity (even with my shitty application method). I didn't know until last week that I was applying it very wrong, but it still has a nice gloss to it. It seems to have more glow to it than other waxes I have tried, but again this isn't very scientific, and I am not sure if this glow can be measured with any sort of insterment. A while back a vendor on Autopia gave me a beta on some 51% by volume wax. It was pretty hard to apply but it had amazing shine. It had terrible durability, but that is besides the fact.

How were you doing it "wrong"?