368 IV. WAXES, HIGHER ALCOHOLS, ETC. 



Esters of monobasic acids 95-97% 



Myricyl lignocerate 2% 



Neomontanyl lignocerate 

 Ceryl lignocerate 



Ceryl neomontanate 20% 



Ceryl cerotate 20% 



Resins <1% 



Free wax acids (cerotic) 0.5-1% 



Free aliphatic alcohols (mjn-icyl) <1% 



Hydrocarbons (heptacosane) <1% 



Chinese wax finds use in candle-making, as an insulating agent, in treating 

 silk and cotton fabrics, in sizing and glazing of papers, and in the shoe- 

 polish industry. 



b'. Shellac Wax: This is produced by the lac insect (Carteria lacca), 

 together with resins and other non-waxy substances. As in the case of 

 Chinese wax, the insects are attached to branches of trees, from which the 

 crude stick-lac is removed; it is refined to produce shellac. The refined 

 wax melts at 74-78 °C. and has a saponification value of 100 to 126. The 

 specific gravity at 15.5°C. is 0.971-0.980. The following composition has 

 been reported by Warth :^ 



Esters of wax acids 60-62% 



Ceryl lignocerate 



Ceryl cerotate 



Laccerjd laccerate 10-12% 



Ceryl aleuritate <1% 



Free wax cwids (lacceric) 1% 



Free wax alcohols (neoceryl, lacceryl) 35-36% 



Hydrocarbons 2-6% 



Pentacosane 2% 



Hentriacontane 



b. Natural Waxes from Animals. Both land and sea animals produce 

 waxes. Wool wax, or lanolin, is the principal wax of commercial im- 

 portance from the terrestrial animals. The marine waxes may be solid, 

 as is the case with spermaceti, or liquid as with sperm oil. 



(a) Wool Wax. Wool wax, also known as wool fat, is obtained when wool 

 is cleaned and processed. The yield of fat obtained commercially de 

 pends upon the nature of the wools. New Zealand wool is reported to give 

 16.6% fat, that from Australia 16%, that from South America 13.2%, 

 while Russian wool yields only 6.6% of fat.^^'^ The employment of 

 modern centrifugation methods has improved the yield of fat from 25% to 

 65% of that present. 



The physical constants of wool fat vary somewhat with its source. The 



'"J. Lewkowitsch, Chemical Technology of Oils, Fats and Waxes, 6th ed., Vol. II, 

 Macmillan, London, 1922, p. 901. 



