WAX. 



473 



WAX. 



wax, when cliewed for a few minutes, will 

 crumble in tine particles, while wax con- 

 taining a sm.ill percentage of parafflne or 

 ceresin will chew like sealing-wax and or- 

 dinary chewing-gum. 



The simplest and most reliable test is the 

 float or specilic-gravity test. ^V^e have already 

 stated that the specific gravities of our ordi- 

 nary commercial paraffines and ceresins are 

 below that of beeswax. As an ordinary ar- 

 ticle of pure beeswax is lighter than water 

 (wax standing 9(>5 and water at 1000), of 

 course it will float when put into that liquid. 

 Into a jar partly tilled with water pour alco- 

 hol until a small piece of beeswax of known 



gradually settle to the bottom of the jar, 

 perhaps standing upon a single point. 



For all practical purposes we have found 

 this float test to be entirely reliable ; that is, 

 it has so far shown us unerringly every 

 adulterated sample. We remember particu- 

 larly one instance where quite a large ship- 

 ment of beeswax was sent us. It was very 

 beautiful, and the cakes were all of a uni- 

 form size; but the price was very low. It 

 was susiiicious, and accordingly we subject- 

 ed it to the tloat test. Sure enough, a small 

 piece of the wax stayed nicely on top of the 

 test liquid without the least effort. We 

 then put it into a liquid that would let a 25- 



FACTOUV AXD 15LEACIIIN(;-\ AIJIJ ol WILL X ^.AL•.ML1^, SYllACUSK, N. V 



purity settles to the bottom, taking care not 

 to pour in too much alcohol, for we want the 

 wax to sink just to the bottom; that is, we 

 desire the alcoholic liquid and the wax to be 

 of the same sjecilic gravity. Now, then, if 

 we put in a piece of adulterated beeswax 

 containing, say, -50 per cent of I'arafline or 

 ceresin, it \\i\\ lloat on the smface of the 

 liquid. Xow take another piece of wax that 

 contains only 10 per cent of adulteration. It 

 still floats, but h;is a tendency to sink almost 

 under the surface. If we take another piece 

 containing only 5 per cent, it may float or 



per cent ceresin adulteration sink. .Vfter 

 hovering near the surface it gradually sank, 

 and behaved like the piece of wax that we 

 knew contained 2-5 per cent of ceresin. We 

 wrote to the shipper that we did not want 

 adulterated beeswax ; that we must have the 

 pure article ; that he had got to take the 

 stufi: off our hands. He did it very prompt- 

 ly, without even trying to defend himself, 

 any more than to say that he thought we 

 were not very particular. He knew better, 

 but thought he could unload the stuff on us 

 without our being any the wiser. 



