Waxes for food, cosmetics and agriculture

In food processing, wax can be used as coating material for wrapping paper to keep food fresh, disposable paper cups and instant noodle boxes can be manufactured, and a layer of high melting point Fischer-Tropsch wax can be coated on the surface of paper to hold boiling water without causing any harm to human body due to melting.

The use of wax as emulsifier, stirring agent and softening agent is very common in the process of bread and pastry making. Wax can also be used as an anti-sticking agent for candy, a gloss and aroma retainer for chocolate candy, an emulsifier and churning agent for ice cream, and an emulsifier for margarine. From the food safety point of view, adding a certain amount of wax for food according to the limit of the national standard will not cause harm to human body by ingesting a large amount of edible wax at one time.

Fischer-Tropsch wax can be used as a film preservative for fruits and vegetables. Due to the high water content of fruits and vegetables, if they are picked without freshness treatment, they are very easy to lose moisture leading to lower quality, or even decay and deterioration due to the influence of germs and mechanical damage, and lose their commercial value. Fruits that do not need to eat the skin and need long-distance transportation as well as other agricultural products are waxed to block the stomata on the epidermis, reduce the shrinkage and weight loss caused by water evaporation, slow down the nutrient loss and post-ripening aging due to the inhibition of respiration rate, and facilitate the maintenance of freshness[.

After waxing the appearance of fruits and vegetables quality glossy and bright, to a certain extent, to improve the value of goods. High-quality fruit and vegetable waxes have the following requirements: wax treatment and fruit and vegetable surface bonding, easy to wash away, no odor, rapid drying, non-toxic to humans, low price. High-end Fischer-Tropsch wax is modified by oxidation and dissolved in water to get emulsified wax, which can not only meet the needs of long-distance transportation if used for fruit and vegetable preservation, but also play the role of insect protection. Fischer-Tropsch wax, as an additive of chewing gum base, can adjust the hardness and dispersion of chewing gum, increase the solubility of sugar, make it taste and chew better, and not easy to break. After the process of sugar coating, the surface of chewing gum is dull and easy to absorb moisture, which has a great impact on the later storage. After polishing with high melting point and hardness of Fischer-Tropsch wax, it can not only avoid the moisture and water absorption of chewing gum, but also improve the appearance and enhance the beauty.

In the field of cosmetics, wax additive is one of the most important raw materials for the production of cosmetic products, allowing the manufacture of color dispersions, mascara, eyeliner, lipstick and hair wax. Wax can be used in cosmetics because it generates a draining film, acts as an emulsifier or co-emulsifier, and acts as a thickener to improve the structure and smoothness of emulsions. Waxes are oil soluble, so they improve the emolliency of the film left on the skin and have a good gloss. For cosmetic applications waxes have the following requirements: good stability, no darkening of color during storage, no odor or taste, no chromophores, no carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic compounds. Unrefined waxes contain a certain amount of oil, sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen, so the refinement of waxes for cosmetic applications is very important. Based on the above requirements, Fischer-Tropsch wax is particularly suitable as a raw material for the production of cosmetics.