Expansion Wax

This wax expands by about 15 percent when melted, then contracts as it cools down and solidifies. The wax can be tailored to melt within a narrow temperature range, and it can withstand thousands of expansion cycles without suffering critical property degradation.

Used for:
Expansion wax is used as the driving element in thermal wax actuators, which exert a mechanical force as the temperature rises. The principal application is in thermostats used in automotive engine cooling systems. The wax actuators are also used for safety valves for heated water tanks.

Details:
The wax is available with activation temperatures between 17°C and 104°C, but the company producing the wax can also tailor the melting point and expansion characteristics to specific applications. 

The sample:
The sample we have is fully melted and expanded at 87°C. You can get:

• A few grams, which can be used to get a feel for the material
• 50 grams for experiments