Eco-Wax & Fragrances
From brine washes and walnut shell purification to extracting fragrant essences and crafting our first liquid candle prototype, our journey at ISEP was a blend of scientific rigor and innovative breakthroughs, culminating in a product we proudly call our "first child."
4/2024
At ISEP, we started washing the filtered oil using a brine solution, followed by decantation and separation of the washed oil. Using a brine solution, we placed the oil in a separatory funnel to release the impurities present in the oil.
We proceeded with chemical filtration and began extracting natural essences by adding ethanol. We prepared alcoholic extracts of thyme, lavender, rosemary, and cinnamon. For our main essence, orange, we changed the technique to ethanol addition due to the higher volume of results. We performed the maceration of orange peels to extract oil, although in almost negligible quantities. After a week, we filtered the extracts for evaporation and prepared small samples to present on the day of the competition.
5/2024
Professor Cristina kindly crushed the walnut shells, which would be necessary for the next phase of the project. We started purifying the washed oil using crushed walnut shells, previously prepared by the professors at ISEP. We also experimented with filtering and washing different types of oils to anticipate more realistic results; however, the oil brought was in very poor condition, so the results were only reasonable.
After seven months of research and hard work at ISEP, we finally had our first prototype (liquid) in our hands – the one we often referred to as our first child.
