| Soy wax history Invention
of soy wax Soy wax is quite a recent invention. It was only in 1991, when Michael
Richards, when looking for a cheaper alternative for beeswax, that he developed
soy wax. There was a big demand for natural wax candles, but beeswax was about
10 times more expensive than paraffin. As he entered the candle industry with
beeswax products he realized there was a growing demand for natural wax candles.
Micheal Richard tested different natural plant waxes and finally ended up with
a vegetable wax which was made with partially hydrogenated soy oil, coconut oil
and palm oil. He also blended beeswax with soy wax to make an economical natural
wax candle. Commercialisation of soy wax In 1995, the Body Shop, a national chain
of stores, was the first to offer soy candles to the general public. The first
natural wax candles which were delivered to the Body Shop were a mixture of beeswax
and almond oil. Later this almond oil was completely replaced with soy wax. In
1996 Michael succeeded in replacing the expensive beeswax with soy wax. The candle
wax then mainly consisted of hydrogenated soybean oil. He developed different
mixtures of soy wax for container candles and free standing candles, which needed
a higher melting point. The soy wax producer Candleworks negotiated in 1997 a
research project with the University of Iowa which resulted in the study: "Increasing
the Use of Soybeans in the Manufacturing of Candles". In 1998 The Indiana Soybean
Board unveiled at the Farm Progress Show special patented soy wax, Harvest Lights,
which was developed by a farmer-funded group. Since 1999 a lot of research was
done to proof the benefits of soy wax. This resulted in 2 scientific publications:
Cargill bought in 2001 the patent of Michael's soy wax innovation. Now Cargill
manufactures soybean wax, which is supplied to soy wax candle producers. Soy
wax production Soy wax is produced form soybean oil. Soybean
oil is separated from the solid components by solvent extraction or by mechanical
pressing. About 60 kg of soybeans are required to produce 10 kg of soybean oil.
The soy solids, which remain after oil extraction, can be used as cattle feed.
To make the soybean oil more solid (to make wax of it) it is partially hydrogenated,
and other natural ingredients are added. Hydrogenation
of soybean oil The exact steps to produce soy wax are well
protected and every producer may have his own secrets.The principle step in making
soy wax is hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is the process whereby the poly- and monounsaturated
oils are solidified in order to increase the viscosity. This is done by reaction
of hydrogen with the oil at elevated temperature (140-225°C) in the presence
of a nickel catalyst. It is important to stir the mixture to help dissolve the
hydrogen and to achieve a uniform distribution of the catalyst with the oil. The
hydrogenation process will create saturated fats (the double bonds are converted
into single bonds) which are not very healthy. However, for making soy candles
or soy wax this is not a problem. Hydrogenation may also be used to improve the
oxidative stability of the soybean oil. find soy candles
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