What is Carnauba?

 by David Bynon, San Diego Region
(from THE WINDBLOWN WITNESS)

 Carnauba is a vegetable fat obtained from the leaves of a Brazilian palm tree called the “Tree of Life” (Copernica Cerifera). Pure Carnauba, in its natural state, is harder than concrete. One of its most interesting properties is that it swells and closes its pores when exposed to water.

A typical "yellow wax" pure carnauba product. Yellow wax usually has no cleaning capability, so use it only for final polishing to produce a rock-hard shine! DBynon photo

Having a great affinity to water, Carnauba has the ability to retain oil and has excellent gloss properties making it applicable in many industries, including cosmetics, automotive and food. In cosmetics, Carnauba is widely used in stick applications. Carnauba is the hardest natural wax and has lustrous composition making it the leading choice for food coatings, pharmaceutical coatings and polishes. Number One Grade Carnauba varies from a very pale yellow (white), through a greenish brown (yellow).             Carnauba Wax is exuded by the leaves of the Copernica Cerifera palm to conserve the moisture within the tree and its leaves. The “Carnauba Palm” grows in the northern and northeastern parts of Brazil along the river banks, valleys, and lagoons where the soil is dark and fertile. The tree needs very little water to grow, is very prolific, and attains a mature height of 40-50 feet. The natives in the surrounding area use the various products of the tree for many necessities in their lives; hence the name “Tree of Life.”

Of interest is the fact that only in northern Brazil does the Carnauba Palm produce wax. Palm leaves containing the wax are harvested from the trees during the period from September to March. The color and quality are governed by the age of the leaves, as well as the care used in processing the wax. The leaves are soaked in kerosene to soften the wax, resulting in a thick liquid that can be poured into molds for shipping.
            Being a natural plant by-product that does not react with paint, Carnauba provides a very hard barrier over your car’s surface to protect against airborne contaminants such as acid rain, bugs, tar, road grime, salt, and bird droppings. Carnauba also dramatically reduces paint oxidation by diffusing (refracting) UV and infrared radiation from the sun. Typical Carnauba waxes contain 3 to 5% Carnauba wax (not necessarily Brazilian No. 1 Carnauba) by volume. However, all of the quality waxes Autopia Car Care offers contain 30% or more Brazilian No. 1 Carnauba by volume.  The greater the concentration of Carnauba the greater the level of protection and the higher the level of shine.

 

 David Bynon operates the website Autopia-Carcare.com. Visit this site for more information about car care and as a source for the products referred to in this column.