Zymol Titanium Glaze (226g) - What is Carnauba?
Carnauba is a vegetable wax (fat) obtained from the leaves of the Carnauba Palm. Carnauba has an affinity to water, the ability to retain oil and has excellent gloss properties making it applicable in a vast variety of industries. Carnauba is widely used in cosmetics, particularly in stick applications.
Carnauba is the hardest natural wax and lustrous composition, making it the leading choice for food coatings, pharmaceutical coatings and polishes. No.1 Grade Carnauba varies from a very pale yellow (white), through a greenish brown (yellow). The colour and quality are governed by the age of the leaves and the care used in processing the wax. In addition to colour, the wax is also graded according to area of origin - Parnahyba, Pious, Ceara and Bahai.
Carnauba Wax is exuded by the leaves of the Brazilian ´Tree of Life´ (Copernica Cerifera) to converse precious moisture. This ´Carnauba Palm´ grows in northern and north-eastern Brazil along the river banks, valleys and lagoons where the soil is dark and fertile. The tree needs very little water to grow, is very prolific and attains a height of 40-50 feet after fifty years.
The natives use the tree for many necessities in their lives; hence the name ´Tree of Life.´ Only in northern Brazil does the Carnauba Palm produce the wax.
Leaves containing the wax are cut off during the period from September to March. (This process in no endangers the tree.) The leaves are soaked in kerosene or turpentine to soften the wax, resulting in a thick liquid that is poured into moulds and allowed to solidify. The Carnauba ´Lumps´ are weighed and coded for sale to processors.
Being a natural plant by-product, that will not react with any paint, Carnauba provides a very hard film over your car's surface to protect against airborne contaminants such as acid rain residue, catalytic converter emissions, bug tar, road grime, salt and bird droppings. Carnauba swells and closes its pores when exposed to water. Carnauba also dramatically reduces paint oxidation by diffusing (refracting) UV and infrared radiation from the sun which can oxidize and dull your paint finish.