CARNAUBA WAX
Carnauba Wax = E903 = Copernicia cerifera = PALM WAX = CEARA WAX =copernica cerifera cera = The wax derived from Copernicia cerifera, Palmae.
CARNAUBA WAX
General Information
Substance identity
EC / List no.: 232-399-4
CAS no.: 8015-86-9
Mol. formula: C7H5HgNO3
Functional Class of CARNAUBA WAX:
Food Additives
ACIDITY_REGULATOR
BULKING_AGENT
CARRIER
CARRIER_SOLVENT
GLAZING_AGENT
E903
The wax derived from Copernicia cerifera, Palmae.
Wax, carnauba
Waxes, carnauba
IUPAC names
2-methyl-5-nitro-8-oxa-7-mercurabicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-triene
5-methyl-2-nitro-7-oxa-8-mercurabicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-triene
Carnauba wax. The wax derived from Copernicia cerifera, Arecaceae
Carnauba wax is one of the hardest natural waxes with the melting point in the range between 78 and 85 °C and its consistency with other compounds is comparable to beeswax.
Carnauba wax is an odorless yellow to dark brown-green wax which floats on water.
Carnauba wax has various applications and uses and these include food, cosmetics, automobile and furniture wax, molds for semiconductors devices, and as coating for dental floss.
Carnauba wax has very good emulsification properties and excellent oil-binding capacity for ester oils and mineral oils.
Carnauba wax also raises the melting point of gels, thus making it the preferred additives in lipsticks, lip balms, and mascara.
Carnauba wax provides glossy and slippery surfaces.
Carnauba Wax, also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the carnauba palm Copernicia prunifera (Synonym: Copernicia cerifera), a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of Pernambuco, Piauí, Ceará, Maranhão, Bahia, and Rio Grande do Norte.
Carnauba Wax is known as “queen of waxes” and in its pure state, usually comes in the form of hard yellow-brown flakes.
Carnauba Wax is obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm by collecting and drying them, beating them to loosen the wax, and then refining and bleaching the wax.
As a food additive, its E number is E903.
Carnauba wax comes from carnauba palm leaves.
Carnauba wax is collected by drying out the leaves, beating them to loosen the wax, and refining and bleaching the wax to use in various applications.
Since carnauba wax comes from a plant, it is considered a natural plant wax.
Carnauba wax is also sometimes referred to as palm wax.
Carnauba wax comes from a Brazilian palm tree called Copernica Cerifera and is derived from the fronds, which are cut, shredded and dried. The wax then flakes off in a powdery form, which is melted, strained, purified and shaped into blocks for commercial use.
Since carnauba wax is a plant derivative, it will not damage a car’s paint job and protects automobiles from weather and sun damage the same way it does palm fronds in the wild. Carnauba wax provides an excellent barrier against bird droppings, bugs and acid rain, and keeps a car looking like new.
Carnauba wax is a popular wax used in emulsions, which are stable mixtures of one or more waxes in water. This wax emulsion is often used in creams and ointments to thicken them.
Since carnauba wax is shiny, it is often used in polishes, including car, shoe and floor polish. It is also used as a shiny coating on produce, like apples and cucumbers. The shiny wax coating does more than just make the floor or fruit look good, it also adds a protective layer.
Food-grade carnauba wax is used in a variety of foods and candies, including fruit snacks, Skittles and M&Ms. The wax is used to give these candies a shiny appearance and help prevent them from melting quickly. It is safe to eat food-grade carnauba wax.
Carnauba wax is the most used wax in plant-derived waxes.
Carnauba wax is characterized by its very hard and high melting point among natural waxes, and it is excellent in glossiness, mold releasability, emulsifiability and dispersibility.
Carnauba wax is used for a variety of other purposes, including thermal transfer inks, toners, polishes, and cosmetics.
Carnauba wax react with acids to liberate heat. Heat is also generated by interaction with caustic solutions. Strong oxidizing acids may cause a vigorous reaction that is sufficiently exothermic to ignite the reaction products. Flammable hydrogen is generated by mixing with alkali metals and hydrides.
PHARMA AND COSMETICS APPLICATIONS OF CARNAUBA WAX :
Carnauba wax is widely used in cosmetics, certain foods, and pharmaceutical formulations. Cosmetically, carnauba wax is commonly used in lip balms.
Carnauba wax is the hardest and highest-melting of the waxes commonly used in pharmaceutical formulations and is used primarily as a 10% w/v aqueous emulsion to polish sugar-coated tablets. Aqueous emulsions may be prepared by mixing carnauba wax with an ethanolamine compound and oleic acid. The carnauba wax coating produces tablets of good luster without rubbing. Carnauba wax may also be used in powder form to polish sugarcoated tablets.
Carnauba wax (10–50% w/w) is also used alone or with other excipients such as hypromellose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, alginate/ pectin-gelatin, Eudragit, and stearyl alcohol to produce sustainedrelease solid-dosage formulations.
Carnauba wax has been experimentally investigated for use in producing microparticles in a novel hot air coating (HAC) process developed as an alternative to conventional spray-congealing techniques.(11) In addition, carnauba wax has been used to produce gel beads for intragastric floating drug delivery and has been investigated for use in nanoparticulate sunscreen formulations.
Carnauba wax is widely used in oral pharmaceutical formulations, cosmetics, and certain food products.
Carnauba wax is generally regarded as an essentially nontoxic and nonirritant material. However, there have been reports of allergic contact dermatitis from carnauba wax in mascara.
The WHO has established an acceptable daily intake of up to 7 mg/kg body-weight for carnauba wax.
Storage: Carnauba wax is stable and should be stored in a well-closed container, in a cool, dry place.
Carnauba wax can form solvent resistant superhydrophobic films from selfemulsifying mixtures with alcohol emulsions.
These films are resistant to solvent etching by chloroform, toluene, acetone, and alcohols.
Carnauba wax is used as a hardener for other waxes and to raise the melting points of wax mixtures.
It is also a component of furniture, leather, and shoe polishes.
In the cosmetic and food industries, carnauba wax is added to formulations of lipsticks and balms and chewing gum
Composition
Carnauba palm
Carnauba consists mostly of aliphatic esters (40 wt%), diesters of 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (21.0 wt%), ω-hydroxycarboxylic acids (13.0 wt%), and fatty alcohols (12 wt%).
The compounds are predominantly derived from acids and alcohols in the C26-C30 range.
Distinctive for carnauba wax is the high content of diesters as well as methoxycinnamic acid.
Carnauba wax is sold in several grades, labeled T1, T3, and T4, depending on the purity level.
Purification is accomplished by filtration, centrifugation, and bleaching.
The wax consists primarily of esters of long-chain alcohols and acids.
It has a melting point of about 85° C (185° F).
Although it has been replaced in many applications by cheaper synthetics, it is still used as a polish for candies and medicinal pills, as a thickener for solvents and oils, and even as a hardener for printing inks.
Lipsticks contain waxes, oils, emollients, antioxidants, and pigments.
Common ingredients include beeswax, ozokerite, candelilla wax or Carnauba wax; olive oil, mineral oil, cocoa butter, petrolatum, lanolin, or castor oil.
Palmitate-related substances and branched-chain fatty acid esters, such as glyceryl di-isostearate and di-isostearyl malate, have replaced lanolin and castor oil as major components.
Lipsticks often contain lead in small amounts. In 26 different brands of lipsticks the median (IQ range) lead content was 0.73 (0.49–1.79) ppm wet weight.
Four brands had lead contents above the FDA limit set for impurities in color additives (20 ppm).
Of 400 lipsticks available on the US market in 2010, the average lead content was 1.11 mg/kg and the maximum was 7.19 mg/kg; in 13 cases the content was greater than 3.06 mg/kg.
Similar results were found in a Turkish study of 25 lipsticks (0.11–4.48 mg/kg).
These results suggest that lead in most lipsticks probably has no significant toxicological effects.
INCI-NAME:
copernica cerifera cera
DESCRIPTION:
Carnauba wax is obtained from the Copernicia Cerifera palm tree indigenous to Brazil.
This wax is obtained from the young leaves of the waxes and fulfils the purity requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia.
Carnauba wax has a pleasant odour and is supplied in flake form.
Carnauba wax, which is often referred to as Brazil wax, is a type of wax which is obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree, a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian state.
Carnauba wax is used across many industries and is a key ingredient in a number of different products such as shoe polishes, dental floss, food products, instrument polishes, and floor and furniture waxes and polishes.
Carnauba wax is used to firm and texturize cosmetic preparations, and give them a less fluid consistency.
Carnauba wax also forms a protective layer on the skin’s surface. It has the highest melting point among natural plant waxes and does not usually cause allergic reactions.
This wax is obtained from leaves and leaf buds of the Brazilian wax palm.
Carnauba Wax is a general purpose food additive that is a hard and brittle wax.
Carnauba Wax is obtained from the leaf buds and leaves of the brazilian wax palm copernicia cerifera.
Carnauba Wax is the hardest wax known and is used in candy glaze.
Production Methods of Carnauba wax: Carnauba wax is obtained from the leaf buds and leaves of the Brazilian carnauba palm, Copernicia cerifera. The leaves are dried and shredded, and the wax is then removed by the addition of hot water.
Carnauba wax occurs as a light brown- to pale yellow-colored powder, flakes, or irregular lumps of a hard, brittle wax.
It has a characteristic bland odor and practically no taste. It is free from rancidity. Various types and grades are available commercially.
Wherever a hard, high-polish wax is desired, e.g. in automobile waxes, floor wax emulsions, high quality shoe polishes, in the paper industry (especially for making carbon papers). As a plasticizer in dental impression compounds. To raise the melting point of other waxes; often used together with candelilla wax. The presence of the lower-melting ouricury wax is considered as an adulteration. Purified and bleached carnauba wax is used for cosmetic materials, such as depilatories and deodorant sticks. In pharmacy as the last stage in tablet coating. Skin sensitization or irritation by carnauba wax seems infrequent.
APPLICATION:
Due to its hardness and its high melting point, carnauba wax is mainly used in cosmetic stick formulations.
However, Carnauba wax can also be used in sun care, make up, mascara and other decorative cosmetic applications.
Because of its high melting point, it can improve the temperature stability of formulations.
Also, Carnauba wax provides hardness and surface gloss to products and improves mould release.
Carnauba wax is often used in combination with other waxes to improve the viscosity and the plasticity and increase the melting point of the final product.
Carnauba wax is used in makeup and personal care products to prevent liquid and oil elements from separating. It also creates a creamy consistency and helps give some items, like lipstick, their structure, so they can be molded and shaped.
Many foods contain carnauba wax. As a plant-based substance, it’s safe for human consumption and is often used as an anti-caking agent or a coating and as an ingredient in some candies, mints, frosting and sauces–among other products.
Carnauaba wax is also used in many other products, including dental floss, paper cups (the wax lining keeps them water-tight), floor polish and deodorant.
Carnauba wax is shiny, which is perfect for giving a glossy look to many products. It also has waterproofing qualities when applied to certain products. Carnauba wax is brittle when used alone, so it is often combined with another wax type.
Characteristics of Carnauba Wax
It is naturally derived and is both human-and environmentally-friendly.
Very hard and excellent in glossiness
Have a high melting point and a sharp melting point
An ester wax with excellent compatibility with resins, which is easy to emulsify
Carnauba wax is widely used in food, due to its physico-chemical characteristics with a predominance of esters and inert and stable components.
Even with so many possibilities for the use of carnauba wax in food, there are still a large number of researchers around the world searching for new applications and a demand for new products with new technologies to improve existing ones.
Recently, many parts of research which focus on the use of this wax in conservation and food processing have been carried out, some of which highlight the role of this wax in the microencapsulation of flavours, in preparing edible films and super hydrophobic and biodegradable packaging.
Carnauba wax, also called Brazil wax or ceara wax, a vegetable wax obtained from the fronds of the carnauba tree (Copernicia cerifera) of Brazil.
Valued among the natural waxes for its hardness and high melting temperature, carnauba wax is employed as a food-grade polish and as a hardening or gelling agent in a number of products.
The carnauba tree is a fan palm of the northeastern Brazilian savannas, where it is called the “tree of life” for its many useful products.
After 50 years, the tree can attain a height of over 14 metres (45 feet).
It has a dense, large crown of round, light green leaves.
Although it has been planted in Sri Lanka and Africa, as well as other parts of South America, only in northern Brazil does the tree produce wax.
During the regular dry seasons in Brazil, the carnauba palm protects its metre-long (three-foot) fronds from loss of moisture by secreting a coat of carnauba wax on the upper and lower leaf surfaces.
The leaves are cut from September to March and left in the sun to dry.
The powdery wax is removed (by beating the shriveled leaves), then melted, strained, and cooled.
The final product is yellow or brownish green, depending on the age of the leaves and the quality of processing.
Carnauba wax can also be used as a release agent.
The FDA defines release agents at 21 CFR 170.3(o)(18) as “substances that are added to food contact surfaces to prevent ingredients and finished products from sticking to them.”
Release agents may come in the form of film forming lubricating oils, solid lubricants, waxes or fluids that prevent sticking. These are distinct from permanent non-stick coatings which lower surface energy to reduce sticking rather than relying on the boundary layer created by a non-permanent release agent (Packham 2002).
However, there are many substances that can be used alone or in combination as release agents, and the literature reviewed in this report suggests that the use of release agents in food processing versus permanent non-stick coatings is common.
Other uses of carnauba wax such as in candy coatings, as an anticaking agent or defoamer are common in practice but not widely documented in the literature. Because applications of these types of uses are so varied, assessment of alternative practices that would make the use of carnauba wax unnecessary in other capacities besides fruit wax would have to take into account the specific needs of the application in question
Chocolate dragées coated with carnauba wax
Properties
Carnauba wax can produce a glossy finish and as such, is used in automobile waxes, shoe polishes, dental floss, food products such as sweets, instrument polishes, and floor and furniture waxes and polishes, especially when mixed with beeswax and with turpentine.
Use for paper coatings is the most common application in the United States.
It was commonly used in its purest form as a coating on speedboat hulls in the early 1960s to enhance speed and aid in handling in salt water environments.
It is also the main ingredient in surfboard wax, combined with coconut oil.
Because of its hypoallergenic and emollient properties as well as its gloss, carnauba wax appears as an ingredient in many cosmetics formulas, where it is used to thicken lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, foundation, deodorant, various skincare preparations, sun care preparations, etc.
It is also used to make cutler’s resin.
It is the finish of choice for most briar tobacco or smoking pipes.
It produces a high gloss finish when buffed that dulls with time rather than flaking off (as is the case with most other finishes used).
Although too brittle to be used by itself, carnauba wax is often combined with other waxes (principally beeswax) to treat and waterproof many leather products, where it provides a high-gloss finish and increases leather’s hardness and durability.
It is also used in the pharmaceutical industry as a tablet-coating agent.
Adding the carnauba wax aids in the swallowing of tablets for patients.
A very small amount (less than a hundredth of one percent by weight, i.e., 30 grams for a 300 kg batch) is sprinkled onto a batch of tablets after they have been sprayed and dried.
The wax and tablets are then tumbled together for a few minutes before being discharged from the tablet-coating machine.
In 1890, Charles Tainter patented the use of carnauba wax on phonograph cylinders as a replacement for a mixture of paraffin and beeswax.
Carnauba wax may be used as a mold release agent for manufacture of fibre-reinforced plastics.
An aerosol mold release agent is formed by dissolving carnauba wax in a solvent. Unlike silicone or PTFE, carnauba is suitable for use with liquid epoxy, epoxy molding compounds (EMC), and some other plastic types and generally enhances their properties.
Carnauba wax is not very soluble in chlorinated or aromatic hydrocarbons.
Carnauba is used in melt/castable explosives to produce an insensitive explosive formula such as Composition B, which is a blend of RDX and TNT.
Carnauba Wax is both hypoallergenic and emollient, making it well suited to many cosmetic formulations where thickening as well as gloss are required. Due to its high melt point, it can help to harden otherwise too-soft lip and body balms. On its own, it is a brittle wax, hence it is typically combined with other waxes, primarily beeswax, in formulations.
Carnauba Wax is considered vegan, and has little to no natural scent; because of this, it is very useful in many applications in cosmetics such as lip balms and lotion bars. It is worth noting that Carnauba Wax is harder than beeswax, and has a higher melting point, so your formulation may need some adjusting to accommodate the change in wax ratios when adding it to existing formulations.
Applications
Lip balm and tube formulations
Lipsticks
Lotion bars
Mascaras
Pomades
Ointments & salves
Thickener for anhydrous, oil-based serums
INCI: Copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax
The fact that carnauba wax has such a high melting temperature has set it apart from other natural waxes, particularly beeswax.
With its hypoallergenic properties, it serves as a type of coating for various confectionery products and also acts as a binding agent.
This prevents products such as chocolate and candy from melting at room temperature. Additionally, it does all this while also being safe for human consumption.
These same traits also make it quite applicable in the cosmetic industry, namely, in the production of lipsticks, foundations, deodorants, and various skincare products.
We can also find it in mascaras, eyeliners, and eyeshadows.
However, there have been reports of it causing dry eye syndrome, which leads to dry, irritated and itchy eyes.
Carnauba wax also acts as a tablet-coating agent in the pharmaceutical industry, as a thin coat of it aids in swallowing.
In addition, carnauba wax’s most common industrial use is as a paper coating, and it can also be used in polishes for instruments, furniture, and floors.
Along with the protective qualities, it gives any surface a glossy and shiny finish. It helps protect it from water damage since carnauba wax is not soluble in water. If any comes in contact with the surface, it won’t manage to get through the layer of carnauba wax.
This hydrophobic property comes in handy with leather. The same principle stands. The wax serves as a shield while also making the leather appear more reflective and glossier.
What is Carnauba Wax Used for in the Automotive Industry?
Since carnauba wax is naturally hard, car wax manufacturers mix it with solvents and oils to achieve a more malleable form. These mostly include beeswax and petroleum distillates.
There are three grades of carnauba wax purity: T1, T3, and T4. T1 is the purest and is used in the production of the so-called white/Ivory wax. Despite the name, carnauba wax is not naturally white but is rather bleached since it may leave an opaque tint.
Some manufacturers will tout that their car wax is 100% carnauba wax. This is somewhat deceptive since the 100% isn’t in reference to the contents of the car wax. It indicates whether any other wax is present. The very best carnauba wax is only ⅓ natural carnauba. Otherwise, it would be too hard to spread evenly.
The wax forms a thin layer over the paint once applied. This layer acts as a shield that protects the paint from damage. Apart from the previously mentioned beneficial characteristics, the wax also helps prevent paint chips due to the reduced friction between the car and anything it meets. What’s more, it keeps your car clean since you can simply wash off any dirt or bugs.
The reason people use carnauba wax is the effect it has on the paint and the look of the car. It gives off a deep, clear, color and an impeccable mirror shine. Furthermore, since the wax has a high melting temperature, there’s no chance of the car getting damaged even on the hottest of summer days.
Since it is also resistant to UV rays, carnauba wax provides complete protection from the sun. UV rays can cause oxidation, fading, and discoloration. This means that applying a layer of wax can save you the cost of polishing or repainting your car.
As a result of carnauba wax being hydrophobic (resistant to water), the wax layer prevents any water from getting to your paint. Rainwater is full of pollutants and contaminants. Once the rain has evaporated, all that pollution stays on your car and etches into the paint. This leads to unsightly marks all over your car, which might also cost you a paint job. Luckily, the wax prevents this since the rain that meets the car does not stay on the car but rather slides off, carrying the contaminants along with it.
Another great benefit to waxing your car is that the wax fills up scratches. If you notice some shallow scratches, apply a layer of wax. It will go into the gap the scratch has left and smooth out the surface. It will not get rid of the scratches but will make them a lot less noticeable or even invisible
Using products that contain carnauba wax is a very effective way of keeping your car looking excellent all year round. Since it provides great protection from all types of climates, UV rays and can even prevent or cover up scratches. All those benefits also come with a glossy finish worthy of any showroom. It’s no wonder carnauba is used in a number of wax products.
Apart from this, it also helps protect many other day-to-day objects, as its properties are quite useful.
Carnauba wax has a wide range of applications and, as a consequence, is commercially available in a variety of combinations.
Carnauba wax used in fruit and vegetable coatings is always applied in the form of a microemulsion made with a fatty acid and a basic counterion (Plotto and Narcisco 2006).
These produce an anionic emulsifier in which the carnauba wax is dispersed.
Types of fatty acids used include oleic, linoleic, palmitic, myristic or lauric acid.
The basic counterion may be hydroxides of sodium,potassium salts, or ammonium, morpholine (Hagenmaier 1998) or, in the past, triethanolamine.
Because carnauba wax is only used as a fruit coating in combination with other substances, the efficacy and compliance of the other substances must also be considered.
Morpholine is said to be the best emulsifier of carnauba wax (Wartanessian 2013); it is commonly used to ionize fatty acids in many wax emulsions.
Hagenmaier (2004) tested over 150 different formulations for carnauba wax microemulsions.
He found that high quality emulsions using ammonia as the base were successful when food-grade oleic acid was used along with myristic and/or lauric acid, whereas emulsions using morpholine as the base could be made with only oleic acid as the source of the fatty acid, suggesting morpholine’s efficiency as an emulsifier (Hagenmaier 2004).
Carnauba wax emulsions may also contain an antifoam such as silicon dioxide, an allowed synthetic substance under the USDA organic regulations at §205.605(b), or polydimethylsiloxane (Plotto and Narcisco 2006).
Raw carnauba wax is sold without any additional ingredients such as stabilizers or preservative (Wartanessian 2013).
Buyers then formulate the carnauba wax into fruit coatings and other products.
There are commercially available fruit coatings in which carnauba wax is combined only with substances permitted on the National List (OMRI 2013).
Fruit coatings in which carnauba is the only wax ingredient in the formulation are available (Krochta, Baldwin and Nisperos-Carriedo 1994).
However, combinations of carnauba wax with other waxes and coating materials are even more common. For example, carnauba wax may be combined with beeswax,
Technical Evaluation Report Carnauba Wax Handling/Processing
candelilla wax, wood rosin or shellac to increases the hardness and melting point of the fruit coating.
It is also added to other waxes to increase toughness and luster and to decrease stickiness, plasticity and crystallizing tendencies (Bennett 1963).
In application as a defoamer in fruit and vegetable washing, carnauba wax is commercially available as an emulsion in combination with an oil (OMRI 2013).
Production and export OF CARNAUBA WAX
To produce carnauba wax, leaves are cut from the carnauba palm tree, Copernicia cerifera during Northeastern Brazil’s dry season in the latter part of the year.
Two types of leaves are obtained: the younger, closed leaves that produce a higher quality, lighter wax with fewer impurities, and the older, open leaves from which darker wax is produced.
The young, closed leaves are separated from the rest of the cut leaves and all are packed in fagots and dried in the sun for 6-12 days.
They are then beaten or scraped, either manually or mechanically, until the wax falls off as a fine powder.
The wax is collected and processed according to the technology available and the desired end product.
Traditionally, the wax is melted with steam or heated in water to around 120°C.
Solvents may be used instead of or in addition to water. Alves and Coelho (2006) identified turpentine, benzene and ether as possible solvents.
The wax is then cooled and filtered in a filter press or through filter cloth.
The resulting material may be returned to boil and filtered again. Filtering removes impurities.
The wax obtained is then cooled and dried in a tank or put in sheets to dry.
In industrial settings, the wax powder similarly undergoes extraction using water and/or solvents such as heptane, turpentine, benzene, or ether and is heated to 100- 120°C.
In some cases, rice stalks are added to facilitate the extraction of the wax.
The material then undergoes distillation in a concentrator where the solvent and water evaporate, leaving the liquid wax behind.
The wax is cooled.
Clay may be added to the cooling wax to absorb impurities and chlorophyll.
Alternatively, clay may be added to the wax-solvent solution prior to distillation.
The material is filtered through fine paper or fabric to remove the clay and clarify the wax.
The wax may also be clarified via centrifugation.
Hydrogen peroxide may be added to bleach or clarify the wax further.
For example, Type 3 carnauba wax goes through clarification to produce a lighter color than Type 4 wax, which otherwise has the same origin and processing.
In some cases, the wax goes into a scaler where thin layers of solid wax fall into a container and break into small pieces to produce flakes.
Finally, the wax is packaged.
One patent (Jacob 1995) describes a refining process for carnauba wax as follows: the raw wax is sieved, dissolved in aliphatic solvents of narrow distillation range (no higher than 85ºC), namely, naphthas, heptanes or hexanes, then purified mechanically by either filtering or centrifuging to remove most impurities.
The purified solution is then reacted with bleaching earths or fuller earths at variable proportions depending on the end product sought, up to one and a half times the wax content of the solution.
The solution is then filtered to recover the bleaching earth and distilled to remove the solvent, leaving a pure wax.
The wax may be finished by reacting with hydrogen peroxide to obtain the color desired.
According to one certifier, no synthetic solvents are used in the extraction of carnauba wax that is certified organic., but certified organic carnauba wax may be filtered using diatomaceous earth as a filtration aid and/or clarified with hydrogen peroxide (Vailati 2013).
In order to formulate the wax into an emulsion that may be applied to fruit, the water-to-wax or wax-to water method may be used (Hagenmaier 1998).
In the water-to-wax method, wax and the other ingredients
295 are heated to 10-20º C above the melting point of the wax and then hot water is slowly added with stirring,
296 after which the mixture is cooled to 50º C in a water bath with stirring. The water-to-wax method is similar
297 except that the ingredients are poured into the hot water being rapidly stirred and the mixture is then
298 cooled (Hagenmaier 1998). Ingredients can also be added sequentially (OMRI 2013).
In 2006, Brazil produced 22,409 tons of carnauba wax, of which 14% was solid wax and 86% was in powder form.
There are 20-25 exporters of carnauba wax in Brazil who buy the carnauba wax from middlemen or directly from farmers.
The exporters refine the wax before exporting it to the rest of the world.
The four largest exporters of carnauba wax are Pontes, Brasil Ceras, Foncepi, and Carnauba do Brasil, who together account for around €25 million of the export market.
According to the German television program Markencheck, conditions for many carnauba production workers are quite poor; one Brazilian Labor Ministry official found conditions “that could be described as slavery.”
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, the major destinations for exported carnauba wax are:
USA (25%)
Japan (15–25%)
Germany (10–15%)
Netherlands (5%)
Italy (5%)
Other destinations (18%)
In light of the challenges in the supply chains, the Initiative for Responsible Carnauba (IRC) was founded in 2018 as part of the Private Business Action for Biodiversity project and together with the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT).
The IRC’s aim is to foster a responsible carnauba wax production that respects workers’ rights and preserves biodiversity in the carnauba wax-producing areas.
In an established working group with 20 companies, among them local manufacturers and international distributors and brands, the IRC has set social, traceability and biodiversity standards for the sector and helped local wax companies to implement them, with support of UEBT.
The initiative also participated to the creation of a manual of good practices for the sector and 12 short learning videos to inform field workers about their rights and good biodiversity practices, developed in collaboration with the local NGO Associação Caatinga.
Technical characteristics
INCI name is Copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax
Melting point: 82–86 °C (180–187 °F), among the highest of natural waxes, higher than beeswax, 62–64C.
Relative density is about 0.97
It is among the hardest of natural waxes.
It is practically insoluble in water, soluble by heating in ethyl acetate and in xylene, and practically insoluble in ethyl alcohol.
Carnauba wax is the hardest natural wax available.
Commercially, it is widely used in the cosmetic, body care, food, pharmaceutical, automotive, and other industries.
It is a wonderful ingredient to use in natural cosmetics and is extremely durable and dries to a glossy finish.
Commonly found in lipsticks and lip balms, it may also be used in salves, balms, and in any recipe where beeswax is called for.
It is a great alternative to beeswax, and a crucial ingredient in the vegan cosmetics industry.
To use carnauba wax in your recipe, it must be heated to a higher melting point than beeswax.
It requires a temperature of 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit in order to melt.
Please note that carnauba wax is harder than beeswax which must be taken into consideration when incorporating it into your recipes.
The palm species which our carnauba wax is derived from flourishes naturally in Brazil.
This is not the same species that palm oil is pressed from, and is a tree that grows wildly in native forests.
Once a year the leaves are pruned by hand, and this harvesting practice allows the trees to continue with their natural growth cycles.
There has never been an instance where this tree was considered threatened or a threat to the environment.
Carnauba Wax Chemical Composition
Carnauba wax consists of fatty acid esters (80-85%), fatty alcohols (10-16%), acids (3-6%) and hydrocarbons (1-3%).
It is around 20% esterified fatty diols, 10% methoxylated or hydroxylated cinnamic acid, and 6% hydroxylated fatty acids.
Properties and Uses
Carnauba wax has a very high melting point of 82-86 °C (180-187 °F). It is harder than concrete and nearly insoluble in water and ethanol.
It is non-toxic and hypoallergenic.
It can be polished to a high gloss.
The combination of properties leads to many applications, including use in food, cosmetics, automobile and furniture wax, molds for semiconductor devices, and as a coating for dental floss.
You use products that contain carnauba wax every day, though you may not have known what the ingredient was or where it came from.
It is one of those extremely useful natural chemicals and renewable resources that doesn’t have a synthetic equivalent.
WHAT IS CARNAUBA WAX?
Carnauba Wax is a natural “vegetable” wax derived from the leaves of the Copernicia cerifera botanical, more commonly known as the Carnauba Tree. During Brazil’s dry season, this Palm, which also goes by the name “The Tree of Life,” protects itself against moisture loss by secreting a coating on both sides of its leaves. This coating is Carnauba Wax. Its other common names include Brazil Wax, Ceara Wax, and Palm Wax.
This “Queen of Waxes” is one of the hardest natural waxes and is collected by first sun-drying the collected tree leaves. Next, the withered leaves are beaten in order to loosen their powdery wax coating, which is yellowish-brown in appearance and which usually falls off in flakes. Next, these wax flakes are melted, strained, and cooled before they go through the refining and bleaching process. The colour of the final product is contingent on the age of the leaves as well as the superiority of the processing method, though generally it is yellow or brownish-green. Carnauba Wax is available in both flake form or powder form, the latter being the most common form. There are three grades/types of Carnauba Wax: Types 1, 3, and 4 or T1, T3, and T4 for short. Each grade refers to its various levels of purity.
NDA’s Carnauba Wax is T1 grade. It ranges in color from pale-yellow to yellow and comes in the form of solid but brittle flakes that exude a sharp but pleasant aroma when melted. This grade of Carnauba Wax is commonly used to formulate cosmetics and personal care products as well as foods; however, NDA’s products are for topical application only. Alternatively, it is also suitable for various industrial purposes, such as creating wood finishes or for waterproofing particular materials.
CARNAUBA WAX PROPERTIES
The exceptionally high melting point of Carnauba Wax makes it ideal for enhancing the thermostability of cosmetic formulations, which preserves their physical or molecular composition when they are subjected to high heat. With a natural hardness, luster, and water-proofing quality, Carnauba Wax is reputed to be ideal for addition to candles as well as polishes, such as those for furniture or woods.
Its emulsifying, thickening, softening, and emollient properties make it a popular hypoallergenic additive to cosmetics such as face creams, deodorants, various categories of makeup, and sun-protectant products. In these products, Carnauba Wax acts as a natural binding agent that stretches their holding power, which increases the length of time that they remain on the skin or hair. This also makes it a popular ingredient in hair products, such as styling waxes, as well as in ointments, which need to remain on the skin for long periods of time in order to facilitate wound healing.
Carnauba Wax combines well with several other waxes from plant, animal, and mineral sources, as well as with various resins, whether natural or synthetic. In any of these combinations, Carnauba Wax boosts the binding properties of ingredients in emulsions, allowing liquids to bind easily with chemical ingredients, particularly oils. This helps create products with lasting creamy consistencies. When applied to formulations for stick products, such as deodorants, lipsticks, or stick foundations, the combination of Carnauba Wax with any of these other waxes helps to boost the density of the lipids. This in turn allows the products to retain their solid structures when they glide smoothly across the skin. This easy spreadability is what makes Carnauba Wax ideal for incorporation into makeup, as it keeps the form elastic rather than stiff and this yield gives makeup easy application as well as adjustability. These properties also make Carnauba Wax an ideal depilatory agent for temporarily removing unwanted body hair.
CARNAUBA WAX USES
Carnauba Wax is insoluble in water but is soluble in alcohols and oils.
To incorporate Carnauba Wax in cosmetic formulations, it must first be melted at a temperature of 84 ᵒC (183.20 ᵒF) then incorporated into the oil phases of emulsions.
PRODUCT TYPE & FUNCTION
When added to this kind of formulation…
Makeup Foundation, Lipstick
Eyeliner, Mascara, Eye Shadow
Moisturizers, Sun Care
Deodorant
Hair Care, Hair Removal
Salves, Balms
EFFECTS
Candelilla Wax functions as a(n):
Hardening Agent
Thickening Agent
Plasticizer
Viscosity Modifier
Stabilizer
Emulsifier
It helps to:
Contribute shine/gloss
Provide smoothness and hardness to products that require a high melting point and a stiff consistency
Add texture and structure
Give solid and stick products their structures by enhancing the viscosity of their oil parts
Contribute a level of firmness to particular textures, such as that of eyeshadows, without causing them to harden
Emulsify immiscible liquids to prevent them from separating in formulations with creamy consistencies
Provide excellent glide/slip to cosmetics formulations for easy spreadability as well as easy removability
Complement other waxes, such as Beeswax
The recommended maximum dosage is 1-25%
Examples of Applications and Their Usage Rates:
Balms (15-20%)
Creams (5-10%)
Conditioners (1-3%)
Deodorants (1-15%)
Eyeshadows (3-10%)
Hair Creams (2-5%)
Mascaras (2-25%)
Soaps (1-3%)
Carnauba wax also contains free acids, free alcohols, hydrocarbons and resins 3). Aliphatic esters are described by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) as consisting of straight-chain acids with even-numbered carbon chains from C24 to C28 and straight-chain alcohols with even numbered carbon chains from C30 to C34. Αlpha-hydroxyl esters are described as consisting of straightchain hydroxyl acids with even-numbered carbon chains from C22 to C28, straight-chain acids with even-numbered carbon chains form C24 to C28, straight-chain monohydric alcohols with even numbered carbon chains from C24 to C34 and dihydric alcohols with even-numbered carbon chains from C24 to C34. Cinnamic aliphatic esters are described as consisting of p-methoxycinnamic acid and dihydric alcohols with even-numbered carbon chains from C24 to C34 4). The European Food Safety Authority Panel noted that hydrocarbons would only constitute between 0.3 and 1% of the total composition of carnauba wax 5).
Carnauba wax is one of the hardest and highest-melting point natural waxes. At room temperature carnauba wax has a weakly aromatic odor and a characteristic hay-like scent in the molten state 6). Carnauba wax is identified as being insoluble in water, sparingly soluble in alcohol, but very soluble in chloroform and ether 7).
Carnauba wax has been evaluated by the Scientific Committee on Food 8) and by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) who allocated an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 7 mg/kg body weight per day 9). The Scientific Committee on Food did not establish an acceptable daily intake (ADI) but considered the use of carnauba wax as a glazing agent acceptable 10). Scientific Committee on Food concluded that the use of carnauba wax was up to 1200 mg/kg of food would yield a worst-case intake estimate of 48 mg/person/day (equivalent to 4.8 mg/kg body weight per day for 10 kg child, or less for an adult) and these levels were within the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0 – 7 mg/kg body weight per day set by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) 11).
In the USA carnauba wax is classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is permitted with no other limitation than good manufacturing practice (GMP) in a variety of food products (FDA’s GRAS – 184.1978) 12).
Figure 1. Carnauba wax
Carnauba wax
Table 1. Carnauba wax composition
Carnauba wax composition
[Source 13) ]
Carnauba wax manufacturing process
Carnauba wax is obtained from the leaves of the palm Copernicia cerifera. The wax is located on the outer palm leaves. After drying the leaves in the sun or on steam-heated racks, the wax is removed (loosened) from the leaves manually or mechanically. The dried leaves are chopped and the loosened wax chips are separated by an air classification process to give a mixture of approximately 60% wax and 40% chopped leaves. The primary purification process of the mixture involves melting in water with oxalic acid which gives a crude wax paste. The latter is heated to its boiling point and pressed through a filter while hot. Centrifugation of the filtrate gives virtually anhydrous wax. The remaining wax can be extracted from the dried filter cake with solvents (e.g. heptane). The crude product is normally supplied in lumps. Additional bleaching with hydrogen peroxide can also be carried out 14).
Carnauba wax in food
Carnauba wax in food is used as coatings for preserving quality and extending shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables 15). Carnauba wax is authorized in the European Union as food additive E 903 as glazing agent only to food supplements, small products of fine bakery wares coated with chocolate, snacks, nuts and coffee beans 16). Maximum permitted use is 200 mg/kg food 17). Carnauba wax is also permitted as surface treatment on fresh citrus fruits, melons, apples and pears as well as on peaches and pineapples up to 200 mg/kg food. In confectionary carnauba wax may be used up to 500 mg/kg and on chewing gum up to 1200 mg/kg 18).
Table 2. Maximum Permitted Levels of use of carnauba wax in food
Maximum Permitted Levels of use of carnauba wax in food
[Source 19) ]
Table 3. Summary of estimated exposure to carnauba wax from its use as a food additive of all five population groups
estimated exposure to carnauba wax from its use as a food additive
Footnote: The main contributors to the total anticipated mean exposure to carnauba wax for toddlers, children, adolescents and adults were fruits and confectionary. For toddlers fruits and confectionary contributed to 64-96% and 12-18% exposure, respectively, for children these contributions were 47-79% and 12-18%, for adolescents 44-81% and 11-19%, and for adults 60-93% and 11%, respectively. For the elderly, the main contributors to the total anticipated mean exposure to carnauba wax were fruits (79-95%).
MPL = maximum permitted level
[Source 20) ]
The Scientific Committee on Food evaluated carnauba wax several times. In 1990 the Scientific Committee on Food reviewed acute oral toxicity studies and dermal teratogenicity studies on carnauba wax not showing any treatment-related adverse effects 21). The Scientific Committee on Food was unable to establish an ADI for carnauba wax but considered its use as
glazing agent at the levels examined as temporarily acceptable until toxicological data and technical data on use levels have been provided 22). In 1994 Scientific Committee on Food evaluated a 90-day rat toxicity study, a 28-week dog toxicity study, a combined reproductive and subchronic rat toxicity study, a rat teratogenicity study and in vitro mutagenicity studies in bacteria and yeast 23). The Scientific Committee on Food was informed at that time that use of carnauba wax on confectionery was unlikely to exceed 200 mg/kg food, thus resulting in intakes unlikely to exceed 1-2 mg/kg body weight per day. The Scientific Committee on Food extended the temporary acceptance of carnauba wax as a glazing agent pending submission of in vitro chromosome aberrations tests in mammalian cells 24). Information was also requested on the readiness of carnauba wax ester components to hydrolyze.
In 2001 the Scientific Committee for Food reviewed new genotoxicity assay and supplementary information on usage levels of carnauba wax as a glazing agent submitted following its request in 1997 25). The Scientific Committee for Food decided to withdraw the temporary acceptance status of carnauba wax and accepted its use as a glazing agent up to a maximum use level of 200 mg/kg of food 26). In an addendum to the latter opinion, Scientific Committee for Food considered a new request for use levels of carnauba wax of 500 mg/kg in confectionery (hard and soft sugar coated centers) and 1200 mg/kg in chewing gum as a glazing agent 27). The Scientific Committee for Food did not object the use of carnauba wax as a glazing agent at higher levels in products requiring it. The Scientific Committee for Food noted that a use level of 1200 mg/kg of food would yield a worst-case intake estimate of 48 mg/person/day which equates to 4.8 mg/kg body weight day for a 10 kg child, or less for an adult, and is within the ADI of 0-7 mg/kg body weight set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 1993 28).
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) evaluated carnauba wax and based on short-term feeding studies in rats, a combined reproductive and developmental toxicity study in rats and in vitro mutagenicity studies, allocated an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0-7 mg/kg body weight per day based on the highest dose tested in the combined study in rats 29).
The European Food Safety Authority Panel considered that carnauba wax would be predicted to not be significantly absorbed from the diet and that if hydrolysed its main constituents could be absorbed and incorporated into normal cellular metabolic pathways. Based on the available data and the lack of structural alerts on carnauba wax it was concluded that there is no concern for genotoxicity for carnauba wax 30). Subchronic and reproductive and
developmental toxicity studies did not showed adverse effects related to carnauba wax intake 31). No chronic toxicity or carcinogenicity studies were available on carnauba wax. Overall, the European Food Safety Authority Panel considered that long-term toxicity data on carnauba wax were lacking and therefore did not establish an acceptable daily intake (ADI) 32). However, the European Food Safety Authority Panel considered that the exposure estimates to carnauba wax from the proposed uses resulted in sufficient margins of safety compared to the identified No Observed Adverse Effect Levels (NOAELs) for carnauba wax, allowing the European Food Safety Authority Panel to conclude that the use of carnauba wax as a food additive with the currently authorized uses would not be of safety concern 33).
Reaction and fate in foods, stability
No specific documentation has been submitted or found in the open literature, but as the components of carnauba wax are rather inert and stable it can be assumed that degradation or reaction with food components will not take place at significant extent 34).
Carnauba wax toxicity studies
Acute oral toxicity
Two unpublished acute oral toxicity studies in rats have been briefly reported. Administration by gavage to 10 Sprague-Dawley rats of a 20 000 mg/kg dose of a lipstick formulation containing 5.6% carnauba wax (representing a dose of 1100 mg/kg of carnauba wax) did not show deaths or toxic effects (no further details). In a second study, oral intubation of five rats (strain unknown) with a blush formulation containing 10% carnauba wax diluted to 33.3% in corn oil, making the wax concentration of 3.33%. None of the animals died when a 500 mg carnauba wax/kg body weight was administered.
Short-term and subchronic toxicity
Groups of 15 male and 15 female Wistar rats, approximately 5 weeks of age at the beginning of the study, were fed diets containing 0, 1, 5 or 10% carnauba wax, or 10% cellulose powder for 13 weeks corresponding to 0, 800, 4200 and 8800 mg/kg body weight per day for males and 0, 900, 4600 and 10 200 mg/kg body weight per day for females 35). The rats fed diets containing cellulose powder acted as a control group for possible effects due to the replacement of a significant proportion of the diet by a non-nutrient test material. Additional groups of five rats of each sex were fed diets containing 0, 5, 10% carnauba wax or 10% cellulose powder for 2 and 6 weeks. Food consumption and body weights were recorded. Hematological, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, and gross examinations were recorded at autopsy. Histopathological examinations were done on half of the tissue sections conserved from the control rats and tissues from those given 10% carnauba wax or 10% cellulose powder. Results showed a significant increase in mean food consumption in male and female rats given 10% carnauba wax or 10% cellulose powder, without statistically significant differences in body weights compared to controls. A higher erythrocyte count at week 2 in male rats fed 10% carnauba wax was noticed, but no other statistical significant differences were recorded on haematological findings in rats fed diet containing 10% carnauba wax at 2, 6 or 13 weeks. Glutamicoxalacetic transaminase, glutamine-pyruvic transaminase and lactic dehydrogenase activities in serum were similar in treated and control animals. Few significant random differences in urinalysis (specific gravity, volume) were recorded. Organ weights did not show changes related to carnauba wax doses. Histopathological examination reported some inflammatory cell infiltration and few areas of focal necrosis in the liver, as well as some interstitial pneumonitis with similar incidences in 10% carnauba wax and 10% cellulose powder treated animals 36). A No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of 8800 mg/kg body weight per day can be derived by the European Food Safety Authority Panel from this study, the highest dose tested in male rats.
In a modified 90-day toxicity feeding study carried out to investigate “bioaccumulation” of carnauba wax, groups of 20 male and 20 female Fischer F-344 rats were fed diets containing carnauba wax corresponding to daily intakes of 0, 15, 150 and 1500 mg/kg body weight, respectively, continuously for 90 days (main study) 37). Additional two groups of 5 male and 5 female Fischer F-344 rats were assigned to a reversibility phase in which animals fed the control diet and a diet of 1500 mg/kg body weight per day of carnauba wax for 90 days were reverted to control diet for additional 90 days.
Observations throughout the study included general condition and behavior, body weight, food intake, ophthalmological observations, hematological examination, blood clinical chemistry and organs weight. Histological examination was conducted on selected organs after at least 90 days of treatment. Tissues from animals from the reversibility phase were not examined. A single female in the highest dosage group died spontaneously of brain haemorrhage on day 52 38).
The most frequent finding in the main study was that of red staining in the head region, which was observed in all groups, including controls. In the animals from the reversibility phase minor observations included red staining in the head region, areas of fur loss or unkempt fur and yellow staining in urinogenital areas, occurring in both treated and control groups. Given the similar patterns observed in both treated and control groups it was considered that no treatment-related adverse findings related to the condition and behavior were observed 39).
Among several endpoints, necropsied tissues such as heart, liver, kidney, spleen, lymph nodes and ileum, were microscopically evaluated. From these observations, the authors concluded that no evidence of lipid accumulation derived from carnauba wax was noted 40).
The body weights of the male animals were not statistically significantly different from the controls. For females, no marked differences from the controls were reported except for a significantly higher mean body weight of the females in the 15 mg/kg group at days 3 to 10. This difference disappeared by study day 14 and was thus considered as not treatment-related. No differences in mean body weights of male or female rats were reported after the reversibility phase of the study. During the study the feed intake of male and female rats fed carnauba wax was significantly higher in some animals at all doses tested compared to the controls. This finding was not considered to be an adverse effect and it might reflect feed compensation from increasing proportions of non-nutrient carnauba wax containing diets. No differences in feed intake were reported after the reversibility phase of the study. No abnormalities were reported upon ophthalmological examination. Occasional statistically significant differences in hematological findings and clinical chemistry parameters were observed in male or female rats. These changes were not dose related and were thus considered as not treatment related. No marked differences in these parameters were reported in animals after the reversibility phase of the study. Serum chemistry analysis showed slight occasional changes in clinical chemistry from animals in the 15 and 150 mg/kg body weight per day carnauba wax groups not observed in the 1500 mg/kg body weight per day group (lower chloride or protein concentration, higher albumin/globulin ration, higher alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities). Few differences were reported in animals after the reversibility phase of the study 41).
The only differences found in organ weights in male rats were inconsistent increases in the mean absolute weight of the brain of the group fed 15 mg/kg body weight per day carnauba wax and a reduction in the mean relative weight of the thymus in the 15 and 1500 mg/kg body weight per day groups. No statistically
significant differences in any organ weight were reported in females. Upon histopathological examination the only finding reported was higher incidences of individual cell necrosis in the liver of male rats in the 15 and 150 mg/kg body weight groups; in the latter, a significant higher incidence of vacuolisation in the liver of male rats was also reported, but the 1500 mg/kg body weight per day animal group did not show these effects. No significant differences in histopathological findings were observed in the females. Overall, the histopathological examination of tissues taken at necropsy did not show any treatment related adverse findings 42). The European Food Safety Authority Panel identified a NOAEL of 1500 mg/kg body weight per day from this study, the highest dose tested.
Four groups of 6 male and 6 female Beagle dogs were fed diets containing 0, 0.1, 0.3 or 1% carnauba wax for 28 weeks (equivalent to 25, 75 or 250 mg/kg body weight per day) 43). Food consumption, body weights and behavioral effects were recorded weekly. Blood and urinary samples were collected at weeks 11 and 26. Organs were weighed (brain, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and adrenal glands), and gross and microscopic examinations of tissues were performed at the end of the study. No significant differences in body weights or food consumption were noted between treatment and control groups of animals. Data from serum biochemistry, urinalysis and organ weights did not show any treatment-related effects in dogs consuming carnauba wax. The only significant clinical observation at 26 weeks were the higher free fatty acid levels only in male dogs at all dietary levels of carnauba wax as compared to controls. Observations made after 11 weeks were comparable between groups. The authors noted that serum free fatty acid levels in this study were increased in male dogs at all doses of carnauba wax tested as compared to controls. However, the authors noticed that serum free fatty acid levels in treated male dogs remained within the normal historical range for Beagle dogs from the laboratory (200-800 μM/l), whereas the values in the controls in this study were comparatively lower (138 ± 38 μM/l) than the historical values. Ophthalmologic and gross examinations revealed no significant treatment-related effects for up to 1% carnauba wax in the diet. Histopathological findings were reported comparable between groups including controls 44). A NOAEL of 250 mg/kg body weight per day could be derived by the European Food Safety Authority Panel from this study, the highest dose tested.
No studies on chronic toxicity or carcinogenicity were available on carnauba wax 45), however in its 1994 opinion the Scientific Committee for Food already noted that the structure of the main components of carnauba wax (long-chain aliphatic esters) raises the possibility that it might behave like some mineral hydrocarbons 46). The European Food Safety Authority Panel considered that based on the available data and the lack of structural alerts on carnauba wax it can be concluded that there is no concern for genotoxicity for carnauba wax 47).
Overall, the European Food Safety Authority Panel considered that long-term toxicity data on carnauba wax were lacking and therefore did not establish an ADI. However, the European Food Safety Authority Panel noted that available toxicity studies consistently reported no findings associated with carnauba wax intake. Furthermore, consideration of the conservative exposure estimates to carnauba wax from the currently authorized uses indicated sufficient margins of safety, which allowed the European Food Safety Authority Panel to consider that the use of carnauba wax as a food additive with the currently authorized uses would not be of safety concern 48).
Carnauba wax uses
Carnauba wax is used as glazing agent, bulking agent, acidity regulator and carrier 49). Carnauba wax is used on pharmaceutical products (tablets) and in a range of technical applications like the formulation of stick and solid cosmetics (e.g. lip stick balms and lotion bars), in face and eye makeup preparations, fragrance preparations, hair coloring and conditioning preparations, manicuring and skin care products and suntan preparations.
Carnauba wax can produce a glossy finish and as such is used in automobile waxes, shoe polishes, dental floss, food products such as sweets, instrument polishes, and floor and furniture waxes and polishes, especially when mixed with beeswax and with turpentine.
Carnauba wax side effects
Overall, the European Food Safety Authority Panel considered that long-term toxicity data on carnauba wax were lacking and therefore did not establish an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). Furthermore, the European Food Safety Authority Panel noted that available toxicity studies consistently reported no findings associated with carnauba wax intake. Consideration of the conservative exposure estimates to carnauba wax from the currently authorized uses indicated sufficient margins of safety, which allowed the European Food Safety Authority Panel to consider that the use of carnauba wax as a food additive with the currently authorized uses would not be of safety concern 50). In the USA carnauba wax is classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is permitted with no other limitation than good manufacturing practice (GMP) in a variety of food products (FDA’s GRAS – 184.1978) 51).
CARNAUBA WAX SIDE EFFECTS
As with all other New Directions Aromatics products, Carnauba Wax is for external use only.
It is imperative to consult a medical practitioner before using this product for therapeutic purposes.
Pregnant and nursing women as well as those with sensitive skin are especially advised not to use Carnauba Wax without the medical advice of a physician.
This product should always be stored in an area that is inaccessible to children, especially those under the age of 7.
Prior to using Carnauba Wax, a skin test is recommended. This can be done by melting 1 tsp of Carnauba Wax in 1 tsp of a preferred carrier oil and applying a dime-size amount of this blend to a small area of skin that is not sensitive.
Carnauba Wax must never be used near the inner nose and ears or on any other particularly sensitive areas of skin.
Potential side effects of Carnauba Wax include dry skin, acne, rashes, inflammation, dermatitis, dizziness, nausea, blurry vision, and dryness, irritation, or burning of the eyes.
In the event of an allergic reaction, discontinue use of the product and see a doctor, pharmacist, or allergist immediately for a health assessment and appropriate remedial action.
To prevent side effects, consult with a medical professional prior to use.
Carnauba wax is widely used in food, due to its physico-chemical characteristics with a predominance of esters and inert and stable components.
Even with so many possibilities for the use of carnauba wax in food, there are still a large number of researchers around the world searching for new applications and a demand for new products with new technologies to improve existing ones.
Recently, many parts of research which focus on the use of this wax in conservation and food processing have been carried out, some of which highlight the role of this wax in the microencapsulation of flavours, in preparing edible films and super hydrophobic and biodegradable packaging
Lipids are key components of biosystems.
Their use is also widespread in industry, consumer products, personal care, and in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
We find natural waxes such as carnauba wax in car polishes, in lipsticks and eyeliners, as waterproof for leather products, as release and anticaking agents in baked and processed food, and as tablet-coating agents in the pharmaceutical industry.
Soybean oil is one of the world’s most widely used edible oils. It is frequently found in margarine and shortenings, mayonnaise, salad dressings, and frozen foods.
Nutritionists and chefs alike consider olive oil as essential to the Mediterranean diet as the sun is to the Mediterranean seascape.
Sweet almond oil is used as a carrier oil for aromatherapy, as an emollient in skin care and massage therapy, and as a moisturizer for superfatting of soaps.
Soy lecithin provides good pigment wetting, and has been well known as a dispersant and antisettling agent for inorganic pigments in alkyd paints.
Fatty acids and fatty alcohols provide the basis for biodegradable surfactants and emulsifiers in detergents, cosmetics, agrochemicals, and industrial applications such as paints, adhesives, and inks.
Fatty acid esters are used as green solvents, plasticizers, lubricants, and coalescents.
However, certain lipids, particularly vegetable oils, are also wonderful renewable raw materials for polymers.
Autoxidation and polymer film formation of drying oils were, chemically speaking, at the origin of medieval oil paintings.
Epoxidation, epoxy ring opening, ene reaction, hydroformylation, carboxylation, ozonolysis, dimerization, and metathesis are some of the reaction mechanisms generating building blocks for polymers that are useful as coatings, adhesives, inks, plastics, and composites.
The increasing importance of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) as a biofuel has turned glycerin from a specialty to a commodity, opening new opportunities for low-molecular-weight starters for polymers.
Carnauba, also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a hard wax of the leaves of the palm Copernicia prunifera, a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of Piauí, Ceará, and Rio Grande do Norte. It is known as “queen of waxes” and usually comes in the form of hard yellow-brown flakes. It is obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm by collecting and drying them, beating them to loosen the wax, then refining and bleaching the wax.
Carnauba consists mostly of aliphatic esters (40 wt%), diesters of 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (21.0 wt%), ω-hydroxycarboxylic acids (13.0 wt%), and fatty acid alcohols (12 wt%). The compounds are predominantly derived from acids and alcohols in the C26-C30 range. Distinctive for carnauba wax is the high content of diesters as well as methoxycinnamic acid.
Yellow to greenish brown lumps packed in bags or boxes. Used in the manufacture of polished, varnished and insulating compounds. Because of its hypoallergenic and emollient properties as well as its shine, carnauba wax appears as an ingredient in many cosmetics formulas where it is used to thicken lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, foundation, deodorant, various skin care preparations, sun care preparations, etc.[citation needed] It is also used to make Cutler’s resin.
It is the finish of choice for most briar tobacco or smoking pipes. It produces a high gloss finish when buffed on to wood. This finish dulls with time rather than flaking off (as is the case with most other finishes used).
In foods, it is used as a formulation aid, lubricant, release agent, anticaking agent, and surface finishing agent in baked foods and mixes, chewing gum, confections, frostings, fresh fruits and juices, gravies, sauces, processed fruits and juices, soft sweets, Tic Tacs, Altoids, and Swedish Fish.
Although too brittle to be used by itself, carnauba wax is often combined with other waxes (principally beeswax) to treat and waterproof many leather products where it provides a high-gloss finish and increases leather’s hardness and durability.
It is also used in the pharmaceutical industry as a tablet-coating agent. Adding the carnauba wax aids in the swallowing of tablets for patients. A very small amount (less than a hundredth of 1 percent by weight. i.e.: 30 grams for a 300 kg batch) is sprinkled onto a batch of tablets after they’ve been sprayed and dried. The wax and tablets are then tumbled together for a few minutes before being discharged from the tablet-coating machine.
Carnauba wax is sold in several grades, labeled T1, T2, and T4, depending on the purity level. Purification is accomplished by filtration, centrifugation, and bleaching.
Carnauba wax can produce a glossy finish and as such is used in automobile waxes, shoe polishes, dental floss, food products such as sweets, instrument polishes, and floor and furniture waxes and polishes, especially when mixed with beeswax and with turpentine. Use for paper coatings is the most common application in the United States. It was commonly used in its purest form as a coating on speedboat hulls in the early 60’s to enhance speed & aid in handling in salt water environments. It is also the main ingredient in surfboard wax, combined with coconut oil.
Because of its hypoallergenic and emollient properties as well as its shine, carnauba wax appears as an ingredient in many cosmetics formulas where it is used to thicken lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, foundation, deodorant, various skin care preparations, sun care preparations, etc. It is also used to make cutler’s resin. A mixture of carnauba wax, beeswax, and olive oil is especially effective in removing adhesives.
It is the finish of choice for most briar tobacco or smoking pipes. It produces a high gloss finish when buffed on to wood. This finish dulls with time rather than flaking off (as is the case with most other finishes used).
Although too brittle to be used by itself, carnauba wax is often combined with other waxes (principally beeswax) to treat and waterproof many leather products where it provides a high-gloss finish and increases leather’s hardness and durability.
It is also used in the pharmaceutical industry as a tablet-coating agent. Adding the carnauba wax aids in the swallowing of tablets for patients. A very small amount (less than a hundredth of one percent by weight, i.e., 30 grams for a 300 kg batch) is sprinkled onto a batch of tablets after they have been sprayed and dried. The wax and tablets are then tumbled together for a few minutes before being discharged from the tablet-coating machine.
An aerosol mold release is formed by suspending carnauba wax in a solvent. This aerosol version is used extensively in molds for semiconductor devices. Semiconductor manufacturers also use chunks of carnauba wax to break in new epoxy molds or to release the plunger when it sticks. When used as a mold release, carnauba, unlike silicone or PTFE, is suitable for use with liquid epoxy, epoxy molding compounds (EMC), and some other plastic types and generally enhances their properties[citation needed].
Carnauba is used in melt/castable explosives to produce an insensitive explosive formula such as Composition B, which is a blend of RDX and TNT.
In 2006, Brazil produced 22,409 tons of carnauba wax, of which 14% was solid wax, and 86% was in powder form. There are 20-25 exporters of carnauba wax in Brazil who buy the carnauba wax from middlemen or directly from farmers. The exporters refine the wax before exporting it to the rest of the world. The four largest exporters of carnauba wax are Foncepi, Carnauba do Brasil, Pontes, and Brasil Ceras.
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, the major destinations for exported carnauba wax are:
USA (25%)
Germany (10-15%)
Japan (15-25%)
Netherlands (5%)
Italy (5%)
other destinations (18%)
Carnauba wax type 3 is the most widely used product due to its versatility in use for various applications including food and automotive. The increasing use of the product in automotive care waxes and polishes is expected to drive the demand for the product over the next eight years. The demand for food grade carnauba wax type 3 is expected to be driven by the growing confectionery industry. Growing demand for confectionery products such as sugar coated chocolate and sugar coated candies is likely to drive the market growth.
The demand for the wax is likely to be driven by the growing use as a mold release agent. Increasing use of carnauba wax type 4 as an ingredient in industrial coatings. Growing demand for automotive care waxes coupled with rising concerns regarding automobile care is expected to drive the demand for carnauba wax over the next eight years.
The market has witnessed some technology advances, primarily pertaining to wax extraction and there were no notable advances pertaining to the wax production and processing techniques. The market growth was bolstered by highly favorable regulations pertaining to the use of the wax as a glazing agent in edible products such as candies, chocolates, and cosmetics. Also, adoption of the wax as a coating material for pharmaceutical controlled release systems has driven its demand in the pharmaceutical industry.
The carnauba wax production has remained highly stable due to the availability of a large number of substitutes such as beeswax and candelilla wax coupled with relatively higher prices. However, superior properties of the product such as permeability and shine has led to its widespread use in application industries.
The rapid economic and technological development of India and China over the past five years coupled with increasing demand for food and cosmetic products has led to a high demand for carnauba wax. In addition, the growth of manufacturing sector in China led to an increase in the spending abilities of the consumers in the region. The market also witnessed a change in food preferences of the consumers, leading to a heightened demand for sugar coated confectionery and chocolate products leading to an increasing demand for the product in Asia Pacific.
Description: Natural vegetable wax exuded by the leaves of a palm tree (copernicia cerifera) growing in Brazil, hardest natural wax available, composed of wax esters (85%), free fatty acids, fatty alcohols & resins (15%). Type 3 grade. Yellow flakes or powder, no or faint odor. Soluble in alcohol, insoluble in water. Melting point 80-85°C/176-185°F.
CAS: 8015-86-9
INCI Name: Copernicia prunifera (carnauba) wax
Benefits:
Non-gelling thickener, viscosity and consistency enhancer
Provides good texture and stability due to high melting point
Has emollient and moisturizing properties
Has good skin protective properties
Use: Warm to melt before use. Add to fat phase in formulas requiring emulsification. Typical use level 2-40%. For external use only.
Applications: Creams, salves, ointments, protective creams, balms, pomades, lipsticks, mascaras, lip gloss.
Raw material source: Leaves of the palm tree Copernicia Cerifera
Manufacture: Carnauba wax is obtained from the leaves of the palm tree Copernicia Cerifera that grows mainly in Brazil. After harvesting the sun-dried leaves are mechanically thrashed to separate the wax from the leaf. The wax is the further processed and purified.
Animal Testing: Not animal tested
GMO: GMO-free
Vegan: Does not contain animal-derived components
Carnauba wax is produced from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree, which grows only in northeastern Brazil. Therefore it can be used for vegan cosmetics (INCI Copernicia Cerifera) and food addtitives (E903) . Carnauba wax has an outstanding hardness and abrasion resistance and is compatible with many other waxes. We provide carnauba wax in flakes, pastilles and powdered form, also organic certified.
INDUSTRIES
Due to its gloss, hardness and compatibility, the wax is used as a release agent and coating material in the food industry (E903), particularly in confectionery, chocolate, fruits, chewing gum, nuts, nutritional supplements, coffee beans, and baked goods. Other application areas of carnauba wax (CAS 8015-86-9) include paints, printing inks, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, leather and shoe care, and wood care.
Its functions (INCI)
Emollient : Softens and softens the skin
Film forming : Produces a continuous film on skin, hair or nails
Skin conditioning : Keeps the skin in good condition
Composition
Carnauba wax contains mainly esters of fatty acids (80-85%), fatty alcohols (10-15%), acids (3-6%) and hydrocarbons (1-3%). Specific for carnauba wax is the content of esterified fatty diols (about 20%), hydroxylated fatty acids (about 6%) and cinnamic acid (about 10%). Cinnamic acid, an antioxidant, may be hydroxylated or methoxylated.
Uses
Carnauba wax can produce a glossy finish and as such is used in automobile waxes, shoe polishes, food products such as candy corn, guitar polishes, and floor and furniture polishes, especially when mixed with beeswax. It is used as a coating on dental floss. Use for paper coatings is the most common application in the United States. It is the main ingredient in surfboard wax, combined with coconut oil.
Carnauba wax is a prominent ingredient in cosmetics formulas: lipsticks, eyeliners, mascara, eye shadows, foundations, blushers, skin care preparations, sun care preparations, etc.[citation needed]
It is the finish of choice for most briar pipes. It produces a high gloss finish when buffed on to wood. This finish dulls with time rather than flaking off (as is the case with most other finishes used.)
In foods, it is used as a formulation aid, lubricant, release agent, anticaking agent, and surface finishing agent in baked foods and mixes, chewing gum, confections, frostings, fresh fruits and juices, gravies, sauces, processed fruits and juices, soft candy, tic tacs and Altoids.
It is also used in the pharmaceutical industry as a tablet coating agent.
In 1890, Charles Tainter patented the use of carnauba wax on phonograph cylinders as a replacement for a mixture of paraffin and beeswax.
In addition, carnauba wax is used in Swedish Fish candy as an alternative to gelatin.
Suspended in a solvent, carnauba wax is available by at least one manufacturer in an aerosol version. The aerosol version is used extensively in the manufacture of semiconductor devices to break in new molds and after multiple shots of epoxy mold compound. This wax prevents the epoxy mold compound from sticking in the mold-chase and allows for release of the product from the chase once molded.
When used as a mold release, carnauba, unlike silicone or PTFE, is suitable for use with liquid epoxy, epoxy molding compounds (EMC) and some other plastic types. Semiconductor manufacturers use chunks of carnauba wax to break in new epoxy molds or to release the plunger when it sticks. Carnauba wax is compatible with epoxies and generally enhances its properties along with those of most other engineering plastics. Can be use as guitar wax.
Technical characteristics
INCI name is Copernicia Cerifera (carnauba) wax
E Number is E903.
melting point: 78-85 °C, among the highest of natural waxes.
relative density is about 0.97
It is among the hardest of natural waxes, being harder than concrete in its pure form.
It is practically insoluble in water, soluble on heating in ethyl acetate and in xylene, practically insoluble in ethyl alcohol.