Crayons

Wax is an essential ingredient in crayon manufacturing, due to its distinctive properties of malleability and flexibility, but above all for its non-toxic nature. This is an essential characteristic that all crayons must fulfill, taking into consideration that the main users are children.

As raw material for this application, wax can reach up to 60% of the total formulation. The most appropriate waxes are chosen in accordance with the specific properties required for each type of crayon. The properties where wax participates are the following:

• Consistency and plasticity- softness or hardness.
• Paper sticking in normal application.
• Sliding capacity

Modeling Clay

Waxes utilized in the modeling clay elaboration require adequate malleability and flexibility characteristics, in such a way that the final product can be easily handled and it does not break or cut during application. Most modeling clays are composed basically of waxes, dyes and anti-sticking materials, the latter being required to avoid sticking during handling and application.

Multiceras has developed specific formulations for this application, giving the modeling clay an excellent performance in texture, color retention and malleability.

Carbon Paper

Inks utilized in paper carbon manufacturing are formulated with a base made-up of three basic ingredients: Waxes, oils and dyes.

Regarding waxes, two different types are normally used in this application: Amorphous waxes, like ozokerite or other wax derived from petroleum, which provide consistency and enable the oil retention in the ink body; hard waxes such as Candelilla, carnauba and polyethylene waxes, which enable keeping the ink in the solid state and handling the coated paper with cleanliness.

One of the main functions that waxes perform is to act as vehicle for the color transport, as well as to avoid the total ink absorption inside the paper internal surface. In typical ink formulations for paper carbon, waxes can reach up to 40% of the total formulation.

Matches

Wax is an essential raw material for matches manufacturing. It is applied on the match paper by means of a wet system. The waxed, folded and compact paper performs three main functions:

• It facilitates the match ignition.
• It enlarges the flame duration.
• It protects the match against moisture.

The wax products, most suitable for this application, are based on paraffin and microcrystalline waxes, which present the most adequate combustion properties.

Fire Logs

For their excellent combustion properties, some petroleum waxes are utilized in the artificial fire logs industry. Besides decorating the home chimneys, these fire logs fulfill their basic duty as fuel, supplying thermal energy by radiation. Wax integrates by immersion into the fire log body and it contributes to a safe and uniform combustion process.

Particle Board

Some emulsions and wax products, prepared from petroleum and synthetic waxes, are highly useful in the particleboard manufacturing. By applying these products, the following characteristics are given to the particleboard products:

• Water repellency.
• Decreased water adsorption.
• Resistance to swelling caused by water.

Construction

In the construction industry, emulsions elaborated from mineral or synthetic waxes present an important number of applications, including the following:

• Stripper for metallic and wood molds.
• Regulator in concrete curing.
• Retarder of premature forging.
• Moderator of water losses by evaporation.

Refractory Material

In the refractory brick industry (dolomite), some problems are faced by the presence of humidity, associated to the hygroscopic nature of dolomitic materials. This situation can cause fractures in the refractory material, once installed in the furnace, which in turn leads to higher material wastes, plant shutdowns and costly production losses.

To prevent these serious problems, a wax product is utilized during the refractory manufacturing, sealing all cavities in the refractory material, and protecting it against humidity. The main properties required in wax products for this application are low viscosity and excellent plasticity. In this manner, a higher wax penetration is achieved through the brick pores, sealing all cracks that could permit air or humidity intakes.

Radiology

Among the wide variety of products offered by Multiceras, a paraffin wax product line has been developed to protect efficiently against radiation emissions, mainly against X-ray and neutrons that are used in radiography and radiotherapy applications. These wax products can be used in the radiation proof-vests used by the specialists, as well as in the walls and doors used in the protection cabin.

Histology

Diverse preparation techniques and procedures are used for the histological study of organic tissues. One of them is the inclusion or impregnation of the extracted biopsy in paraffin wax, with the aim of preparing a representative sample for its microscopic evaluation.

By means of the inclusion technique, representative cuts can be obtained with the use of a microtome sufficiently fine for microscopic observation, and enabling a clear distinction of the overlapped cells on the extra-cellular matrix tissue

Before the paraffin wax inclusion, the sample tissue is treated with chemical substances that carry out the following duties:

Multiceras has developed paraffin wax products specifically for this application, which have demonstrated an excellent performance for histological preparations, enabling to obtain fine representative films for a reliable microscopic observation.

Cheese Coating

Wax is an ideal material for cheese coating and protection, leading to a longer shelf life for these products, which are exposed to decomposition and losses when not properly protected, with some material that must be also innocuous to human health.

Waxes perform three main functions in the cheese protection process:

• Moisture retention.
• Protection against fungus attack.
• Better product presentation.

The wax products developed for this application avoid the wax fracture during cheese refrigeration. The wax layer blocks the moisture losses. Besides, due to the lack of nutrients, wax avoids any kind of micro-organic growth on the cheese surface.

There are two processes used for applying wax products on cheese: a) Direct immersion on colored wax, used on fresh fatty cheese; b) Immersion in wax blanket, which is applied on fresh cheese.

Agriculture

The increasing world demand for fruits and vegetables has generated a greater need to preserve the quality of these products, with the aim of extending their shelf life.

In this regard, wax products perform the task of retarding the ripening and aging of fruits and vegetables, keeping a controlled atmosphere at the external product surface, thus enabling the product protection before environmental conditions of transport and storage.

In particular, wax emulsions assure a uniform impregnation and deposit of the wax material on the surface of fruits and vegetables, hindering in a very efficient manner their dehydration, gases transfer (oxygen, carbon dioxide), oil migration and solute transfer. These protection actions lead, in turn, to an improved retention of essential volatile components, to a controlled additives transfer, as well as to a brilliant finishing at the product surface.

Fireworks/Military Industry

The wide variety of colors, observed during fireworks burning, arises from the color lines predominant in the spectrum of their production elements. This color generation requires the volatilization of a given elemental portion, in the presence of an oxidant agent as the carbon source. During the ignition process, a sufficiently high temperature value is reached to vaporize the elemental portion, thus generating the desired color range.

Since ancient times, wax has been utilized as the favorite oxidant agent, used to provide the required carbon for the ignition step, enabling the generation of a wide color spectrum which cannot be attained with other carbon sources.

On the other hand, some wax varieties rich in hydrocarbons, such is the case of Candelilla wax, find a very important application in the military industry. They can be utilized as an active ingredient in detonation processes, or as a waterproof coating or film used to protect the shell of explosive materials.

Candelilla or carnauba wax emulsions are utilized to preserve the impermeability of wicks and detonators, blocking the presence of humidity during the ignition stage. Some other wax products can be used for this purpose, including refined paraffin waxes, solid Candelilla wax, as well as blends of these products with microcrystalline waxes.

Electronic/Electric Industry

The insulating properties of some waxes make them highly useful in the manufacturing of electronic and electrical devices. In this industrial sector, waxes are utilized for three main purposes: Coating of cables and flat or irregular surfaces; agglomeration of other materials such as paper, wood or asbestos, with the aim of improving their insulation properties; capacitor manufacturing.

Wax products, utilized to insulate electrical cables or other metallic surfaces, must be ductile and electrical non-conductive, besides being adhesive enough to remain on the metal surface, resisting the coating breaking even during extreme torsion conditions.

Plumbing

Wax bowl rings are used in the plumbing industry, for sealing water closets on the floor surface. Due to their malleable properties, these wax products assure an excellent sealing.

Multiceras manufactures wax bowl rings since 1985, through its subsidiary company Aztec Plumbing S.A. de C.V. These products are manufactured with wax formulations of the highest quality, fulfilling the U.S. construction and plumbing standards.

Wax Sculpting

Sculpting consists in adding or developing shapes with the application of different materials, soft and flexible, malleable enough for easy manipulation, which allow for a quick drawing of the impressions taken by the artist. Wax sculpting is a complex process, which requires a multidisciplinary knowledge where the artist’s visual and manual skills are essential, as well as a precise knowledge of the materials involved.

Multiceras has developed a wax variety specifically for this application. The company is, since several years ago, the authorized wax supplier of the Mexico City Wax Museum.

Cleaning Industry

Waxes are widely used in formulations of cleaning products, used for both personal care and industrial applications.

Hydrogenated waxes, consisting of glycerin esters and fatty acids, are highly useful in soap production. When treated with a strong base, such as soda or potash, they are saponified to produce the fatty acid salt known as “soap”, releasing glycerin as a reaction byproduct. In case of soda saponification, solid sodium soap is produced for home applications. In turn, in potash saponification, liquid potassium soap is generated for diverse applications.

Candelilla wax, with a high content of saturated hydrocarbons and esters, presents a great compatibility with the ingredients used in formulations of shampoo, soap and polishes for floors and automobiles. Its properties of brilliance and protection, as well as its flexibility for emulsions preparation, are highly appreciated in this type of applications.