374 



IV. WAXES, HIGHER ALCOHOLS, ETC. 



called carnauba wax is separated from the dried leaves by hand after the 

 wax-containing ribs have been split apart and the webs opened. 



Carnauba wax has a specific gravity of about 1.000 at 15 °C. (0.990 to 

 1.0008); its reported melting values vary from 78° to 84° C; the saponi- 

 fication numbers which have been found are from 79 to 95; and the iodine 

 numbers cited in the literature range from 7 to 14.^ The acetyl value is 

 extremely high (54.8-55.2), which indicates the presence of a number of 

 free hydroxyl groups. Carnauba wax is sparingly soluble in organic sol- 

 vents at room temperature, but it dissolves fairly well in these solvents at 

 temperatures above 45 °C.^ 



Table 15 

 Composition of Carnauba Wax" 



Component Formula M.p., °C. Per cent 



Alkyl esters of wax acids 80-81 



Myricyl carnaubate CwHeiO •OCC23H47 78 — 



Myricyl cerotate CaoHeiO-OCCssHsi 87 75 



Ceryl cerotate C27H55O • OCC25H51 84 1 



Ceryl octocosanate C27H55O • OCC27HB5 86 1 



Ceryl co-hydroxyuncosanate. . C27H550-OCC2oH4oOH 84 — 



Free wax acids 1-1 . 5 



Montanic C29H6802(C28,C3o) 83 — 



Melissic CsiH62O2(C30,C32) 90 — 



Lacceroic C32H64O2 — — 



Lactones 3-5 



/CH2\ 



w-1-Lactone of medullic acid . C19H38 O 103.5 — 



\co/ 



Free monohydric alcohols 9-10 



Carboceryl C27H650H(C26,C28) 80-82. 5 — 



Octacosyl C28H57OH 83.2 — 



Myricyl CjoHeiOH 86.4-8G.8 — 



Lacceryl C32H63OH 89.4 6 



Free polyhydric alcohols 1-2 



Dihydric pentaeosanol HOCH2(CH2)23CH20H 103. G — 



Oxyalcohol ? — — 



Hydrocarbons < 1 



Heptacosane CH3(CH2)25CH, 59 . 2 — 



Resins 3-4 



" Adapted from A. H. Warth, The Chemistry and Technology of Waxes, Reinhold, New 

 York, 1947, p. 104. 



Carnauba wax is characterized by containing a number of alcohols and 

 acids not found in other waxes. These include carboceryl alcohol (C27), 

 octacosanol (C28),^*^ triacontanol (C30), 1-dotriacontanol (Csa),^"*'- and a C25 

 dihydric alcohol. Carnaubic acid (C24) derives its name from its origin in 



"2 S. D. Koonce and J. B. Brown, Oil & Soap, 21, 231-234 (1944). 



