Wax
Description
A solid or semi-solid substance that is slightly greasy to touch. Waxes are composed of long chain hydrocarbon compounds, and may contain esters of fatty acids and alcohols. They are thermoplastic and melt at low temperatures (between 40 and 100C). In general, waxes are water-repellent, smooth, and soluble in organic solvents. Waxes are classified by their origin:
- animal: beeswax, lanolin, spermaceti, wax lac wax
- vegetable: wax carnauba, wax candelilla, wax bayberry, wax Japan wax
- mineral: wax paraffin, ozocerite, wax ceresin, wax montan
- synthetic: polyethylene, polymethylene, Carbowax, Halowax
Waxes are used for polishes, candles, crayons, sealants, coatings, adhesives, waterproofing, and carbon paper. Waxes have been used as a media in paint encaustic and emulsion wax emulsion paintings, and as repellents in wax-resist watercolor paintings.
Synonyms and Related Terms
voks (Dan.); Wachs (Deut.); cera (Esp., It.); cire (Fr.); wosk (Pol.); vax (Sven.)
Types include: animal wax; synthetic wax, mineral wax; vegetable wax
Other Properties
Soluble in most organic solvents. Insoluble in water.
Additional Information
C.Harley, "Wax" The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996.
Comparisons
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Additional Images
wax
Authority
- G.S.Brady, G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 862
- Ralph Mayer, Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "wax" Encyclopdia Britannica Premium Service. [Accessed 20 Sept. 2005].
- The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996 Comment: "Wax" by C. Harley
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax (Accessed Sept. 20, 2005)
- Richard S. Lewis, Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- Tom Rowland, Noel Riley, Tom Rowland, Noel Riley, A-Z Guide to Cleaning, Conserving and Repairing Antiques, Constable and Co., Ltd., London, 1981
- Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- Random House, Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- Random House, Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
- Website address 1, Website address 1 Comment: www.hants.org.uk/museums/ofr/cmeth_t.html