Making wax from soy involves processing harvested soybeans through several key steps, primarily focused on extracting and modifying the soybean oil. Soy wax is classified as a vegetable wax derived specifically from soybean oil.
The Process of Making Soy Wax
The transformation from a harvested soybean to solid wax is a detailed industrial process. Based on the provided information, the fundamental steps are as follows:
- Harvesting: Soybeans are grown and harvested.
- Preparation: The harvested beans undergo initial cleaning to remove debris.
- Cracking and De-hulling: The clean beans are cracked open, and the outer hulls are removed.
- Flaking: The de-hulled soybeans are then rolled into thin flakes. This increases the surface area, making the oil extraction process more efficient.
- Oil Extraction: Oil is extracted from these soybean flakes. This is typically done using a solvent or mechanical pressing.
- Hydrogenation: This is a crucial step where the extracted soybean oil is hydrogenated. This process involves reacting the oil with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalyst. Hydrogenation alters the fatty acid composition of the oil, changing its melting point from liquid at room temperature to a solid or semi-solid state, thus creating the wax.
Here is a simple breakdown of the core steps derived from the reference:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Cleaning | Removing debris from harvested beans. |
| Cracking & De-hulling | Breaking beans and removing outer shells. |
| Rolling | Flattening beans into flakes. |
| Oil Extraction | Separating oil from flakes. |
| Hydrogenation | Modifying oil to a solid/semi-solid state. |
Essentially, soy wax is created by taking liquid soybean oil and chemically modifying it through hydrogenation to make it solid enough to be used as a wax.
This process results in a natural, renewable wax widely used in candles, cosmetics, and other products. The exact properties of the final wax (like melting point and hardness) can be controlled by varying the degree of hydrogenation.
