Sticky yellowish moldable substance secreted by honeybees as the material of honeycomb; beeswax. A white translucent material obtained by bleaching and purifying this substance and used for such purposes as making candles, modeling, and as a basis of polishes. Waxes are mixtures comprising chiefly esters of monohydroxy alcohols, besides other esters and free fatty acids, free alcohols, and higher hydrocarbons. The waxes derived from plants are carnauba wax, obtained from the leaves of a palm grown in Brazil, and candelilla wax, produced by a Mexican plant. Mineral waxes include ozocerite and paraffin, both composed of hydrocarbons. Japan wax and bayberry (or myrtle) wax are composed chiefly of fats. Waxes and wax compounds are used in sealers, polishes, coating, inks, adhesives, lubricants, binders, candles and candle making, investment casting patterns, and food additives. Impregnating wax is usually less viscous and melts at lower temperatures than most other waxes; thus, it has better penetration properties on porous materials. Wax is used to make candles, wood products etc. Sealing wax was used to close important documents in the middle Ages. Wax tablets were used as writing surfaces.
Every type of wax is defined by certain parameters such as hardness, melting point, viscosity, colour, and many others. From the second half of the 20th century, paraffin and other mineral hydrocarbons have been the primary source of waxes.
There are various types of polishes having industrial and domestic applications; abrasive polish, aluminium polish, motor car polishes, cellulose friction polishes, furniture polishes, leather belt polishes, pine oil metal polish etc.
Types of wax are- plant and animal wax, petroleum derived wax.
Polishing is the process of creating a smooth and shiny surface by rubbing it or using a chemical action, leaving a surface with a significant specular reflection. In some materials (such as metals, glasses, black or transparent stones) polishing is also able to reduce diffuse reflection to minimal values. The strength of polished products is normally higher than their rougher counterpart owing to the removal of stress concentrations present in the rough surface. Metal polishes are used to clean all metals, brass, copper, or silver.
Types of polishes are – metalworking and woodworking.
Hand polishing is performed by holding the articles upon rapidly rotating mops dressed with an aluminum compound or rouge.
Wax and polishes are used for many purposes. Wax has their principal use in waterproofing; they are mainly consumed industrially as components of complex formulations, often for coatings. Waxes confer matting effects and wear resistance to paints.
The wax market, based on geography, is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World. China is the largest producer and exporter of synthetic wax while Europe and North America are the largest consumers. The market for wax is primarily driven by the increased application scope for the market. There is heavy end user demand for wax based applications and demand for waxes in the US is forecast to reach $2.5 billion in 2013. Value gains will be based on a shift to more expensive types. With the development of synthetic wax, this demand can be met at affordable costs. There are many refineries in India which have with fuel, lube, wax and petrochemical feed stocks production facilities. Mineral waxes (including petroleum) account for an estimated 85% of this global demand, with synthetic waxes accounting for 10% and animal and vegetable waxes, accounting for 5%. Wax consumption is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 1% in this decade.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
The Complete Technology Book on Wax and Polishes describes the detailed information on the subject. The major contents of this book are- compositions with resins and rubber, vegetable waxes, synthetic mineral waxes, industrial uses of wax, finishes, other mineral waxes, etc.
In order to get “The Complete Technology Book on Wax and polishes” please visit-
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