Petrochemical Products

Micronized wax is used for demolding, primarily as an external release agent in the processing of polymer materials such as plastics, rubber, and coatings. By forming a lubricating film on the mold surface, it reduces the adhesion between the material and the mold, thereby ensuring smooth demolding, improving the surface finish of the finished product, and reducing the scrap rate. ‌Mechanism of Action of Micronized Wax in Demolding‌ Physical Barrier: Due to their fine particle size, micronized wax can be evenly distributed across the mold surface, forming a dense barrier layer. Reduced Interfacial Friction: Their lubricating properties reduce resistance to melt flow, improving demolding fluidity. Good Thermal Stability: Synthetic waxes, such as polyethylene wax and polypropylene wax, have high softening points and are resistant to decomposition or migration at high temperatures, making them suitable for engineering plastic processing.

As a high-performance, high-purity wax synthesized from coal or natural gas, Fischer-Tropsch wax plays an irreplaceable role in numerous industrial sectors due to its high melting point, low viscosity, high hardness, and completely non-toxic, odorless properties. Plastics and Polymer Processing This is the sector with the highest consumption of Fischer-Tropsch wax. It is primarily used as a highly effective lubricant to improve the flowability of plastic melts, facilitate easier demolding of products from molds, and enhance the surface gloss of the final products. PVC Processing: As an external lubricant used in the production of door and window profiles, pipes, and other products, it effectively prevents melt overheating and sticking, while imparting a high-gloss finish to the finished goods. Color Masterbatches: As a pigment dispersant, it helps distribute pigments evenly throughout the plastic, making it particularly suitable for manufacturing ultra-fine pigment masterbatches used to color synthetic fibers.

Microcrystalline wax can be used as a lubricant in metalworking, primarily due to the following properties: ‌Excellent lubricity and film-forming properties‌: Microcrystalline wax forms a uniform, dense protective film on metal surfaces, effectively reducing friction, minimizing tool wear, and improving machining accuracy and surface finish. ‌‌. ‌Rust and corrosion protection‌: During metalworking, microcrystalline wax also acts as a rust inhibitor, blocking moisture and corrosive agents to protect workpieces and equipment. ‌‌. ‌Thermal stability and compatibility‌: Microcrystalline wax typically has a melting point range of ‌60–90°C‌, remaining stable at most metalworking temperatures. It is also miscible with other lubricating components such as mineral oil and vegetable wax, facilitating the formulation of composite cutting fluids or greases‌‌.

Micronized wax is primarily used as a highly effective dispersant in colour masterbatches. Its role and mechanism of action in colour masterbatches are as follows: Core role: Highly effective dispersant Mechanism of action: With a particle size similar to that of the pigment, it effectively isolates and wets the pigment particles, preventing their re- agglomeration. Practical benefits: Improves pigment dispersion and tinting strength, reduces pigment consumption and costs, whilst minimising filter screen blockages. Core role: Processing aid Mechanism of action: Reduces the viscosity of the polymer melt, improving the flow properties of the compound during processing. Practical benefits: Enhances production efficiency, reduces energy consumption during processing, and ensures smoother production.

Fischer-Tropsch wax is a high-performance viscosity modifier, primarily used to regulate flow properties, fast-drying characteristics (i.e. shortening the open time) and heat resistance. Regulating flow and wetting properties: Fischer-Tropsch wax has extremely low viscosity at high temperatures, significantly improving the flow properties of the adhesive. This helps the hot-melt adhesive to penetrate and wet the surface of the substrate more effectively, thereby forming a stronger bond. Reducing curing time: With a high pour point and narrow carbon distribution, Fischer-Tropsch wax shortens the time taken for hot-melt adhesives to transition from a molten to a solid state, achieving ‘fast drying’. This is crucial on high-speed packaging production lines, as it prevents the adhesive from being ejected before it has dried.

Polyethylene micro-powder wax functions primarily in the following ways: Enhancing surface properties: Wax particles uniformly dispersed within the coating form a microscopic protective layer on the surface. This significantly reduces the surface coefficient of friction, thereby providing notable scratch and wear resistance. At the same time, this wax film imparts a smooth, fine texture to the surface and acts as an anti-adhesive agent. Gloss control and anti-polishing: This is a very important characteristic of polyethylene wax. It forms a fine ‘raised’ structure on the surface of the coating; this structure scatters light, thereby achieving a matt or satin finish.

The Key Role of Micropowder Wax in Plastics Processing Improving processing performance: Acting as an internal and external lubricant during extrusion or injection moulding, it reduces friction between the material and the equipment, as well as between the material molecules themselves. This lowers the plasticising torque, thereby reducing energy consumption during processing, improving moulding efficiency and output, and ensuring smoother demoulding. Enhancing Product Surface Quality: It migrates to the surface of the finished product to form a thin lubricating layer, significantly reducing the surface coefficient of friction to provide a smooth, silky feel. It also imparts a higher surface gloss and effectively prevents products from sticking together when stacked. Acts as an excellent dispersant: Particularly when used in colour masterbatches and filler masterbatches, it effectively encapsulates pigment and filler particles, preventing agglomeration, ensuring more uniform colour distribution, and reducing defects such as colour spots or streaks on the product surface.

Polypropylene wax primarily acts as a dispersant and processing aid in pigment processing, playing a particularly crucial role in the production of high-quality colour masterbatches, coatings and inks. Excellent dispersing properties: During pigment processing, polypropylene wax rapidly wets the surface of pigment particles, effectively preventing agglomeration and thereby achieving a stable, uniform dispersion. High compatibility with polypropylene (PP) systems: When pigments are ultimately used in PP plastic products (particularly fibres and films), the use of polypropylene wax as a dispersant offers a decisive advantage. This is because its chemical structure is identical to that of the PP matrix, ensuring excellent compatibility.

The role of microcrystalline wax in yarn coating: ‌Reducing friction: Microcrystalline wax possesses excellent flexibility and lubricity, forming a lubricating film on the yarn surface to reduce friction between the yarn and textile machinery, thereby lowering the yarn breakage rate. ‌Improving abrasion resistance: Enhances the yarn’s abrasion resistance during high-speed spinning and weaving processes, extending the yarn’s service life. ‌Improved Hand Feel: Ensures the final fabric feels softer and smoother. ‌Anti-static: Certain microcrystalline wax formulations can help reduce static electricity build-up during yarn production.

Microcrystalline wax is a waxy substance refined from petroleum. It possesses characteristics such as a high melting point, excellent flexibility and good adhesion, and is widely used in various industries including rubber, electronics and electrical appliances, and packaging. Industrial and Electronics Sectors Rubber and Plastics Processing: In the rubber industry, it prevents surface cracking and chalking whilst enhancing wear resistance; in plastics, it optimises flow properties and anti-adhesion, and is widely used in the casings of electronic products. Electrical and Electronic Insulation: Used as a sealant and insulating material for capacitor impregnation, battery sealing and cable insulation paper, it protects components from moisture damage.

Main applications of microcrystalline wax in casting: ‌As a component of wax patterns: Microcrystalline wax is commonly used in the formulation of precision casting wax compounds. It is blended in specific proportions with paraffin, resins, natural waxes and other materials to enhance the flexibility, resistance to deformation, surface finish and dimensional stability of the wax patterns. Suitable for high-precision castings: Widely used in fields with high demands for surface quality and dimensional accuracy, such as aeroengine blades, medical devices, automotive components and jewellery. Improved demoulding performance: Microcrystalline wax’s low-temperature plasticity and high-temperature stability facilitate the precise forming of wax patterns within complex moulds and help maintain their shape during the pouring process. Reduced post-processing: Castings produced using microcrystalline wax have a smooth, fine surface finish and typically require no additional polishing.

The key role of microcrystalline wax in scented candles‌ ‌Enhanced hardness and thermal stability‌: Microcrystalline wax significantly improves the structural strength of candles, preventing deformation or collapsing at high temperatures, making it particularly suitable for large- capacity or intricately shaped candles‌. ‌Reduced Shrinkage and Prevention of Cup Separation‌: Its low shrinkage rate helps the candle adhere closely to the inner walls of the container during cooling, preventing the ‘cup separation’ phenomenon‌. ‌Improved Surface Gloss and Texture‌: It makes the candle surface smoother and finer, enhancing its visual appeal‌. ‌Enhanced flexibility and ductility: Particularly suitable for DIY projects, as it reduces the risk of cracking and facilitates the addition of decorations such as dried flowers and colourants.

Excellent thermal stability and lubricity: Microcrystalline wax is composed of branched-chain alkanes and naphthenes. Compared to ordinary paraffin wax, it offers superior lubricity and thermal stability, and therefore performs exceptionally well in moulding processes involving higher temperatures. Long-lasting release performance: In the moulding of materials such as polyurethane, release agents containing microcrystalline wax can achieve a ‘one-coat, multiple-use’ effect, effectively improving production efficiency. High surface finish: Microcrystalline wax can be applied and polished multiple times, forming a smooth film on the mould surface. This results in a finished product with minimal surface imperfections and a high gloss finish, which is particularly important for industries with stringent aesthetic requirements.

Microcrystalline wax is a key ingredient in the production of high-quality shoe polish; it makes the polish easier to apply, ensures a long-lasting shine, and enhances the leather’s water-repellent and stain-resistant properties. It serves the following primary functions in the manufacturing of shoe polish: Formulation and stabilisation: Microcrystalline wax has excellent oil- absorbing properties, enabling it to ‘lock in’ the various oils and solvents within the shoe polish, forming a uniform and stable paste that prevents the separation of oils during storage. Enhancing shine and durability: With its fine crystalline structure, it generates a shine easily through friction and forms a tough, translucent protective film on the surface of leather shoes, making them shine more with each polish. At the same time, this wax film provides effective water and stain resistance.