Raw Materials

Alcohol (ALCOHOL DENAT)

Produced by the fermentation of starch containing vegetables, e.g. potatoes, followed by distillation.

Alum (ALUMINIUM SULFATE)

A white, crystallised powder made from potassium and aluminium sulphate used in the manufacture of vegetable paints.

Aluminium silicate

Aqueous alumina naturally formed by weathering of rock rich in aluminium or fine, mineral filler with pigment properties produced by technical precipitation.

Amino soap

Ammonium compounds modified by organic components. Facilitate the integration of binders into water-based products.

Ammonium soap

Raw materials like beeswax, oils and resins are saponified with liquid ammonia in dedicated boilers. It serves as a natural wetting agent in pigments or as binding agent.

Asparagic acid (TETRASODIUM IMIDOSUCCINATE)

This protein component can easily be biologically degraded. It is found in shells where it regulates the formation of the calcite shells. It is used as a stabilizing agent.

Balsamic turpentine

Balsamic turpentine should not be confused with the petrochemically derived turpentine used as solvent substitute that is also known as ‘white spirit’. Balsamic turpentine is won by water vapour distillation from various species of pine all around the world. Balsamic turpentine is a fluid plant oil with a fresh, slightly resinous scent. It is used in paints and varnishes as thinning agent but also as bath supplement and for medicinal applications.

Beeswax (CERA ALBA)

Pure, unbleached, ductile beeswax from best provenances, controlled low residue level.

Bergamot oil (CITRUS AURANTIUM BERGAMIA FRUIT OIL)

Pure ethereal, yellowish oil from the fruit skin of the Bergamot tree (Citris bergamia), used as scent.

Bovine gall

Spray-dried powder. Thanks to its high content in bile acids, lecithins and enzymes, it is recommended as concentrate for local stain removal which is gentle on fibres.

Calcareous spar (CALCITE)

Natural appearance of calcium carbonate (like chalk). Available from most finely ground to coarse grain size. Filler for lacquers, wall paints, plaster and adhesives.

Calcium hydroxide

Slaked lime in powder form. Produced by the baking of chalk followed by hydration. Already used as binder for lime mortar and lime paints in ancient times.

Camomile blossom essence

Produced from camomile by alcohol extraction, protects the skin

Carnauba wax (COPERNICA CERIFERA CERA)

Hard, water-repellent wax obtained from a Brazilian palm tree species. The leaves of these tall palm trees are cut (they constantly grow again), the wax is liquefied by boiling in water, skimmed off the top and cleaned physically (with bleaching earths). Thanks to its particular hardness, this wax enhances the mechanical resistance of all soft waxes.

Castor oil (RICINUS COMMUNIS SEED OI)

Valuable, dryable binding agent from ricinus oil, i.e. from the seeds of the subtropical ricinus shrub, a thickly boiled stand oil produced by means of dehydration (elimination of water).

Castor oil as amino soap

Catechu (ACACIA CARECHU BARK POWDER)

Thickened juice extract from the heartwood of the Indian Acacia catechu. Catechu is used in brown to black vegetable paints.

Cellulose (CELLULOSE)

Stabilizing agent and organic cell-fibre filling agent made from wood cellulose by chemical pulping. Serves as simple adhesive in AURO Wallpaper paste and distemper, but also as emulsifier and thickening agent in paints and adhesives for better processing control.

Cembra oil (PINUS SYLVESTRIS CONE OIL)

A water light oil of the Swiss pine with strong but flavoursome odour.

Chalk (CALCIUM CARBONATE)

Natural calcium carbonate from best sites, (e.g. the nearby region ‘Hildesheim Börde’), finely ground and elutriated, therefore high whitening power and grain fineness.

Chlorophyll (COPPER COMPLEXES OF CHLOROPHYLLS AND CHLOROPHYLLINS)

Pigment made from the dye of leaf green. The green dyestuff from plant leaves is used as copper complex in vegetable paints and Easter egg paints.

Chrome oxide green (CHROMIUM OXIDE GREENS)

Green mineral pigment made from chromium ores. Its production has negative environmental impacts but there is no alternative yet. In contrast to so-called chromium (VI) compounds, it is insoluble and therefore non toxic.

Citrate (SODIUM CITRATE)

Sodium or potassium salt of citric acid.

Citric acid (CITRIC ACID)

Natural fruit acid in citrus fruits with good lime dissolving and water softening effect; made from molasses by means of fermentation.

Citrus oil, lime oil (CITRUS LEMON FRUIT OIL, CITRUS LEMON FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA OIL)

Genuine ethereal, yellowish oils from lemons and limes, used as scents.

Clay (CLAY)

A mixture of clay, silt and sand that results from the weathering of rocks. It is one of the oldest mineral building materials and has a moisture regulating effect.

Cochineal (COCHINEAL)

Red colorant, carminic acid, produced by scale insects which live on cactuses domiciled on the Canary Isles and in Mexico. It gives vegetable paint pigments a slightly bluish red colour shade. This raw material has a red to violet dyeing effect and is used as food colouring and in Easter egg paints.

Coconut oil (kbA)

Coconut oil, also called coconut fat. This vegetable oil is won from the coconut in kbA quality ((‘certified organic’) and saponified with alcaline solutions into coconut oil soap at our own facilities.

Colophony glycerol ester

Natural resin colophony is modified with the fat glycerine in a boiling process on the basis of a special method. The result is a binder with very good weather resistance and elasticity.

Cork

Dermal tissue formed by almost any green plant on its subterranean and superterranean parts. Only the very thick cork layer of the cork oak (Quercus suber) domiciled in Mediterranean countries is of economic use. It is used in coarsely to finely ground state.

Curcuma (CURCUMA)

Plant from the ginger family with an intensive yellow flesh that is used, in fresh or dried state, as spice or colourant.

Dammar (SHOREA ROBUSTA RESIN)

One of the most valuable and beautiful vegetable resins on earth. Its name is derived from the Malaysian word for “cat eye”. It is very light-coloured and low in yellowing. Its tree of origin on Sumatra also supplies Meranti wood. The cultivation of dammar resin enables the inhabitants of Sumatra to sustainably use the tropic forest without destroying it. The use of dammar thus actively combats the depletion of tropical forests.

Drying agents, metal soaps

Auxiliaries, metal soaps made from minerals of calcium, zirconium, ferrum or manganese for reducing the drying times of vegetable oils.

Essential oils

Essential oils are the volatile components of plants, fruits and herbs, won by distillation.

Ethanol (5%)

Eucalyptus oil (EUCALYPTUS GLOBUKLUS LEAF OIL)

Ethereal oil with slightly preserving effect made from the leaves of the Australian Eucalyptus tree, produced by water vapour distillation.

Fatty acids

As sodium or potassium salts, consisting of hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts, these mainly plant-based auxiliary agents are used as dissolving intermediary, e.g. to emulsify oil in water.

Fatty alcohol sulfate

Fatty alcohol, won mainly from the reaction of coconut oil with sulphor oxide and caustic soda lye; used as raw material in washing agents.

Glycerine

Polyvalent alcohol, component of all animal and vegetable fats, produced by separation of fatty acids. AURO only uses glycerine of purely vegetable origin.

Hydrogen peroxide (HYDROGEN PEROXIDE)

Due to its strong capability to release oxygen, this compound of hydrogen and oxygen is well-suited as desinfectant.

Hydrogen peroxide (4%)

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Indigotine (INDIGOFERA TINCTORIA)

Extract produced by fermentation of the Bengal indigo plant. It was already used as dye 4,000 years ago. Serves as blue vegetable paint pigment and is used for natural egg colouring.

Iron oxide pigments

Extremely finely dispersed, highly transparent pigments with excellent UV protection and good weather resistance which are especially used in stains.

Jojoba oil

This oil-like plant wax from the seeds of the Jojoba brush is mainly used as protective and caring component in cosmetics and care products.

Kaolin (KAOLIN)

Natural clay mineral (china clay, an alumina silicate). Filler for wall paints, plaster, lacquers. Base component for chinaware.

Lactic acid (LACTIC ACID)

This acid produced by fermentaion of sugar by means of lactic acid bacteria is effective against limescale on dishes or glasses.

Lactic casein

Flocculated milk protein made from cow’s milk by acidification after separating the fat. Valuable binder and emulsifier used in paints and adhesives. For this purpose it is pulped with mild alkalines (borax) to form casein paste.

Larch resin balsam

An ethereal balsam resin produced by drilling into the larch tree trunks. It is colourless, smells of terpene and serves as scent and binder.

Lavender oil (LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA OIL, LAVANDULA HYBRIDA OIL)

Water vapour distilled oil of the lavender plant domiciled in Mediterranean countries.

Lecithin (LECITHIN)

Natural phospholipid made from soy beans by hot water extraction which promotes wetting and emulsification.

Lemon grass oil (CYMBOPOGON SCHOENANTUS OIL)

Distillate from the ethereal oil of the East Indian tropical grass Andropogon flexuosus.

Linseed oil (LINUM USITATISSIMUM SEED OIL)

Fatty seed oil of the linseed plant, produced by cold and warm pressing followed by gentle desliming and physical discolouring. As thickly boiled stand oil, it is a valuable binder component which provides high elasticity and creep. It comes partly from regional, improved conventional and controlled biological cultivation.

Linseed oil as amino soap

Linseed oil as potassium soap

Linseed oil fatty acid

Fatty acid produced naturally from linseed oil by the separation of glycerine which helps to wet pigments.

Liquid ammonia (AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE)

Alkaline solution of ammonia in water, used for making special, water-dilutable resin, wax and oil soaps, so-called ammonia soaps.

Liquid ammonia

Logwood extract (HAEMATOXYLEN CAMPECHIANUM WOOD EXTRACT)

Produced from the heartwood of trees cultivated in plantations, used for dyeing, its colour range covers blue and violet black shades.

Madder (RUBIA TINCTORUM ROOT)

Colorant with a high content in red dye from central Europe, Turkey and Iran which is used as red pigment in colour wash plant paints.

Milk casein

Mineral Fillers

Mineral pigments

Inorganic pigments like natural earth paints, synthetic iron oxide pigments, e.g. ochre, English red, Persian red, earth black, and selected mineral paints such as ultramarine and chromium green.

Natural gypsum (CALCIUM SULFATE)

Natural gypsum from deposits in the nearby Harz region. Germany.

Natural rubber milk (RUBBER LATEX))

Chyle produced by cutting through the bark of rubber trees cultivated in South East Asia. The highly concentrated natural dispersion of natural rubber (caoutchouc) in water is mainly used as a binder in adhesives. Contains a little liquid ammonia to prevent flocculation during transport.

Non-ionic sugar surfactants

Norbixin

Norbixin is the designation for the colourant won from the Achiote bush. The seeds are finely ground, the resulting versatile red colourant is used for food colouring, in cosmetics, colour wash plant glazes and in Easter egg paints.

Orange oil (CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS PEEL OIL EXPRESSED)

Ethereal oil produced during the manufacture of orange juice. The distilled, highly fragrant components are used in the perfume industry and for aroma therapy. The “terpene lyes” of weaker fragrance are used as solvents in resins and oils.

Orange terpene (D-, L-LIMONENE)

Essential oil that is generated as a byproduct of camphor production. The distilled-off, highly fragrant parts are used in the perfume industry and in aromatherapy. The lesser fragrant terpene bases are used as solvents for resins and oils.

Organic acids

Carbon compounds with slightly acidic properties (as opposed to known mineral acids such as sulphuric acid). In combination with AURO binders based on vegetable resins and oils, organic acids improve the application-related properties of coating materials.

Oxygen based bleaching agent (less than 5%)

Palm Kernel Fat (POTASSIUM PALMKERNEATE)

Aus den Samen (Fruchtkernen) der Ölpalme kontrolliert biologisch gewonnenes, farbloses Fett, welches als Nebenprodukt bei der Palmölproduktion anfällt.

Pine terpene alcohol (PINUS PALUS TRIS OIL)

High-boiling fractions from the distillation of pine balsam terpene oil following catalytic water addition.

Plant colour alumina pigment

Coloured pigments for artist and wall paints made on the basis of a dedicated method. The colorants (reseda, madder, indigo, cochineal, leaf green, catechu, logwood, etc.) are extracted with water adding alum. The pigment is then precipitated as alumina coloured lacquer with lyes, filtered and washed. A laborious process which provides harmonically bright colour shades which sometimes take many days to develop.

Potash (POTTASSIUM CARBONATE)

Mild alkali formerly lixiviated from potash, today produced by the conversion of sodium carbonate with potash soaps. Used for the saponification of vegetable waxes, resins and oils.

Potassium lye (POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE)

Strong alkali for the saponification of vegetable oils and fats to generate wash active substances. Made from potassium chloride and water by electrolysis.

Potassium silicate

Finely dispersed solution of silicates, silicic acids in water which is produced by smelting quartz sand and potash. Used as binding agent in paints and to minimize the cloudiness of juices and wines.

Potassium sorbate

The salt of the sorbic acid that is found, for example, in unripe fruits is used for the stabilization of water-soluble products and food.

Precipitated silicate (SODIUM SILICATE)

A mineral similar to swelling clay but produced by precipitation. The silicate particles are positioned in sheets. Precipitated silicate has a high binding capacity for calcium and is thus the main ingredient of our softener component.

Quartz sand (QUARZ)

Crystalline silicic acid, silicium dioxide, one of the most frequent minerals of the earth’s crust. This chemically very hard-wearing material which forms during the weathering process of eruptive rock has a virtually unlimited availability.

Replebin

Replebin® is an innovative, biogenic binding agent, developed by AURO in a sophisticated research project that lasted over several years. Replebin®consists of plant alcohol ester with organic acids. The innovative binding agent is legally protected and available exclusively from AURO.

Reseda (RESEDA LUTEOLA EXTRACT)

Dye plant (dyer’s weed) for making yellow vegetable paint pigment.

Rosemary oil (ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS LEAF OIL)

Ethereal oil produced from the leaves of real rosemary by water vapour distillation.

Safflower oil

Drying oil made from the fatty seed oil of the Safflower thistle, thickened by boiling to form a low-yellowing binder component.

Salicylic acid (SALICYLIC ACID)

This material is part of many plants and can be extracted, for example, from willow bark. Because of its germ-repelling characteristics it is a good preservative.

Salt (SODIUM CHLORIDE)

Undenaturated, pure rock salt (sodium chloride) without free flow agents for the prevention of scale deposits in dishwashers.

Salt cake

This salt for the use in plant paints and washing agents is made from sodium chloride and sulphuric acid.

Shellac (SHELLAC)

Resinous substance produced by lac insects (Laccifer lacca) living on trees domiciled in India. The resin encrustations are removed from the tree branches, filtered hot through cloths and bleached – not chemically but purely physically by AURO. Elastic binder for quick-drying lacquers.

Silicate

Silicic acid (HYDRATED SILICA)

Finely dispersed silicic acids without crystalline (quartz) structure made from quartz sand and lime by flame hydrolysis. Used as matting filler or as filter agent and binder additive in silicic brines.

Silver

Silver, finely dispersed in water, as an auxiliary agent for the preservation of aqueous products.

Soaps (POTASSIUM SOAP)

Fats, oils and resins, e.g. from seeds of the coconut palm, sunflower seeds, linseed oil, soybean oil, the crushed seeds of oil palms, the seeds of Brassica napus (turnip rape) or the subtropical ricinus shrubs (ricinus communis), are gently saponified with caustic potash solution, soda lye or ammonia solution in dedicated facilities. Part of the raw materials come from controlled biological cultivation.

Soda (SODIUM CARBONATE)

Mild alkali from special salt deposits (sodium carbonate lakes). Sodium salt of carbonic acid, sodium carbonate which is used in AURO powder products for the pulping of casein.

Sodium benzoate

Salt of the benzoic acid that is, for example, main constituent of the benzoic resin. The white, crystalline solid material has a stabilizing effect in water-soluble products but is also used in food products.

Sodium bicarbonate (SODIUM BICARBONATE)

In chemistry referred to as natrium hydrogen carbonate, used as neutralising agent and retarder in paints.

Sodium metasilicate (SODIUM METASILICATE)

Alkaline, water-dilutable sodium salt of silicic acid. Has a fat-dissolving effect in dishwashing detergents due to its alkalinity and is also water softening and anticorrosive.

Sodium percarbonate (SODIUM CARBONATE PEROXIDE)

An adduct of chlorine-fee bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide to sodium carbonate. Decomposes into sodium carbonate, water and active oxygen at higher temperatures. The latter has a bleaching effect on stains.

Spinel pigments

The so-called „spinel pigments” are minerals that occur as mixed oxides from magnesium and aluminium. In a thermal process, these are replaced in the chrystal lattice structure by other metals which results in coloured variants that can be used as pigments. By use of these pigments, we can now widen the AURO colour spectrum by a multiple of shades and offer, for example, strong violet, yellow, blue, orange or green colours.

Stearic acid

Found in large quantities in fats and oils, produced from these by fat separation. Used for making stereates and as auxiliary in paints.

Sugar surfactant (LAURYL GLUCOSIDE)

Wash active substance, made from sugary raw materials by means of conversion with vegetable oils using potash at temperatures below 100 °C.

Sunflower oil (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED OIL)

A light yellow, fatty oil from sunflower seeds which is used in lacquers, paints and soaps.

Sunflower oil as amino soap

Surfactants made of rapeseed and castor oils

Surfactants made of rapeseed oil

Specifically selected auxiliaries based on vegetable oil, chemically modified, for the in-house production of aqueous, solvent-free oil resin binder for AURO Aqua products.

Swelling clay (BENTONITE)

Natural mineral (phyllosilicate) with good swelling capacity. Used as thixotropic agent in aqueous and resinous oily products with good swelling capacity and dirt absorption capacity following surface treatment.

Talcum (TALC)

Natural silicate mineral with pronounced layer structure (“steatite”). Thixotropic and pigment-saving filler for paints and lacquers.

Thiazole (THIAZOLINONE)

Organic compounds (a mixture of benzisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone) that contain sulphur and nitrogen. They are used as preserving agents in cleaners, paints, cosmetics, and more.

Titanium dioxide (TITANIUM DIOXIDE)

Highly opaque, non toxic white pigment for paints and lacquers, made from natural minerals (e.g. rutile) by separation of coloured companion substances. Also used as catalytically effective pigments with a special, finely dispersed structure capable of degrading harmful substances.

Tung Oil

Ultramarine blue

An inorganic pigment whose crystalline structure is similar to that of lazurite. Used as mineral pigment in all blue stains and lacquers.

Vitriolic iron

Found as mineral in the form of green or white encrustations; technically produced by dissolving iron in sulphuric acid. This raw material is used for wood preservation, plant dyeing and in tanneries.

Walnut oil (JUGLAWS REGIA SEED OIL)

Fatty seed oil from the fruit pulp, a very valuable, semi-drying binder for paints.

Water (AQUA)

AURO uses the particularly soft, pure water from the nearby Harz mountain region.

Wheat flour

Pure grain flour, used as thickening agent in paint removers.

Wheat semolina

The pure semolina is used as filling agent or extender. Contains gluten.

Wine vinegar

Natural acid made from wine by means of conversion into alcohol and further fermentation to produce vinegar.

Wood oil

Oil boiled until thick originating from the nut of the Chinese Tung tree; a valuable, easily drying lacquer binder.

Xanthane (XANTHAN GUM)

Highly molecular, natural catabolic product, polysaccharide of (the genetically unmanipulated!) bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. Suitable as thickening agent and binder.

Zeolite

Aluminium silicate produced from alaun and sodium silicate by precipitation, a particularly environmentally friendly phosphate substitute for softening water.