THE WHALING INDUSTRY 



707 



Table 156. Properties of Sperm Oil. 



Consistency at 59° F (15° C) 

 Saponification equivalent 

 Acid value 

 Iodine value 



Unsaponifiable material (including 

 higher alcohols) 



39.3% 



33.6% 



Source: Hilditch, T. P., and Lovern, J. A., "The Head and Blubber Oils of the Sperm 

 Whale. I. Quantitative Determinations of the Mixed Fatty Acids Present," /. Soc. Chem. 

 Ind., 47, 105T-111T (1928). 



Table 157. General Composition of Sperm Oil and Spermaceti. 



Alcohol content 



Fatty acid equivalent to alcohols 



Combined as wax esters 



Balance of fatty acids isolated 



Corresponding weight as triglyceride 



Wax esters 



Glycerides 



Source: HUditch, T. P., and Lovem, J. A., "The Head and Blubber Oils of the Sperm 

 Whale. I. Quantitative Determinations of the Mixed Fatty Acids Present," /. Soc. Chem. 

 Ind., 47, 105T-111T (1928). 



Table 158. Composition of Spermaceti ("Head Oil"). 

 ACIDS (62 parts) ALCOHOLS 



2 pts glycerides Glycerol 



-Saturated 

 27 pts 



-13 pts esters of 



unsaturated alcohols 



14 pts [sic] — 



-12 pts esters of 



unsaturated alcohols or 9 pts 



saturated-unsaturated ■ 



glycerides 



Saturated 

 - 23 pts 



— 9 pts esters of saturated- 

 alcohols 



Unsaturated — 

 16 pts 



Fatty 

 alcohols 

 .39 pts [si 



— Unsaturated esters of unsaturated 



35 pts I I — alcohols [4 pts] — 



1—26 pts 



' — Unsaturated or unsaturated- 



saturated glycerides [22 pts] Glycerol 



Source: Hilditch, T. P., and Lovem, J. A., "The Head and Blubber Oils of the Sperm 

 Whale. II. Investigations of Some of the Component Wax Esters and the General Struc- 

 ture of the Oils," /. Soc. Chem. Ind., 48, 359T-365T ( 1929). 



