What is Soy Wax?

Soya Beans

As a strong believer in sustainability I decided long ago to always use soy wax. It is a natural product that is not derived from petroleum. But how do we get from these beans to the soy wax we use in our candles?

Soy wax is produced from soy bean oil. Soy bean oil is separated from the solid components by solvent extraction or by mechanical pressing. This raw oil will be further refined and bleached. About 60 kg of soy beans are required to produce 10 kg of soy bean oil. The soy solids , which remain after the oil extractions, can be used as cattle feed. To make the soy bean oil more solid ( to make wax out of it) it is hydrogenated.

The exact steps to produce soy wax are well protected and every producer may have his own secrets. The main 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 (140-225oC) 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 within the oil. Cooled it is then ready to be used for the candle industry.