Number one grade Carnauba
Number one grade Carnauba varies from a very pale yellow (so called ‘white’), through a greenish brown (yellow). It is the world’s purest, hardest and most transparent natural wax repellent derived from the Brazilian palm Copernia Cerefera. This wax coats the leaves and is hydrophobic; it forms a barrier that is a natural deterrent from acid rain, airborne pollutants and acidic bird excrement.
Its color is determined by the ages of the leaves when harvested, and ranges from pale yellow (new, unopened leaves) to a greenish brown (older leaves exposed to sun and weather).
There are various grades available (#1 Yellow and Yellow) the pale yellow wax (sometimes termed Ivory) has the highest clarity (very transparent) and is the highest grade of carnauba available, much sought after by concourse d’élégance entrants (See also Zymol website) A natural White Carnauba wax does not exist; this is just a marketing play on words to denote ‘purity’. In addition to colour, the wax is also graded according to area of origin—Parnahyba, Piaui, Ceara, and Bahai.
Carnauba in it's natural state is unusable as a car wax, it is sold as a hard solid block (or flakes) so the oils /solvent / beeswax or polymers that are formulated with it play a large role in the usability, performance and durability of the wax.
Carnauba wax when applied to a surface will not adhere properly on its own, nor does it form a molecular bond (only polymers do) solvents and miscible oils are added to enable it to spread evenly to the surface. Natural waxes initially adhere by surface tension; the balance of the adherence process is that it works its way via the carrier system (solvent and / or oils) into the microscopic gaps and valleys of the paint film surface thereby creating a mechanical anchor.
Wax can be thought of as semi-solid until the solvent carrier components outgas (evaporate) these wax molecules form an egg-grate type mesh over the smaller paint molecules of the paint film surface, which gives it an optical depth. Due to this shape the reflected light becomes somewhat distorted, this produces jetting sometimes described as jetting (the so-called wet-look) It is a property that creates a super rich shine with incredible depth and the illusion of wetness on the surface, the better the quality and volume of refined wax the more pronounced the effect of jetting. Carnauba wax is inherently hydroscopic when exposed to water; wax swells and closes its pores, which along with surface tension, causes `water beading'.(See also Wax, Durability, and Melting Point)