Carnauba Wax
is obtained from the leaves of a palm tree known as Copernica
Cerifera, which is also referred to as the "Tree of Life". This
slow-growing Carnauba palm flourishes in the northeastern regions of
Brazil, reaching an average height of 25-35 feet. It proliferates
along river banks, streams and damp lowlands.
The tree exudes a wax through the petioles of its fan-shaped leaves,
preventing dehydration from the equatorial climate.
The cutting of the leaves and sprouts takes place during the dry months
of September through February. Workers use knives on long poles to trim
the leaves from mature trees. The cut leaves are sun-dried and
mechanically thrashed to remove the crude wax. This crude wax, in its
powder form, is transported from the countryside and sold to shippers
for export.
With a maximum cutting of twenty leaves per year from a tree, the
average yield of wax for each tree is about one kilo per cutting. The
majority of tree harvesting takes place in the Brazilian States of Ceara
and Piaui. The color and quality of the wax are governed by the age of
the leaves and care used in processing of this hard, brittle, lustrous
wax.
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Typical
applications: |
Cosmetics, Glamour
Products, Pharmaceuticals, Ointments, Tablet Coatings, Candles,
Confections, Investment Casting, Auto, Floor and Shoe Polishes,
Carbon Paper, Inks, and Paper Coatings, Fruit Coatings. |
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