OiU and Fats. 



114 



[Feb. 1908 



The pure carnauba wax has a pale 

 greenish yellow colour, a dense texture, 

 is hard, brittle, tasteless and without 

 smell. Air bubbles can only be seen 

 through the microscope. Wiesner did 

 not find any remains of tissue. When 

 heated it forms a clear substance slight- 

 ly aromatic. 



The Sp. G.R. at 15° is (according to 

 Storey-Maskelyne) 0-999. The melting 

 point is variously given. According to 

 Storey-Maskelyne this wax melts at 

 84° C, according to other observers at 

 93° C. Wiesner gives the melting point 

 of the uurefiued wax at 84'4° C, solidi- 

 fying point at 80'9° C, of the refined wax 

 melting point 83 6° C. 



Solidifying point 81° C. 



Saponification value 93*1. (Becker) 



Acid value : 4 (Hubl.) 



Ether value 75 (Hubl.) 



Iodine value 13-5 (Lew Rowistch) 



In cold alcohol carnauba wax is only 

 slightly soluble, but it dissolves entirely 

 in boiling alcohol and ether. Con- 

 centrated solutions solidify on cooling 

 and deposit a white crystallisable sub- 

 stance that melts at 105° (Schaedler). 



According to Lewy the refined wax 

 contains 80'33 % of carbon, 13'7 % of 

 hydrogen, and 6 - 60 % of oxygen. It 

 consists chiefly of myricyl ether of 

 cerotic acid, some cerotic ether and 

 myiicyl alcohol, which is extracted from 

 the wax by means of cold alcohol. 

 According to Sturke, carnauba wax 

 contains besides these bodies :— 



Carbohydrate, melting at 59° C. 

 Alcohol C. 26 H. 53 Ch. 2 O H 

 Double acid alcohol C H 2 O H C 23 H 46 

 C H 2 O H 



an acid C 23 H 27, CO OH (the ismer of 

 ligno cerin acid) 



C H 2 O H 

 AcidofOxy. C 19 H 38 



C O O H as regards its laction. 

 According to Storey-Maskelyne the 

 amount of ash of this wax is 0'14%. The 

 unrefined wax examined by Wiesnerga ve 

 0'83, the refined wax only 0'51 % of ash. The 

 ash examined by Maskelyne contained 

 principally silicic acid, oxide of iron and 

 salts. According to Brande the wax turns 

 a reddish colour if it is boiled with 

 potash for half an hour. It saponifies only 

 partly with alcoholic potash. If 5 % Car- 

 nauba wax are mixed with stearic acid, 

 cerineof paraffin, the melting point of the 

 substance is considerably higher and the 

 mixture is brighter and more solid. 

 According to Lewy, Carnauba wax pro- 

 duces by dry distillation a kind of pa- 

 raffin with a content of 85 24% carbon and 

 14'93% hydrogen. 



The carnauba wax is used in Brazil 

 for the manufacture of candles, in Euro- 

 pean industries for the preparation of 

 varnish, as a substitute for bees wax, 

 and also for brightening sole-leather 

 (shoemaker's wax). According to Giutal 

 a moderate amount of carnauba Avax is 

 an excellent raw material for the manu- 

 facture of sealing wax. 



CITRONELLA OIL. 



THE QUESTION OP A NEW TEST FOR THE 

 PURITY OF EXPORTED OIL. 



On representations made to Govern- 

 ment with regard to adulteration of 

 citronella oil, the question arose as to the 

 advisability or otherwise of adopting a 

 Government Standard Test in place of 

 Schimmel's Test — the one universally 

 recognised by the trade — so that the oil 

 exported from the Island may not leave 

 it without a guarantee of its purity. 



Mr. M. Kelway Bamber, the Govern- 

 ment Agricultural Chemist, was in- 

 structed to report on the subject. In 

 a letter addressed to the Hon'ble the 

 Colonial Secretary, dated the 21st 

 November, 1906, he says : — 



Sir, — Witli reference to our conver- 

 sation and my visit to Galle re the adul- 

 teration of Citronella Oil, 1 have the 

 honour to report as follows : — 



1. At all the native stills visited, the 

 oil was being distilled pure from the 

 lena bntu pengiri variety of grass. 

 Samples collected at the beginning and 

 end of the distillations differed consider- 

 ably, the latter in no case passing 

 Schimmel's test, A mixture of the whole 

 distillate in one case barely passed the 

 test and in others failed completely, 

 although quite pure. The failure of this 

 variety of oil to pass Schimmel's test 

 has been pointed out in previous reports. 



2. The adulteration with kerosene 

 takes place chiefly at Matara and the 

 neighbouring villages, tins of the oil 

 being openlj r poured. into the iron drums 

 of citronella oil on their way to Galle, 



3. I could get no direct evidence of 

 other oils being used in the adulteration, 

 though it is probable both domba and 

 coconut oil are used to some extent. ' 



4- Little of the better variety of grass 

 (Maha pengiri) is apparently grown, as 

 it is less hardy and has to be replanted 

 more frequently. This is the variety 

 grown in J.tva, the oil from which fetches 

 a better price than the lena batu oil. 



5. The question of the exportation of 

 a pure Citronella oil and the adoption 

 of a special test was discussed with the 

 merchants of Galle engaged in the ex- 



