Vegetable Derived Waxes for Candles Steve Russell Cargill Nature Wax Alafave Latin American Conference of Candle Manufacturers June 26-28, 2002
Who is Cargill? Fact List: Largest privately held company in the US Founded in 1865, Cargill is 90,000 employees operating businesses in 57 countries on 6 continents Sales in excess of $49 billion for 2000-01 we are an international marketer, processor and distributor of agricultural, food, financial and industrial products and services
CARGILL GLOBAL OIL OIL REFINING FACILITIES England 1 Germany 1 Spain 1 E U R O P E Belgium 1 France 1 USA - 8 Mexico - 1 Venezuela - 1 Brazil - 4 Malawi - 1 Malaysia - 1
Cargill Logistical Capabilities Cargill Refined Oils has +2000 tank cars in our fleet and contracts w/ all four major rail carriers for the most competitive rates We have dedicated truck lines which service each of our plants We can package the same products in convenient 50# boxes and offer competitive LTL rates for smaller orders
Risk and Managing Uncertainty Cargill is an innovator in developing unique risk management strategies Through various cash and futures strategies we can offer multi-year price stability for the candle industry Vegetable based waxes are from renewable sources and can be produced around the world reducing risk in terms of long term supply
Crude Soybean Oil Volatility vs.. Crude Petroleum Futures and Cash Prices Price Comparison History SBO vs Crude Petroleum 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 45 40 SBO cents/lb CrudePetro $/Barrel 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 196001 196201 196401 196601 196801 197001 197201 197401 197601 197801 198001 198201 198401 198601 198801 199001 199201 199401 199601 199801 200001 AvgMonthly CBOT NrbySBO AvgMonthly CrudePetro Futrs AvgMonthly Cash Crude Petro Px Series
Vegetable Waxes Vegetable waxes can be derived from vegetable, animal, and mineral sources. Originally, tallow and beeswax were used in candles, followed by fat derived vegetable waxes in recent years. Usage had been limited to brittle stearine taper candles or expensive beeswax candles. Pillar taper and votive candles were very difficult to produce due to brittleness and cracking upon cooling.
Vegetable Waxes Recently, segments of the candle industry have expressed interest in vegetable waxes. The push for more natural ingredients led to the use of expensive beeswax or hydrogenated fats and fatty acids. The advantages of renewable resource and clean burning has driven the use of vegetable derived waxes for candles. Animal waxes such as tallow, lard, lanolin, etc. have similar properties to certain vegetable waxes and are often labeled as natural products, but often confuse customers into believing that such products are vegetable derived. Recently, developments from several world wide sources have led to improved vegetable waxes for candle use.
Vegetable Wax New vegetable waxes have been developed by Cargill as well as other producers. These new waxes have addressed many of the problems encountered with the use of previous vegetable products.
Vegetable Wax Vegetable derived candle waxes now have excellent properties for use in Pillar, Votive, and Container Candles. Candles made from these waxes can vary in appearance from smooth and creamy to rough and crystalline. These waxes have excellent fractional melt properties that offer large melt diameters with reduced side blowouts experienced with other vegetable waxes.
Petroleum vs. Vegetable Waxes Petroleum Wax Finite resource Nonpolar chemistry Limited compatibility High shrink cavity Broad fractional melt Plastic Soot when uncontrolled High energy costs Vegetable Wax Renewable resource Polar chemistry Excellent compatibility Limited shrink 1 pour Narrow melt Brittle Clean burn Low energy costs
Vegetable Wax Sources Seed Oils (hydrogenated) Soybean (US & elsewhere) Cottonseed (US) Palm (Malaysia & other Asian) Coconut (Philippines & other Asian) Rapeseed/Canola (Canada & UK) Castor (South America) Corn (North & South America) Sunflower (US) Other Vegetable Waxes Bayberry (Scarce) Carnauba (Brazilian leaf wax) Candelilla (Mexican plant wax) Rice Bran (Asia & US) Jojoba (SW US)
Fragrance and Oil Compatibility Exotic fragrances and essential oils are considered to be in chemical terms as highly polar materials, containing esters, aldehydes, ketones, etc. Petroleum waxes, on the other hand, are non-polar. Because of this polarity difference, certain fragrances are less compatible in petroleum wax. These fragrances will not go completely into solution, settling on the bottom of the mixing kettle. Cosolvents are often used by fragrance companies to help aid compatibility, but often lead to other problems.
Fragrance and Oil Compatibility (cont.) Co-solvents dilute the fragrance and are limited in the concentration that can be used in a candle formula. Co-solvents also affect fragrance throw. Vegetable waxes on the other hand are much more polar than petroleum waxes. The high ester content of vegetable waxes make them very compatible with exotic fragrances and oils, including many essential oils.
Fractional Melt Fatty materials are narrow cut products with very narrow melt distributions. This can make candles difficult to burn properly because they lack a broad fractional melt distribution. Candles made with many vegetable product available today often result in small burn diameters because they have not reached fractional melting of the wax. Attempts to adjust the wick to provide a hotter flame, often results in candle side blow outs (especially votives) because all the wax melts at once.
Fractional Melt Melt Distribution Hydrogenated palm stearine Petroleum wax Temperature
Wick Considerations Vegetable waxes have higher viscosity's than typical paraffin waxes. In fact, the viscosity is similar to that of beeswax. Larger wicks, similar to those used with beeswax candles should be used with these waxes. Wick choice should be made through experimentation. The emphasis should center on the desired burn diameter and burn quality. Most wick suppliers are developing wicks specifically designed for vegetable wax candles and should be consulted about wick selection.
Crystal Structure Soy Products have a Beta Prime crystal structure. This crystal structure has a dramatic affect on the wax solidifies after burning. Cauliflower growth and whitening often occurs. The crystal structure of soy products must be modified to be used properly in candle applications.
Shrinkage Vegetable derived materials comprise a completely different crystal structure than paraffin waxes. This results in lower more uniform shrinkage than paraffin. For most applications, a single pour feature is obtainable, but can vary due to processing conditions, candle size, shape, and surface area.
Opacity The small crystal size of vegetable derived waxes result in a completely opaque candle without the use of additives like Vybar and high melting opacifiers. Colors of vegetable candles tend to be more pastel in appearance with few if any deep colored candles.
Burn Properties In general, vegetable waxes have been found to burn cleaner with less soot than petroleum waxes in candles. The linear ester functionality seems to promote more efficient burn with less problematic by-products. Wick considerations are very important for optimal burn properties of any candle.
Energy Savings Vegetable waxes have lower heats of fusion than paraffin waxes (which means less energy is required to melt vegetable waxes). Vegetable waxes have a tendency to super cool when solidifying resulting in much lower solidifying points than melting points (10 to 20 deg C lower). Lower storage and processing temperatures can be achieved, resulting in reduced energy requirements.
Vegetable Wax Summary All Vegetable Wax Renewable, natural source All vegetable no animal products Compatibility with exotic fragrances & oils Good Fractional Melt for melt diameter Low Shrinkage Single Pour Clean Burning Low Energy Costs