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WAX

WAX

Bees busily buzz around making fantastic honeycombs with their own wax. Later on Man copied them. The term ‘wax’ is a substance whose properties are akin to beeswax – plastic and malleable, with a melting point of 45 °C, having low viscosity when melted. It is not soluble in water.
There are two types of waxes – natural and artificial.  The natural group can be segmented into animal wax, vegetable wax and mineral wax.  Humans too produce wax and that is the earwax which is a sticky substance found inside human ears. Artificial wax is a chemical substance which is a combination of ester and two acids (fatty) – a sort of lipid. Apart from these natural varieties there are many synthetic waxes – polythene waxes, chemically waxes etc.
Thus wax is a very general term used to point to a long list of polar lipids. The wax is a protective covering on leaves of plants, fruits or animals. Some have mineral origins and can be found in lignite. Lignite is a stage in the transformation of vegetable matter into hydrocarbons. Waxes however cannot be bracketed into one chemical group that is homogenous.
Beeswax is a secretion oozing from the abdomens of bees. The flowers from which it is gathered determine the vibrant range of subtle colour. It has been in use from ancient times as found in Egyptian historical remains. They used it in shipbuilding as an adhesive and coating agent. The Romans used its waterproof material to treat paint on walls. During the Middle Ages it was a valuable form of currency exchange. Today its use is multifarious and indispensable. About 7000 tons is produced in the world annually. 60% of this is gobbled up by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical world.
Chinese wax is secreted from insects on branches. It requires 1500 insects to give 1g of insect wax. It is used in candle making and polishes.
Shellac is also from another kind insect and used in varnish manufacturing.
Wax is collected from the tissues and head cavity of the sperm whale. 3 tons is got from a 15 meter animal. From the 15th century it is being used as medicine and in the manufacture of cosmetics. But strong conservation action has put a stop to this form of animal torture. It has been replaced by synthetic wax.
Lanolin or wool wax secretes from the glands of sheep. Crude wool is collected and diluted with alkali to obtain the wax. It has been in use since ancient times as a cure for skin diseases. Today it is in great demand in industries connected with fabrics, ink and lubricants.
The ‘queen of waxes’ is carnauba – a kind of vegetable wax. Leaves of a plant found in Brazil secrete it – 100g coming from a single tree per year. It is the hardest in the wax family. Mixed with beeswax it is used for making polishes and cosmetics as well as in food production. It adds the glaze to candies, gums, fruits. It is also used for coating paper.
Ouricouri wax used to be exported from Brazil since 1937 but recently it has been discontinued. It was squeezed out from a particular Brazilian plant.
Jojoba oil made its entry as an alternative to the wax obtained from whales It is fluid and extracted by pressing the seeds of jojoba tree cultivated in Mexico, Arizona and California. Experiments are also going on in Israel, Africa, Australia and China.
Small shrubs of Mexico produce candelilla wax. When the plant is boiled the wax floats on top and it is then skimmed  and processed. It is mixed with other waxes to harden them. It is a major ingredient as a fixing agent in chewing gum industry.
Esparto wax comes from a type of reed or grass found in North Africa and Southern Spain. It is a by-product from the stuff left over after making paper.
Japan wax is more akin to tallow and is found in kernels and outer skins of berries belonging to the rhus and toxicondendron group. It is largely used in the Japanese cosmetic industry and becomes rancid after some time.
Wax is also extracted from rice bran and is used for coating lipsticks.
In the family of mineral wax ozocerite is found in the beds of lignite in the mountainous regions of Russia, Iran and America. It is used in industries connected with lubricants, cosmetics, deodorants, polishes and adhesives.
Montan wax is a solvent that is extracted from brown coal – so in a way it is plant wax because coal is its parent. Thus its characteristics are akin to vegetable waxes. Its production started in Germany during the later half of the 19th century. Germany continues to remain the prime producer of this product. It is mainly used in making carbon paper, electric insulators and for lubricating plastics and paper.
Synthetic waxes came into use as natural waxes are not consistent as regards availability and standard. More and more industries, especially the cosmetic world, is switching over to synthetic wax.
The question of environment is a big issue where wax is concerned. Extensive research is going on in this regard to avoid waste, encourage recycling and see that the product is biodegradable. Waxed paper is in great use for packaging food. Here petroleum wax has a big role to play. It is derived from crude oil. It is economical and efficient gas barriers as well as being moisture proof. Petrol is the remains of tiny aquatic plants as well as living cells that lived in ancient oceans millions and millions of years ago. Crude oil is also known as fossil fuel. Petroleum wax is one of the by products obtained by processing the raw stuff. Paraffin, microcrystalline and petrolatum are the three sub-categories of petroleum wax.
While waxing in praise of wax it is interesting to note that ‘wax’ is a derivation from archaic English word ‘weax’ used to describe the honeycomb. Cosmetics together with pharmaceutical industries are the largest users of wax.