Manufacturer of highly refined waxes, petroleum jellies and wax dispersions for industrial and pharmaceutical applications.
Hywax GmbH
Hamburg (Worthdamm) · Hamburg (Wittenstraße) · Birkenhead, UK · Linz, ATNew on Amplifa
About Hywax
Hywax GmbH, headquartered at Worthdamm in the Port of Hamburg, develops and produces highly refined waxes and wax products: paraffin waxes, micro waxes, hydrogenated synthetic Fischer-Tropsch waxes, white and yellow petroleum jellies, as well as wax dispersions and oil emulsions. The process portfolio includes de-oiling through sweating, three hydrogenation plants (G-, H- and I-Station) and, since 2024, the world's first plant for producing highly refined MOAH-free micro waxes. Highly refined grades meet the specifications for food contact, cosmetics and pharma. The products serve as performance additives in, among other things, adhesives, printing inks and coatings, bitumen, polymers, textiles, tires and rubber, paper and packaging, and construction materials. In addition to the two Hamburg sites, plants in Birkenhead (UK) and Linz (Austria) produce wax dispersions. Founded in 1878 and part of the AWAX Group since 2022, the company sells worldwide with its own research and development for custom wax formulations (Custom Blends).
- Site
- Hamburg
- Processes
- Production of hydrogenated synthetic Fischer-Tropsch waxes (FT), Production of highly refined paraffin waxes, Production of micro waxes, Production of petroleum jellies (white and yellow pharmaceutical vaseline, technical jellies), Production of wax dispersions and oil emulsions, De-oiling through sweating, Hydrogenation (G-, H- and I-Station), Production of highly refined MOAH-free micro waxes
- Materials
- Fischer-Tropsch wax (hydrogenated, synthetic), Paraffin wax, Micro wax, Petroleum Jelly / Vaseline (white and yellow), Wax dispersions and oil emulsions, FT-Hard Paraffin Wax, White Oil
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 50001:2018, Halal, Kosher, OK Compost Industrial, OK Compost Industrial (TÜV Austria)
- Founded
- 1878
- Industries
- Adhesives, Asphalt additives, Candles & lighting, Construction boards & wood, Food & agriculture, Printing inks, paints & coatings
- 01
Research & Development (Custom Blends)
- 02
Refining / de-oiling through sweating
- 03
Hydrogenation (G-, H-, I-Station)
- 04
Production of wax dispersions and oil emulsions
- 05
Quality control
- 06
Worldwide distribution
Products & Processes
Fischer-Tropsch wax (hydrogenated, synthetic)
Saturated, straight-chain hydrocarbons produced from carbon monoxide and hydrogen with high purity; used as an additive in adhesives, paints, bitumen and polymers.
Paraffin wax
Highly refined grades that meet specifications for food contact, cosmetics and pharma.
Micro wax
Versatile use in cosmetics, chewing gum, packaging, pharma and technical applications; since 2024 also MOAH-free at the highest purity.
Petroleum Jelly / Vaseline (white and yellow)
Pharmaceutical qualities for cosmetics, personal care and pharma as well as technical jellies for industrial applications.
Wax dispersions and oil emulsions
For the hydrophobization of construction materials as well as lubricating and dust-binding additives on fast-running production lines.
White Oil
Highly refined white oil, kosher-certified and listed in the product range.
Sites
Hamburg (Worthdamm)
DEHeadquarters; research & development, production, sales and marketing of paraffin waxes, micro waxes, FT waxes,
- Materials
- Paraffin wax, micro wax, FT waxes, petroleum jelly
- Hydrogenation plant G-Station (1960, upgraded in 2018 for FT waxes)
- Hydrogenation plant H-Station (1992)
- Hydrogenation plant I-Station (2009)
- De-oiling plant through sweating (1951)
- Plant for MOAH-free micro waxes (2024)
- Gas turbine combined heat and power plant (2014)
Hamburg (Wittenstraße)
DEProduction of wax dispersions, research and development
- Materials
- Wax dispersions, oil emulsions
Birkenhead
GBProduction of wax dispersions (Plant Birkenhead)
- Materials
- Wax dispersions
Linz
ATProduction of wax dispersions (Linz branch)
- Materials
- Wax dispersions
Product Groups
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production of hydrogenated synthetic Fischer-Tropsch waxes (FT)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Fischer-Tropsch waxes |
| Production of highly refined paraffin waxesPlastics | – | – | – | – | Paraffin wax |
| Production of micro waxesPlastics | – | – | – | – | Micro wax |
| Production of petroleum jellies (white and yellow pharmaceutical vaseline, technical jellies)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Petroleum Jelly / Vaseline |
| Production of wax dispersions and oil emulsionsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Wax dispersions, Oil emulsions |
| De-oiling through sweatingSurface | – | – | – | – | Paraffin wax, Micro wax |
| Hydrogenation (G-, H- and I-Station)Surface | – | – | – | – | Petroleum Jelly / Vaseline, Micro wax, Fischer-Tropsch waxes |
| Production of highly refined MOAH-free micro waxesPlastics | – | – | – | – | Micro wax |
| Research & development of highly refined waxes and custom blendsEngineering | – | – | – | – | Waxes, Custom wax blends |
| Production of paraffin wax blendsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Paraffin wax blends |
9 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogenation plant (G-Station, 1960; upgraded in 2018 for FT wax production) | G-Station | 1 | – | 1960 | Hamburg (Worthdamm) |
| Hydrogenation plant | H-Station | 1 | – | 1992 | Hamburg |
| Hydrogenation plant | I-Station | 1 | – | 2009 | Hamburg |
| De-oiling plant through sweating (first in Europe) | – | 1 | – | 1951 | Hamburg (Worthdamm) |
| Plant for producing highly refined MOAH-free micro waxes (first worldwide) | – | 1 | – | 2024 | Hamburg |
| Gas turbine combined heat and power plant | – | 1 | – | 2014 | Hamburg (both sites, steam for Worthdamm) |
| Wax dispersion production site | – | – | – | – | Birkenhead, UK (Wallasey Bridge Road) |
| Wax dispersion production site | – | – | – | – | Linz, Austria (Lunzerstr. 110) |
| Wax dispersion production and R&D site | – | – | – | – | Hamburg, Wittenstr. 7 |
Additional services
Quality & Certifications
Continuous quality controls ensure consistently high standards across all product lines; the management system is certified to ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 50001, and Halal, Kosher and OK Compost Industrial certifications are also in place.
| Evidence | Hamburg (Worthdamm) | Hamburg (Wittenstraße) | Birkenhead | Linz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | ||||
| ISO 14001:2015 | ||||
| ISO 45001:2018 | ||||
| ISO 50001:2018 | ||||
| Halal | ||||
| Kosher | ||||
| OK Compost Industrial (TÜV Austria) |
Company History
- 1878
Foundation of the 'Deutsche Virginia-Vaseline-Fabrik Carl Hellfrisch & Co.' in Offenbach
- 1929
New owner Otto Schünmann relocates the company to Hamburg
- 1942
Hans-Otto Schünmann founds the petroleum jelly refinery
- 1947
Construction of the new production plant in the Port of Hamburg (Worthdamm)
- 1951
Commissioning of Europe's first 'de-oiling through sweating' plant; production of fully refined waxes
- 1960
Construction of the hydrogenation plant for petroleum jelly and micro waxes (G-Station)
- 1992
Second hydrogenation plant (H-Station) commissioned in Hamburg
- 1995
Foundation of SCHÜMANN SASOL International AG (joint venture Hans-Otto Schümann Group / Sasol Chemical Industries)
- 2001
SCHÜMANN SASOL becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Sasol Ltd., renaming to Sasol Wax International AG
- 2003
Acquisition of the Birkenhead (UK) and Linz (Austria) sites
- 2007
Sasol Wax sells its 31.3% stake in Paramelt to Schümann Wax
- 2009
Commissioning of the third hydrogenation plant (I-Station), +25 % production capacity
- 2014
Installation of a gas turbine power plant for both Hamburg sites
- 2018
Upgrade of the G-Station for the production of FT waxes
- 2022
Acquisition by the AWAX Group; rebranding from Sasol Wax to Hywax
- 2024
First plant worldwide for producing highly refined MOAH-free micro waxes