Wax is a fatty substance that is widely used as a protective coating for various surfaces. It resists air, water, and chemical change. Most wax is solid at room temperature. It softens when heated. The word wax comes from the Anglo-Saxon word weax, meaning beeswax.
Manufacturers produce three chief kinds of wax: (1) mineral, (2) animal, and (3) vegetable. Most manufacturers blend two or more types of wax to give their product the desired qualities.
Mineral wax.
Most wax comes from petroleum. Manufacturers chill and filter oil and then use various chemical processes to separate the wax from it. There are three major kinds of petroleum wax: (1) paraffin wax, (2) microcrystalline wax, and (3) petrolatum. These waxes differ in color, hardness, and melting point.
Petroleum wax resists moisture and chemicals and has no odor or taste. It serves as a waterproof coating for such paper products as milk cartons and waxed paper. Petroleum wax also is used in making polishes for automobiles, floors, and furniture. It does not conduct electricity, and so it can serve as an electric insulator. Manufacturers use petroleum wax molds in casting jewelry and machinery parts.
Most candles are made from paraffin wax. Microcrystalline wax is used mostly in making paper for packaging. Petrolatum, also called petroleum jelly, is used in making cosmetics and medicines.
Other mineral waxes include montan wax, obtained from coal; ozokerite, made from shale; and peat wax, made from peat. Synthetic (artificially made) wax comes from glycol, a chemical obtained from petroleum. These waxes are usually blended with petroleum wax.
Animal wax
is used alone or is blended with petroleum wax in making candles, polishes, and other products. Bees produce beeswax in building honeycombs. Wool wax comes from a greasy coating on unprocessed wool. Lanolin, a form of wool wax, is used in making cosmetics.
Vegetable wax.
Many plants have a natural wax coating that protects them from heat and moisture. Carnauba wax, the hardest and most widely used vegetable wax, coats the leaves of the carnauba palm tree. It remains solid in hot weather and is an important ingredient in automobile wax and other polishes. Other vegetable waxes include bayberry wax, candelilla wax, Japan wax, and sugar cane wax.
