waxing questions

[pektel]

Okay, this just in:

The melting point of Carnauba wax: 183 degrees F

the previous numbers regarding the surface temps of paintwork were taken after 2 hours. Who knows if after 8 hours it would be hotter, or hot enough to melt the wax on the vehicle.

A wax compound (the waxes/solvents together) do evaporate. That's the process of wax though. The solvents act as carriers, to evenly distribute the wax across teh surface. After that, the wax cures, which means that the solvents evaporate, leaving only the wax behind.

Now, a wax COMPOUND can have a melting point as low as 100 degrees F. But the cured wax's melting point is MUCH higher.

Sealants are better for durability, as their melting points go into the 300 degree F range.

 

[kustomizingkid]

just buy a white car, that's what I do

 

[stang99x]

Do you understand what wax does when it cures?

For lack of an example that you could so far comprehend, get a candle, pour liquid wax on something of no value that can be heated. Now, heat the the wax again, what happens? If the explanation needs be simpler than that, you're in over you're head.

And Pektel is right, a sealant is a different application, which takes longer to cure but when cured is harder and will last a bit longer

 

[kustomizingkid]

If the wax you used on your car was made from a candle... the stuff you use on your car isn't all wax... it's not the same.

 

[stang99x]

All wax, wherever it may be derived from, have similiar properties (less some fully synthetic products) They all have a form of natural wax, be it from plants, animals, bees, etc. If its in there, it can happen. You can weld a candle in a metal box, and if you heat the box the candle will still melt. You can add heat resistant fibers to a candle, but the wax will melt around the fibers. Bottom line, you can modify it from here to the moon, the base from which it comes stays the same, and has the same properties, which let it melt.

 

[pektel]

Beeswax (I think that's what's in candles) is very different from carnauba wax as far as melting points are concerned. Beeswax has a very low melting point relative to carnauba wax.

Just clarification for anyone else that may be reading.

Oh, and concerning your comparison stang, my understanding of carnauba wax is that it is damn near impossible to spread on the surface if the concentration is too high. That's why companies add solvents and other products to their wax. It acts as a carrier for the carnauba to make it possible to spread onto the surface. Then as it cures, those solvents evaporate, leaving only the more durable carnauba behind. The solvents aren't there to increase the durability, they are there to increase workability.

Of course, different waxes have different carnauba contents, so their specific melting points would vary.

My reference of carnauba melting at 183 deg F is pure carnauba.

 

[stang99x]