Ryan & Dillon — On Montanin and Montana (Montan) Waxes. 203 



Montan Wax is described by von Boyen' as a white high-melting wax, 

 of greater value for the manufacture of candles than paraffin or stearine. 

 After purification with benzene it consists, according to von Boyen, of 

 an acid C29H58O2 (M.P. 84-85° C), and another substance, probably an 

 alcohol (M.P. 60° C), the two of which are charred by concentrated sul- 

 phuric acid. The bitumen was regarded as the non-crystallized ester of 

 the " alcohol " and acid, and was supposed to be hydrolysed during the steam 

 distillation. 



Tiie acid in Montan Wax was named Montauio Acid by von Boyen, and 

 Greocerinic Acid by IIell.° 



Ulzer and Pastrovich'^ examined a specimen of Montan Wax, and found 

 that it had an Acid Number 100'88, and contained only a trace of ester 

 (saponification number, 101'37). 



J. Mareusson* found that crude Montanic Acid had an Acid Number 143 

 and consisted of insoluble hydroxy-acids, melting above 100° C, and a waxy 

 acid melting below 100° 0. Cholesterin was present in the crude, but absent 

 from the purified, unsaponifiable matter. Both the unsaponifiable and the 

 saponifiable constituents were dextro-rotatory. 



Montana Wax. — Montana Wax is a yellowish, crystalline, waxy solid, 

 which is scarcely soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, or petroleum-ether in 

 the cold, but easily soluble in the warm, solvents. It has a faint odour of 

 petroleum, and melts at 76° C. 



The Acid Number of the wax was determined in the usual way, by 

 titrating its solution in hot alcohol with N/2 alcoholic potash, using phenol- 

 phthaleiu as indicator. Owing to the sparing solubility of the potassium 

 salt of the acid in alcohol, the solution must be kept near its boiling-point 

 during the titration ; and to avoid hydrolysis of the potassium-salt, addition 

 of water in the preparation of the alcoholic potash should be avoided. The 

 Acid Number was 73"3, and only a trace of ester was found (tlie saponification 

 number being 73'9). 



The Iodine Number of the wax was determined by allowing 0'5 grm. wax, 

 dissolved in chloroform, to interact with 20 c.c.'s of the Hiibl- Waller Iodine 

 reagent for about 12 hours. The Iodine Number was 16-0, indicating the 

 presence of an unsaturated compound in the wax. 



A small quantity of the wax was tested for resin, by boiling with nitric 



' Zeitschr. fiir angewaudte Chemie, xiv. (1901), p. 1110. 



2 Ibid., xiii. (1900), p. 556. 



3 Chem. Eev., Fett- und Harz-Industrie, x. (1903), p. 277. 



* Chem. Rev., Fett- uad Harz-Industrie, xv. (1908), p. 193. 



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