EXTRACTION OF BEESWAX 
II 
It was melted in hot water, formed into a cake, the cake cut in eight 
equal pieces and the pieces treated in the following manner: 
Piece number one was heated with 100 cc. of water. 
Piece number two was heated with 100 cc. of water and 2 cc. of sulfuric 
acid. Piece number three was heated with 100 cc. of water, 5 cc. of hydrogen 
peroxide and 2 cc. of sulfuric acid. Piece number four was heated with 100 
cc. of water, 10 cc. of hydrogen peroxide and 2 cc. of sulfuric acid. Piece 
number five was heated with 100 cc. of water, 15 cc. hydrogen peroxide and 
2 cc. of sulfuric acid. Piece number six was heated with 100 cc. of water, 
20 cc. of hydrogen peroxide and 2 cc. of sulfuric acid. Piece number seven 
was heated with 100 cc. of water, 25 cc. of hydrogen peroxide and 2 cc. of 
sulfuric acid. Piece number eight was heated with 100 cc. of water and 5 
grams of oxalic acid. Piece number three, heated with 100 cc. of water, 
5 cc. of hydrogen peroxide and 2 cc of sulphuric acid, was much better than 
any of the others. Hydrogen peroxide was tested for and found in the 
water in which the wax had been melted. Excessive boiling with water 
seemed to injure the grain of the wax, but the heating with water and sul¬ 
furic acid and with water, sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide did not 
seem to injure the grain. Piece number eight showed only a slight improve¬ 
ment over the original sample. 
Remelting with Sulphuric Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide. One-half ot 
piece number three of the last experiment was remelted in 100 oc. of water, 
2 cc. of sulfuric acid and 5 cc. of hydrogen peroxide. The color of the wax 
was very much lighter than before being remelted in 100 cc. of water, 5 cc. 
of hydrogen peroxide and 5 cc. of sulfuric acid. The wax was pressed out 
of the cloth and was very much improved. It had a golden yellow color 
and a good grain. 
Increasing the Amount of Sulfuric Acid. The wax used in this experi¬ 
ment was dark and was obtained by rendering old combs. It was remelted 
and divided into eight equal parts. Number one was heated with 100 cc. 
of water, 5 cc. of hydrogen peroxide and 2 cc. of sulfuric acid. Number two 
was heated with 100 cc. of water, 5 cc. of hydrogen peroxide and 5 cc, of 
sulfuric acid. Number three was heated with 100 cc. of water, 5 cc. of hydro¬ 
gen peroxide and 10 cc. of sulfuric acid. Number four was heated with 100 
cc. of water, 5 cc. of hydrogen peroxide and 15 cc. of sulfuric acid. Number 
five was heated with 100 cc. of water, 5 cc. of hydrogen peroxide and 20 cc. 
of sulfuric acid. Number six was the same as number five except that it 
was heated with 25 cc. of sulfuric acid. Number seven was inclosed in a 
canton flannel bag, heated with 100 cc. of water, 5 cc. of hydrogen peroxide 
and 2 cc. of sulfuric acid, and the wax squeezed out of the bag. Number 
eight was heated with 100 cc. of water. Number two gave better results 
than any of the others with the exception of number seven, which gave a 
very nice yellow wax. 
Refining with* Alcohol. The wax taken for this experiment was ob¬ 
tained by rendering old brood combs and was dark. It was remelted and 
divided into eight pieces. Number one was heated on the water bath with 
100 cc. of barrel alcohol. Number two was heated on the water bath with 
50 cc. of alcohol and 50 cc. of water. Number three was heated in thd 
same manner as number two with 25 cc. of alcohol and 75 cc. of water. 
Number four, one-fourth of number one, was heated in water. In number 
one the wax dissolved and on cooling cerotic acid separated from the 
alcohol. In numbers two and three there did not seem to be any cerotic 
acid dissolved in the liquids. Number one gave a soft waxy substance, 
probably myricine. Number four gave a compact substance. Number five 
was as good in appearance and texture as any of the others. I could 
not see any improvement in the color of the wax caused by the treatment 
with alcohol. 
The use of Cloth in Refining Wax. The wax used for this experiment 
w^as very dark and-was divided into four equal parts. Piece number one 
