Description
carnauba wax, also called Brazil wax or ceara wax, vegetable wax
obtained from the fronds of the carnauba palm (Copernicia
prunifera) of Brazil. Valued among the natural waxes for its
hardness and high melting temperature, carnauba wax is employed as
a vegan food-grade polish and as a hardening or gelling agent in a
number of products. Although it has been replaced in many
applications by cheaper synthetics, it is still common as a
component of certain furniture, leather, car, and shoe polishes and
is used in cosmetics such as lipsticks. It is also used as a polish
for candies and medicinal pills, as a thickener for solvents and
oils, and as a hardener for printing inks.
The carnauba palm is a fan palm of the northeastern Brazilian
savannas, where it is called the tree of life for its many useful
products. After *0 years, the tree can attain a height of over *4
metres (*5 feet). It has a dense, large crown of round, light green
leaves. During the regular dry seasons in northern 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.
The wax consists primarily of esters of long-chain alcohols and
acids. It has a melting point of about *5 °C (**5 °F).
