IGI anti-ozone waxes are recognized for their:

  • Ability to create anti-ozone waxes specifically designed to provide optimal level of protection for any operating environment
  • Consistency in supplying high-quality waxes under ISO9002 certification
  • Global technical and manufacturing presence with local offerings
  • New waxes that enable the end product to retain its showroom finish
  • Customization of wax blends to provide a long-term and wide temperature spectrum of ozone protection

Tire & Rubber Industries

Anti-ozone Waxes for the Tire & Rubber Industries

IGI is the global leader in the formulation and production of anti-ozone waxes for vehicle tires and rubber articles.

The driving force behind the superior quality, and performance of the Astor brand of anti-ozone waxes is our team of experienced rubber anti-ozonant wax technologists. The IGI team is engaged in the formulation of products each specifically designed for both the physical environment in which the final product will operate, and the economic factors that impact its commercial viability.

Today's tires operate under a broader range of temperatures and speeds, and they are expected to last longer, and retain their "showroom" appearance. We offer anti-ozone waxes optimized for specific conditions as well as those that are effective in broad or "global" temperature ranges. In addition, our products are designed to bloom to the surface in a controlled manner, thus offering the right level of protection, while maintaining good surface appearance as required by the customer. Today, IGI products are the waxes of choice for many major tire manufacturers in the western hemisphere.

Customized High Performance Solutions

Vehicle tires and rubber materials are subject to oxidation and, more seriously, from attack by ozone present in the air. Ozone is a naturally occurring "allotrope" or variant form of the element oxygen. While the ozone layer in Earth's upper atmosphere protects the planet's surface from excessive ultraviolet radiation, here on the ground, ozone itself is one of rubber's worst natural enemies. Ozone attacks the double bonds on the surface layer of compounds based on natural rubber, butadiene and SBR, causing dangerous cracks to form.1 Crack growth or "perishing" continues and worsens as ozone attack occurs, and this is hastened by factors like strain and temperature, until complete product failure occurs. Ozone attack can inflict significant damage upon and even destroy a rubber product within a matter of months. In regions of extreme temperature (hot or cold) or in areas with heavy air pollution, this process can be accelerated.

Our findings, which are supported by published literature, on the rate of ozone-induced cracking of cured rubber compound indicate that ambient and operating temperature conditions are critical factors that determine the useful life of the rubber article.1;2 Furthermore, cured rubber can exhibit a bimodal ozone susceptibility with respect to temperature. Two peaks, one at 5°C - 10°C and the other at 40°C - 45°C are observed, with a fairly broad trough in ozone activity between the 15°C to 35°C temperature range.²

These facts underline the need for a carefully formulated anti-ozone wax designed to bloom to the surface of the rubber over the temperature range at which ozone is active. Furthermore, the anti-ozone wax blend must be formulated with the appropriate mix of normal-paraffins, iso-paraffins and microcrystalline wax components which migrate at different temperatures and rates.

So, while straight-cut or unblended paraffin waxes offer some measure of anti-ozone protection, the operating temperatures at which this protection is offered is very limited. This can result in increased wear and tear and unsightly appearance due to excessive blooming, which leads to reduced service life of the tire. Hence the use of a suitably formulated wax blends in tire and rubber applications is a necessity in order to provide anti-ozone protection when it is needed most. In practice petroleum waxes are used in conjunction with chemical anti-ozonants to provide ozone protection under conditions of dynamic stress. To obtain maximum synergy the wax blend has to be designed to function optimally in the environment that the end product will meet in its working life.