In the previous blog post, we looked into the plant waxes palm, carnauba, and bayberry, and in this blog post we will look into soy wax, a wax that has recently surged in popularity.
Soy Wax
Soy wax burns at a lower temperature and is less expensive than beeswax, and is claimed to be cleaner, slower and longer burning than paraffin wax with less soot; as well as sustainable; renewable; carbon neutral (having zero carbon footprint or no net greenhouse gas emissions); and biodegradable.
To understand whether these claims are true, it is helpful to look into how soy wax is made. The exact composition and production method depends on the manufacturer, but the common process begins with harvesting the soybeans, which usually comes from genetically modified crops. Genetically modified soybeans have been altered (specific genes added to the genetic composition) to resist herbicides. The crops can then treated with these herbicides to get rid of surrounding weeds without destroying the soybeans themselves.
The altered genetic composition could potentially create a new allergen or allergic reactions in people who are sensitive, and can result in the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. Furthermore, GMO means that crops are commercially farmed with pesticides and herbicides. These chemical substances can harm neighbouring crops and other plant species that aren’t resistant to them.
They can also release volatile organic compounds; compounds that easily become gases or vapours and can contain elements that are harmful to human and animal health. This includes harming the health of the harvester. Rain or water can wash off pesticides and herbicides and may cause them to leach into the soil. How long the pesticide or herbicide persists in the soil before breaking down depends on their chemical content and the type of soil. They also have the potential to contaminate drinking water by making their way into groundwater or surface water systems.
While soy is a renewable resource, it is not necessarily sustainable. The increased demand for soy, particularly GMO soy, in the animal feed industry as well as for human consumption and industrial processes, has raised concern over deforestation, unhealthy levels of pesticides and herbicides, and contamination of drinking water. This mass production puts strain on our environment.
If using soybeans or soy oil, is crucial to purchase from a certified organic company that uses sustainable, environmentally friendly methods.
After harvesting, the soybeans are cleaned, cracked, and dehulled. The seed may then go through mechanical pressing to separate the oil from the solid components, or it may be rolled into flakes, where the oil is extracted using solvent extraction.
In mechanical pressing, the seed is compressed in a container with small perforations. Enough force or pressure is exerted on the seed to rupture the cells and force the oil out. This alone does not remove all the oil from the seed, and may be followed by chemical extraction.
Solvent extraction is usually the preferred method because it yields a higher percentage of the available oil. It involves emerging the flakes into a solvent, usually hexane, a chemical commonly extracted from petroleum and crude oil. Hexane is highly flammable and is considered a toxic chemical.
Short-term exposure to hexane can affect the central nervous system and can cause headaches, dizziness, confusion, clumsiness, drowsiness, and nausea. Long-term exposure can result in more severe damage to the nervous system, and can cause numbness in the extremities, muscular weakness, blurred vision, and even damage in the nerves controlling the muscles in the arms and legs, and paralysis.
The resulting flakes are extracted and used for livestock meal or in the production of food products. The hexane is removed from from the oil through evaporators, where it is then recovered to be used again in the extraction process. Hexane in food is not monitored, and it is unclear whether a trace amount remains in the oil, and, if so, how much. The remaining solids are often used for animal feed.
The oil is then chilled and the wax settles (http://www.alohabay.com/people/What-Chemicals-Are-in-Your-Soy-Candles.html). The oil and wax may go through further refinement that may include degumming, alkali refining, bleaching (with activated earth, activated carbon or chlorine bleach) and deodorization (through vacuum distillation) to remove phosphatides, free fatty acids, insoluble matter and gums, odour, colour pigments and other “impurities.”
To make the oil more solid, it then goes through the process of hydrogenation. Hydrogenation involves introducing hydrogen atoms to the oil, usually in the presence of a high heat and a catalyst such as nickel to help break the bonds between the atoms. The hydrogen reacts with the wax to convert some of the fatty acids from unsaturated to saturated. This process changes the physical properties, such as the melting point, so that it is solid at room temperature.
While the hydrogenation helps to solidify the soybean oil into a waxy substance, it is still a “soft” wax with a low melting point that is more suited to container candles and tea lights than taper or pillar candles. This also means that soy wax can be more difficult to ship, since it can melt in high temperatures.
In addition, this raw wax doesn’t hold dyes or fragrances well. Emulsifiers, other hydrogenated vegetable oils, stearic acid, polymers,and other chemically derived additives may be incorporated into the wax to make it harder; prevent or reduce frosting, bloom, and lumpiness; and act as binding agents to help hold larger amounts of fragrance oil or dyes.
When making soy wax, larger amounts of dyes may be needed to achieve vivid or deep colours. Many soy wax manufacturers also tend to prefer using fragrance oils (synthetic fragrances) because they can be designed to be more readily miscible (the ability of two or more substances to be mixed or dissolved into one another without separating) with the type wax. It is also common for soy wax to be mixed with other waxes, such as paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax (another type of petroleum derived wax), or other plant waxes, to achieve a variety of melting points and make it more solid for votive or pillar candles.
Preservatives are also often added to soy wax, since it can go rancid without them. Some individuals have reported detecting a faint rancid smell when blowing out their soy candle.
Soy wax is not inherently better than other waxes simply because it comes from a “natural” source. No soy candles can be said to be “organic” due to the chemicals used in the extraction, refining, and hydrogenation process, but, if you choose to use soy wax, it is still crucial to find one that is manufactured from organic soybeans. The label or manufacturer stating that it is “non GMO soy wax” is not enough; it needs to say that it is from non GMO soybeans.
When selecting soy wax, you want to look for 100% soy with 100% pure essential oils. The candle industry is not regulated, so the term “pure” can still be used to describe a soy candle that is comprised of only 51% soy, and the term fragrance (whether they call it natural or not) means it was synthetically produced. Even 100% soy can still contain a small amount of paraffin, so you want to contact the company about the wax composition and manufacturing process. If they are not willing to divulge their process or materials, then I would avoid purchasing from them and try another.
Proponents of paraffin wax have argued that the production of soy wax may be worse for the environment than other waxes, and that paraffin candles are “recycling” the waste that is produced as a byproduct of the gasoline used for some large farming machinery that is often used in the agricultural industry, such as in the case of soy production.
Most oils can be made into a type of wax, but that doesn’t mean that it should be used for candles or other products that we use on a daily basis. The more synthetic or hazardous chemicals present in the wax product means that there is the potential of them breaking down during the combustion process, when the candle is lit, and being released into the air.
Furthermore, the production of most types of waxes, whether natural or synthetic, can be bad for the environment. It is always important to look into the source of the product you are using, and make sure that you are purchasing from a sustainable company. Most plant-based waxes are also renewable, while paraffin and other petroleum based waxes are not.
Many sources also claim that soy wax is water soluble. This is not true. Wax, by definition, is not water-soluble. Soy wax is made from hydrogenated soybean oil. Oils are not water soluble, hence why virtually any oil can be made into a wax or waxy substance. However, soy wax is easier to clean with soap and water than other waxes. It also has a different character and structure than beeswax, paraffin, and other waxes.
The molecular structure of the soy wax contains various types of chemical bonds that make it more prone to “trapping” fragrances instead of allow them to be readily evaporated. This results in a poor “scent throw.” Scent throw refers to the intensity of the fragrance that is released from the candle when storing (known as “cold” scent throw) or when lit (known as “hot” scent throw). Poor scent throw means the candle has a weak or faint scent.
A well made soy candle does generally burn longer than a paraffin wax candle due to having a lower melting point, or cooler burning temperature. The flame produced is generally smaller. The burning time varies drastically depending on the composition of the wax and the addition of fragrances or dyes, which require a hotter wick.
Another common misconception is that soy wax candles do not soot. All candles produce soot due to the incomplete combustion process when burning. However, properly made soy wax candles produce mainly what is known as white, or clear soot. This soot does not stain like the dark soot produced from paraffin candles and may not be easily seen. The dark soot from paraffin candles has been called “petrol-carbon” soot due to the petroleum and other byproducts that it contains.
Like any soot, the clear soot from wax candles isn’t “healthy,” but it may contain less chemicals than the soot from paraffin candles and does not cause soot damage to walls, ceilings, and furniture. This only applies to soy waxes that have properly sized wicks and do not contain fragrances, dyes, or other chemicals or additives. There is also a risk that any chemicals used during the production process of the wax may be broken down, altered, or released.
The amount of chemicals in a sustainable and organically sourced (from organic soybeans), non-scented or essential oil scented soy wax candle would be less than those in conventional paraffin and other petroleum based waxes.
In the next blog post, we will look into a fairly new wax known as coconut wax.
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