At 03:14 PM 11/15/98 -0500, you wrote: >I am looking for information on a wax adherent that is in use in Germany I'm >told. don't know the name of the product, it is not a bleach type chemical , it >bonds with the gum resins and pollen particles when wax is filtered to make an >almost white wax. >Does anyone know what is called and a source for it? I tested such a product years ago. It was a heavy black soap type of material and it worked well but it also changed the chemical makeup of the bees wax making it into a product with no more value then petroleum wax. I do not believe it was ever marketed to the beeswax industry or beekeeping industry here in the US. The product I tested had no name, (don't quote me) but I believe it was supplied by Shell. Most beeswax refiners have their own commercial and secret process for bleaching wax. The safest and the one that preserves the natural quality of the beeswax is sun bleaching. If done right you can get white wax by sun bleaching and is possible in all areas of the world at reasonable costs. The 2nd most used process at least in use at one time was bleaching using acid and filtering using carbon or DE. Have not bothered keeping up with all this because the price of farm beeswax does not provide for further processing and there is good reason for this as value of bees wax to the buyer depends on his own use and most will not buy wax that has been altered by chemical treatments. Clean dark beeswax has the same value as light wax but does not always bring the same price but mostly close to it depending on the needs of the end user and volume of the wax. Much of the color in farm beeswax if from processing without adequate water to wash the honey residue from the wax that burns and discolors the wax. Beeswax should be as free of honey as it can be before melting in clean soft water. Water should be changed if discolered by honey remaining in the wax. I know many a one time used Brand type melters that actually heat the honey to melt the wax but that does not make it the best beeswax melting process unless carefully operated so the honey does not burn and darken the wax which really slows that system down. ttul, the OLd Drone http://beenet.com (c)Permission is given to copy this document in any form, or to print for any use. (w)OPINIONS are not necessarily facts. USE AT OWN RISK!