How Is Regular Wax Made?

Wax is a substance that can range from a soft and malleable solid to a brittle and hard solid at room temperature. It has varying melting points but becomes a free-flowing liquid when heated. Wax has been used by humans for thousands of years for a variety of purposes including as a fuel for lighting, as a lubricant, and as the binder in artistic mediums.

The main types of wax are paraffin wax, beeswax, and soy wax. Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum and is the most commonly used wax today. It is relatively inexpensive and versatile. Beeswax is produced by honey bees and has been utilized for centuries. It has a pleasant honey-like scent. Soy wax is made from hydrogenated soybean oil and is often used in candles and other products as a natural alternative to paraffin wax.

Wax production involves collecting raw wax materials, refining and purifying the wax, adding fragrances or colorants, melting and blending the ingredients, and pouring the liquid wax into molds to make specific shapes and products. The molded wax is then cooled, hardened, and prepared for distribution. This process allows manufacturers to produce a variety of waxes with customized properties for different applications.

Collecting Raw Materials

Regular wax is commonly made from paraffin wax, beeswax, soy wax, or other natural waxes. The raw materials are collected from various sources:

Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum and made through the process of fractional distillation in oil refineries. Crude oil is heated in distillation towers, separating the hydrocarbons into factions based on boiling point. The lighter liquid petroleum factions are further processed into paraffin wax (https://www.elmrd.com/post/all-you-need-to-know-about-candle-wax).

Beeswax is collected from honeycombs inside beehives. Worker bees secrete wax from glands on their abdomen and use it to build the familiar hexagonal honeycomb. The beekeeper will harvest pieces of honeycomb, melt them down, filter and clean the wax. Beeswax is a natural wax (https://www.osmology.co/pages/candle-wax).

Soy wax starts with soybean oil that is hydrogenated into a solid wax. Soybean oil is extracted by crushing and pressing the soybeans, then undergoing hydrogenation. This involves bubbling hydrogen gas through hot soybean oil in the presence of a catalyst to solidify the oil into a wax (https://www.quora.com/Where-does-wax-come-from-if-it-s-not-beeswax).

Other natural waxes can come from plants, insects, animals, or minerals. Examples are carnauba wax from palm leaves, candelilla wax from shrubs, and montan wax from lignite coal.

Refining the Wax

After collecting the raw wax, the next step is to refine it. This removes impurities and improves the quality of the wax.

The purification process begins by filtering the wax to remove solid impurities like dirt, rocks, and metal particles. The wax is heated and passed through a series of filters to catch these contaminants (“Crude paraffin wax refers to the paraffin wax that has undergone perspiration or solvent deoiling but has not undergone the final refining process,” MyersWax, 2022).

Next, the wax goes through chemical treatment steps to remove any remaining oil, moisture, or odor-causing compounds. Chemicals like sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, and silica may be used. This further purifies the wax (“Refined paraffin waxes derived from crude oil. The world’s largest paraffin wax refinery is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.” Rheologistics, 2022).

After filtering and chemical treatment, the refined wax is now ready to be blended with additives and molded into various products.

Adding Additives

There are a variety of additives that can be mixed into wax to modify its properties and enhance the candle. Common additives include:

Colorants

Colorants like liquid dyes or pigments are added to produce candles in different colors. Popular options are liquid dyes diluted in oil or pigments like mica powder. According to CandleMakingSupplies.net, liquid dyes provide even color while pigments like mica powder create speckled effects.

Fragrances

Fragrances oils are blended into wax to give candles appealing scents. The fragrance oils are carefully mixed at percentages between 5-10% of the wax weight based on the intensity of the scent. Overloading wax with too much fragrance can lead to poor performance.

Other Chemicals

Additives like vybar and parafin modifiers can alter wax properties like melt point, texture, and opacity. As explained by CandleMakingSupplies.net, polymers like vybar help strengthen wax structure while paraffin modifiers adjust the wax crystal formation.

Melting and Blending

The wax mixture is heated in order to melt the different waxes together. Most waxes have melting points between 120-170°F, with paraffin wax typically around 130°F.

The different waxes are blended together in specific ratios to achieve the desired properties in the final wax product. Harder waxes like paraffin are mixed with softer waxes like beeswax. Adding vegetable waxes can make the wax better suited for container candles. The blending process ensures the waxes will stay blended when re-hardened and that the final wax has an even finish and smooth texture. The mixture is stirred continuously to distribute the components evenly.

Proper temperature control is critical during the melting and blending stage. Heating the wax too quickly or too high can burn some of the components. But not heating it enough prevents full melting and blending. The wax mixture is usually heated to around 150-160°F to ensure all components liquefy.

Pouring and Cooling

Once the wax mixture has been thoroughly blended, it is ready to be poured into molds to set. The wax is carefully poured or injected into metal, plastic, rubber, or silicone molds. The shape and design of the molds will determine the final shape of the wax product.

The cooling rate significantly impacts the resulting crystal structure and appearance of the wax. Fast cooling can result in small, uneven crystals, while slow cooling allows larger, more uniform crystals to form. Most commercial wax manufacturers will use controlled cooling systems to achieve the desired crystal structure. For example, cooling wax may be passed through chilled water or cold metal plates to regulate the cooling rate (CMT 552-WAX Cooling Wax Jar, 3.4 oz). Cooling the wax too quickly can cause cracks, distortion, and cloudiness.

Shaping and Molding

Once the wax has been blended, it is ready to be shaped into the desired forms. There are a variety of techniques used to shape and mold the wax:

Different molds are used to create various wax products. Metal molds are often used to shape candles, where the liquefied wax is poured into the mold cavity and left to cool and harden. Rubber molds can also be used for candle making. More intricate shapes like wax figurines may require custom molds made of silicone or plaster (Source).

The wax can also be shaped by hand, especially for artistic or sculptural pieces. The warm wax is pliable and can be manipulated by hand into free-form shapes.

Another technique is stamping or cutting shapes out of wax sheets. The sheets are created by pouring the melted wax onto a flat surface and allowing it to cool and harden into a sheet. The wax sheets can then be fed through cutting machines that stamp out specific shapes like rounds or squares (Source). The shapes can also be cut manually using dies or knives.

Quality Control

Once the wax has been produced, it goes through rigorous quality control testing to ensure it meets specifications. Samples from each batch are taken to quality control laboratories where they undergo a battery of tests.

Some of the key tests include:

• Appearance – The color, opacity, and texture are evaluated visually.
• Melt point – The temperature at which the wax transitions from solid to liquid is measured.
• Odor – The wax is smelled to ensure no foreign or unpleasant odors are present.
• Ash content – Burning a sample reveals how much residue is left, indicating impurities.
• Penetration – A test to determine the hardness and viscosity of the wax at different temperatures.
• Slip melting point – Helps identify the temperature to maintain during blending and pouring.

If the test results confirm the batch meets specifications for the particular wax product, it is approved. If any results are outside the acceptable range, the batch may be rejected or require reworking before release. This rigorous quality control ensures each batch of wax consistently meets customer expectations.

Packaging and Shipping

Candles are packaged differently depending on how they will be used by the end consumer. Retail candles sold individually are often packaged in boxes or other decorative packaging to showcase the candle and protect it during transport. Wholesale candles being shipped in bulk are packed more minimally, usually wrapped in shrink wrap or placed unwrapped into cardboard boxes. Proper packaging prevents breakage, leakage, and other damage during shipping.

When shipping candles in bulk, such as to retailers or distribution centers, they are packed tightly into cardboard boxes lined with cushy paper or bubble wrap to prevent jostling and damage. Boxes are taped up securely and may be reinforced with strapping tape. The filled boxes are stacked evenly on pallets and shrink wrapped for stability during transport by truck or rail. Proper distribution packaging allows large quantities of candles to be shipped efficiently.

There are some regulations regarding candle packaging and labeling that producers must follow. According to the National Candle Association, candles must be labeled with the company name and location, net weight in both ounces and grams, and safety labeling indicating the candle is flammable. Warning labels may also indicate any potential allergens in the candle, such as soy or palm oil. Following labeling and packaging regulations ensures candle products are safe for consumers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we’ve summarized the key steps involved in the wax making process. It begins with collecting raw materials like beeswax, paraffin wax, or synthetic waxes. These ingredients are then refined to remove impurities. Additives may be incorporated to alter the properties of the wax. The wax components are melted and blended together in specific proportions to achieve the desired characteristics. The liquid wax is then cooled and molded into the final product shape. Quality control checks are performed before packaging and shipping the finished wax product.

Modern innovations allow tighter process control and more precise tailoring of wax properties. Computerized blending systems with closed-loop feedback enable extremely consistent batches. Novel additives produce waxes with enhanced performance for specialty applications. Automated high-speed molding streamlines production. Packaging technologies like shrink wrapping provide protection and extended shelf life. While the fundamentals remain similar, advancements in technology are driving improvements in wax manufacturing.