NATURAL WAXES 375 



this product. A normal C27 acid was first thought to be present, but it is 

 now beheved to be a mixed dimer of C26 and C28 acids. A C27 hydrocar- 

 bon, heptacosane, and a w-lactone have also been reported. A comparative 

 study of its composition was made by Liebermann,^^^ and a more com- 

 plete analysis was later carried out by Koonce and Brown.''" Table 15 

 gives a summarj^ of the composition of carnauba wax. 



Camauba wax is of considerable ^•alue as a "melting point booster" for 

 other waxes. It is widely used in floor polishes, and there Is no satisfactory 

 substitute for it. When mixed with montan wax, it constitutes a satisfac- 

 tory medium for recording phonograph records. It is used as a hardener in 

 leather dressings, for candles, and in the manufacture of carbon papers. 

 It is also employed as a constituent of shoe creams, in photographic films, 

 in chalk, in matches, in soap, and in dry batteries. 



b'. Palm Wax: Another type of wax is obtained from the lofty wax 

 palm {Ceroxylon andicola Humb.), which grows in the South American 

 Andes. Instead of occurring on the leaves, this palm wax is found on the 

 trunk of the tree in layers from one-sixth to one inch in thickness. About 

 25 pounds can be obtained from a single tree. Palm wax contains about 

 two-thirds resin and one-third true wax, and its composition is reported to 

 be quite similar to that of carnauba wax. 



c'. Ouricuri Wax: The tall Attalen palm (Scheelia martiana (Attalea 

 excelsa)), sometimes confused with the true cohune palm {Orhignya cohune) , 

 produces the so-called ouricuri wax found on the under surface of the 

 leaves. It is also known as uricuri, uricurj', oricurj'^, and ouricoury wax.^ 

 A machine-processed product is reported to have a melting point of 87 °C., a 

 saponification value of 110, and an iodine number of 17.2.' It is used as a 

 substitute for carnauba wax in floor polishes, in shoe creams, and in other 

 polishes. Another palm wax is that obtained from the dried leaves of the 

 Madagascar raffia palm {Raphia pedunculata (ruffia Mart.)), which is called 

 raffia wax. 



(6) Waxes from Herbs a>id Shrubs, a'. Candelilla Wax: The most im- 

 portant wax in the categorj^ of herbs and shrubs is that derived from a 

 weed, i.e., the candelilla. This is obtained from slipper flowers, or spurges, 

 Pedilanihus pavonis Boiss. and P. aphyllus, both of which grow in the semi- 

 arid regions of northern Mexico, Southern Texas, Arizona, and Southern 

 California. The wax coats the entire surface of the shrubs, except for the 

 root. Various samples of candelilla wax have been reported to melt between 

 64° and 71 °C. Iodine numbers range between 13 and 37; saponification 

 values from 46 to 67 have been noted.' 



Sanders^^^ found that the oantlelilla wax contains as much as 77% of 



3" C. Liebermann, Her., 18, 1975-1983 (1885). 



"^ J. M. Sanders, Proc. Chem. Soc, 27, 250 (1911). Cited by A. H. Warth, The Chem- 

 istry and Technologij of If 'axes, Reinhold, New York, 1947, p. 116. 



