Candle wax compositions stabilized with UV absorber-metal combinations

A benzotriazole-metal complex or benzotriazole-metal salt compound of formula (I) or (II)

• 3
• wherein
• a, b and c are integers from 1 to 4 wherein a +b+c=4;
• m is 0, 1 or 2;
• R1 is hydrogen, straight or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 24 carbon atoms, straight of branched chain alkenyl of 2 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, phenylalkyl of 7 to 15 carbon atoms, phenyl, or said phenyl or said phenylalkyl substituted on the phenyl ring by 1 to 4 alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• R2 is straight or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 24 carbon atoms, straight of branched chain alkenyl of 2 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, phenylalkyl of 7 to 15 carbon atoms, phenyl, or said phenyl or said phenylalkyl substituted on the phenyl ring by 1 to 4 alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• G1 is hydrogen or halogen;
• G2 is hydrogen, perfluoroalkyl of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, halogen, nitro, cyano, R3SO—, R3SO2—, —COOG3, —P(O)(C6H5)2, —CO-G3, —CO—NH-G3, —CO—N(G3)2, —N(G3)—CO-G3,
• 4
• or G2 is phenyl, naphthyl, biphenylyl, 9-phenanthryl or said phenyl, naphthyl, biphenylyl or 9-phenanthryl substituted by one to three alkyl of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, phenylalkyl of 7 to 15 carbon atoms, R3S—, R3SO—, R3SO2, aryl of 6 to 10 carbon atoms, perfluoroalkyl of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, halogen, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl of 2 to 19 carbon atoms, hydroxyl, alkoxy of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryloxy of 6 to 10 carbon atoms, aralkoxy of 7 to 15 carbon atoms, vinyl, acetyl, acetamido, amino, dialkylamino of 2 to 12 carbon atoms, formyl, thioalkoxy of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, hydroxymethyl, aminomethyl, halomethyl, sulfato, phosphato or where any two substituents form a benzo ring with the aryl moiety to which they are attached;
• G3 is hydrogen, straight or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 24 carbon atoms, straight of branched chain alkenyl of 2 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, phenylalkyl of 7 to 15 carbon atoms, phenyl, or said phenyl or said phenylalkyl substituted on the phenyl ring by 1 to 4 alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• R3 is alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, alkenyl of 3 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, phenylalkyl of 7 to 15 carbon atoms, aryl of 6 to 10 carbon atoms or said aryl substituted by one or two alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or 1,1,2,2-tetrahydroperfluoroalkyl where the perfluoroalkyl moiety is of 6 to 16 carbon atoms;
• R4 is straight or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, phenylalkyl of 7 to 15 carbon atoms or phenyl;
• and
• R5 is straight or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, phenylalkyl of 7 to 15 carbon atoms, phenyl, alkanoyloxy of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, alkylthio of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonylmethylthio where the alkyl group is from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, benzyl malonate or hydroxyl;
• with the proviso that for a compound of formula (I), G2 is not hydrogen or halogen when G1 is hydrogen.

A method of stabilizing candle wax, which method comprises

• adding to a candle wax composition an effective stabilizing amount of
• (i) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the UV absorbers;
• and
• (ii) a metal compound wherein the metal of said metal compound is selected from groups 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the periodic table;
• and
• where the metal of component (ii) is from about 15 ppb to about 3400 ppm by weight based on the candle wax.