Can Carnauba waxes 'melt off'?

Texas Dave

Texas Dave

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Somewhere on another forum or webpage I read that Carnauba wax's melting point is somewhere in the 180 F range.

I'm in Texas, and I could easily see the hood of my car reaching those temperatures during some of our hotter days.

Will applied carnauba waxes such as Natty's Red, Fuzion, or Souveran break down any at these temperatures, causing you to lose the carnauba gloss and protection benefits? Or will the polymers mixed with some of them help stabilize them?

Just curious.

Thanks
 
I've heard of some people mentioning things like this, but never seen it first hand or seen any proof backing it up. I've had dark green and black cars and carnauba did not seem to last nearly as long as some sealants, but I wouldn't say it "melted" off.
 
Short answer - Yes

There is no standard answer to how long a car wax will last. There are many variables that influence the durability of wax such as: type and colour of paint, condition of paint, environmental conditions, and hours kept outdoors, quality of wax used, and how often the car is washed. Through dissipation Carnauba wax are limited in their protecting capabilities. More specifically, these wax compounds have a melting point of 183 degrees F when the temperature of the painted surface exceeds the melting point of the compound applied thereon; the waxes will melt from a hard wax to oil.


When this occurs, the waxes are easily washed off and, more importantly, will pick up dust particles and other air pollutants. In actual practice, the temperature frequently leads to melting of the wax compounds (which also contains solvents and sometime Beeswax (130oF low melting points).
For example, painted surfaces exposed to ambient temperatures of 80 oF in direct sunlight, will rise up to a temperature of 185oF or more. Consequently, the extremely fine film of wax covering the peaks of the painted surface is very quickly dissipated, leaving them exposed to the elements to become oxidized. If the paint finishes contain silver or aluminium metallic particles, then the wax coatings would provide little or no protection, since the metallic particles retain more heat and, therefore, rapidly destroy the protection of the waxes.


Fracture/evaporation temperatures- Polymers (including Acrylic polymers i.e. Klasse) 350 °F, Silicone oil 350 °F, Mineral oils 200 °F, Synthetic blends (Carnauba wax / polymers) 200 °F, Carnauba wax 183 °F, and Bee’s wax 130 °F in actual practice the high temperatures frequently encountered by vehicles from the radiation causes wax compounds to melt, for example, a painted surfaces exposed to ambient temperatures of 85 °F in direct sunlight, will obtain a temperature of 195 °F or more. It should be noted that there is a range of temperatures at which melting begins and that the 'melting point' is the end point of that range
 
Well, that pretty much answers my questions.

Guess I'll be sticking to sealants like Wolfgang Paint Sealant 3.0, and reserving a top coat of Carnauba based wax for shows and sepcial occasions.

My car's kept out side all the time, and is only covered when waxing :(
 
As offered it depends on the temperature, color of the color, and polymers added to the wax. Durability will be diminished and thus why I use a combo or sealant only during the summers and Souveran Paste in Fall/Winter.
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
As offered it depends on the temperature, color of the color, and polymers added to the wax. Durability will be diminished and thus why I use a combo or sealant only during the summers and Souveran Paste in Fall/Winter.
Click to expand...
:iagree::whs:however, my situation is based strickly on weather. My car is parked outside at night and during winter months it is almost impossible to lay down a sealant with no rain or moisture for 12 hrs. By using a nuba my problem is solved. During the dry summer months I use only sealants.
 
Well I've been using Meguiar's NXT 2.0 paste. Probably stick with that till I run out since I just bought it. But will be getting some Natty's Red because of the BOGO special right now. Use it as a top coat for gloss :)
Thanks for all the info guys.
 
Rsurfer-

If you cannot get a 12 hour cure due to the car being outside....you might try Collinite (1 hr. cure) or a sealant that cures quickly...GlossFinish comes to mind.
 
I'm an old school carnauba guy, but durability issues (like the one in this thread) have turned me to a few of the sealants that leave a carnauba look. WGS3.0, UPP, GlossFinish, and Swax are the ones I use and provide good protection plus depth, gloss and wetness.
 
What about engine heat? Driving a car on a hot day makes the hood of the vehicle burning hot.
 
It's not like you're going to wake up one morning and find a pool of wax around your car. The heat (and time) will make the wax soften and partly evaporate. Driving the car in the heat will quicken the wax disappearing act. Washing the car will remove some wax. Sometimes I think breathing near the car will remove some wax!
All I use lately is sealant, for the durability factor. I suppose if I were entered in a car show I might use wax, but it's sealant for the win for me.
BTW, some "waxes" contain some or all polymers, (sealants), and those of course will last much longer.
According to my calculations via a calculator, a ruler, and wite-out, a wax will last about 6 weeks on a daily driver. YMMV, depending on driving time, garage time, the weather, wash frequency, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
 
A 'Melting Point' is not selective, temperature from any source will have the same effect...
 
heatgain said:
It's not like you're going to wake up one morning and find a pool of wax around your car. The heat (and time) will make the wax soften and partly evaporate. Driving the car in the heat will quicken the wax disappearing act. Washing the car will remove some wax. Sometimes I think breathing near the car will remove some wax!
All I use lately is sealant, for the durability factor. I suppose if I were entered in a car show I might use wax, but it's sealant for the win for me.
BTW, some "waxes" contain some or all polymers, (sealants), and those of course will last much longer.
According to my calculations via a calculator, a ruler, and wite-out, a wax will last about 6 weeks on a daily driver. YMMV, depending on driving time, garage time, the weather, wash frequency, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Click to expand...

You forgot how the price of rice in china factors in as well.
 
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