VOELPKER – a Family-owned Special Wax Producer with Innovative Strength

Interview with Dr. Lutz Matthies, Head of Business Development
Völpker Spezialprodukte GmbH

Dr. Matthies, with its 120 years of experience in manufacturing special waxes, Völpker Spezialprodukte GmbH is one of the longest established wax producers in Europe. Can you give us a brief presentation of the company?

VOELPKER is a successful medium-sized family business offering products that are used all over the world. Our slogan, ‘To make ideas work’, expresses the importance of innovation and customer focus as core values at VOELPKER. We offer our employees an attractive working environment and are a dependable partner to our customers. 

Historically, the company specialised solely in the production of montan wax. Classic applications in those days included carbon paper and floor polishes. Today, however, we have a contemporary product portfolio and new, highly successful business fields. Accordingly, our production lines are also continuing to develop all the time.

VOELPKER is successful in a variety of industrial sectors. Because of this, your website shows a range of waxes in different ‘series’. Could you perhaps give us a few key areas of focus here?

In recent years VOELPKER has expanded particularly in the field of additives for plastics. Because of their unique properties, the wax additives of the ‘Plastic series’ are used as high-performance, multi-functional additives in the plastics industry, and incidentally, are also used in recycling. They are used for purposes such as combination lubricants and dispersing aids, especially where the quality requirements are particularly high.

Our roots lie in household products, which we still represent today, along with new developments in the ‘Polish series’. Montan waxes are in high demand for traditional cleaning and polishing applications including leather, car and floor care. Good emulsifying qualities, high hardness and their particular capability for binding oils and solvents make these waxes into trusted components for product formulations. Our montan wax derivates also have relevance for the future; the latest research using OECD methods has demonstrated strikingly that montan ester waxes with suitable emulsifiers are easily biodegradable (OECD 301 B; >80%). Accordingly, they satisfy a market demand that is frequently sought after. And like our montan wax derivates, our new product developments, some of which have been patented, are often based on renewable raw materials (’Biobased series’), and are used in the premium sector with a comparable performance profile.

Waxes are frequently used in cosmetics formulations. Which VOELPKER waxes are used in the cosmetics segment?

In cosmetic formulations, the many INCI-listed montan waxes can optimise, say, the stability and texture of the formulation and can improve skin protection. Our montan wax derivates are there to be found under various INCI names such as C18-36 Acid Triglyceride (= CEVO^®-cos K-8650), C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester (WARADUR^® E) and Glyceryl Montanate (WARADUR^® GE). They can trigger an occlusion effect that reduces the evaporation of skin moisture and provides the skin with a protective, breathable film. This property can also enhance the protection given by cosmetic formulations against low temperatures and strong winds. In W/O emulsions, these functionalised waxes act to stabilise and to bind oils. In concentrations of over 1%, WARADUR® GE (INCI: Glyceryl Montanate), for example, can improve the long-term stability of cosmetics formulations and provide a soft feel to the skin. Typical applications are deodorant sticks, eye creams and sun lotions.

Are there also new developments here?

Patented, bio-based wax derivatives such as CEVO^®-cos K-4418 (INCI: Carnauba Acid wax Glycol Esters) and CEVO^®-cos K-4419 (INCI: Carnauba Acid Wax) are produced from renewable vegetable waxes. They are very similar to montan waxes in terms of their chain length and structure and are used in the same ways. The CEVO^®-cos waxes also include proprietary mixtures of ingredients that are cosmetics-compliant.

Where do you see the strengths of VOELPKER in terms of communication with your customers?

In our willingness to develop tailor-made solutions in cooperation with our customers. In speed, reliability and in the ease of access we offer to personal, competent points of contact.