NRDCTechnology offer-WAX EMULSION

PLANT PARAMETERS
Capacity, Gallons. PA	30,000
No. of shifts / day	3
Working days / Yr	300
Covered Area, m2	200
MANPOWER
Managerial	1
Skilled	1
Unskilled	5
RAW MATERIAL
Sugar cane wax	Oleic acid
Carnauba wax	Triethanolamine
Paraffin wax	Ammonia.
UTILITIES
Power	Process water
PLANT & MACHINERY
Wax emulsion unit	Stirrer
Jacketed S.S.round bottom tank	M.S.Tank
Exhaust fan	Pump

Extension in storage life of easily perishable fruits/vegetables is an important aspect for a county with tropical climatic conditions. The fruits/vegetable have to remain in fresh and marketable condition with minimum decay for longer period of time. Wax emulsion when applied to fresh, healthy, mature fruits/vegetables protects them against excessive moisture loss, higher respiration rate, heat build up and thermal decomposition. As a result, the texture and quality of the fresh produce will be maintained as near to the fresh condition as possible for a long time. Wax emulsion is mainly used for preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables and extending their storage life. The coating of wax emulsion on the fruits and vegetables has the following characteristics:

It is invisible to the naked eye.
It does not interfere with the natural appearance, colour, flavour and quality of fruits/vegetables.
It reduces moisture loss and helps fruits/vegetables retain their external texture.
Storage life of fruits/vegetables is extended by 50-100% at ambient and low temperatures.
It is economical and non-hazardous.
It imparts shine and gloss to the commodity.
It protects the fruits and vegetables from organisms causing fungal decay when proper fungicides are used in the required concentration in the emulsion.

PROCESS

The waxes are weighed, melted and necessary quantity of emulsifiers added at controlled temperatures. Boiling water is then added until water-wax emulsion (O/W type) is ready. The hot wax emulsion is then cooled by running cold soft water and the volume of the wax emulsion made up with cold soft water. The cooled wax emulsion is then dispensed into containers and stored at room temperatures. The wax emulsion is stable and does not deteriorate between 10oC and 100oC for a period of 9-12 months. The water wax emulsion once frozen cannot to thawed out.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

The concentrated wax emulsion with 12% solids should not precipitate out even when diluted with 0.5% of soft cold water.

On removal of water from the wax emulsion oven at 80oC the solids should register not less than 12% and not more than 13%.
Viscosity - 5.5 to 6.0 CPS, pH-9.0 to 9.4

NRDC
National Research Development Corporation, a Government of India Enterprise, is a premier technology transfer Corporation with four decades of experience. It has helped establish over one thousand projects in the small and medium scale sector. The supply of technologies and services to entrepreneurs extend both in the developing and developed countries like USA, Germany, Malaysia , Burma , Nepal, Senegal, Madagascar, Indonesia Philippines, Vietnam, Lanka, Kenya, Brazil, Bangladesh and Egypt.