Wax
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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, Lac wax
- vegetable: carnauba, candelilla, bayberry, Japan wax
- mineral: paraffin, Ozocerite, ceresin, montan, Microcrystalline
- 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 encaustic and Wax emulsion paintings, and as repellents in wax-resist watercolor paintings.
Properties of some natural waxes:
| Wax | Source | Iodine value | Saponification Number | Acid value | mp C | Ref. Index | Spec. Gravity | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayberry wax | Myrica cerifera | 2.9-3.9 | 205-217 | 3.5 | 40-49 | 1.436 | 0.977-0.995 | soapmaking, candles, natural insect repellent |
| Beeswax | Apis mellifica | 6-11 | 84-103 | 16-24 | 63-70 (144-149 F) | 1.440-1.449 | 0.955-0.966 | candles, polishes, adhesives, plasticizer, paint binder (encaustic) |
| Candelilla wax | Euphorbia antisyphilitica; Pedilanthus pavinia | 14-37 | 35-86 | 12-20 | 67-71 | 1.456 | 0.950-0.990 | leather dressing, polishes, sealing wax, paper sizing, metal casting |
| Carnauba wax | Corypha cerifera | 7.2-13.5 | 75-95 | 0.4-9.7 | 83-86 | 1.467-1.472 | 0.990-0.999 | floor waxes, polishes, metal casting, printing inks, carbon paper |
| Ceresin wax | purified ozocerite | 61-78 | 0.91-0.92 | candles, sizing, floor polish, waterproofing,leather dressing. | ||||
| Chinese insect wax | Coccus ceriferus | 1-2 | 43-93 | 0.2-1.5 (12-22) |
80-83 | 1.457 | 0.950-0.970 | candles, polishes, sizing, leather dressing |
| Esparto wax | Stipa tenacissima; Lygeum spartum | 22-23 | 69.8-79.3 | 22.7-23.9 | 67.5-78.1 | 0.9887 | carbon paper and as substitute for carnauba wax | |
| Japan wax | Rhus verniciflua; Rhus succedanea | 4.5-12.6 | 206.5-237.5 | 6-209 | 53 | 0.97-0.99 | candles, floor waxes, crayons, adhesive, metal casting | |
| Microcrystalline wax | Petroleum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60-93 | 1.441 | 0.915-0.941 | polish producing clear, non- sticky finish. |
| Montan wax | Lignin and peat | 16-20 | 74-127 | 30-70 | 76-130 | 1.010-1.030 | polishes, phonograph records, adhesives, sizing, candles, carbon paper | |
| Ouricury wax | Cocos coronapa | 6.9-7.8 | 61.8-85.8 | 3.4-21.1 | 79-85 | 0.970-1.053 | substitute for carnauba wax | |
| Paraffin wax | Petroleum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47-75 | 1.442-1.448 | 0.880-0.925 | floor wax, waterproofing textiles and paper, leather dressing, rust preventative |
| Spermaceti | Physeter macrocephalus | 3.0-4.4 | 120-136 | 2.0-5.2 | 40-50 | 1.433-1.440 | 0.905-0.945 | ointments, candles, soap, surgery, leather dressing |
| Lanolin (wool wax) | Ovis aries | 15-47 | 80-127 | 5.6-22.0 | 36-43 | 1.478-1.482 | 0.932-0.946 | emollient, leather dressing, rust preventative |
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
Physical and Chemical Properties
Soluble in most organic solvents. Insoluble in water.
For easy printing and to download
Resources and Citations
- C.Harley, "Wax" The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996.
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 862
- 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" [Accessed 20 Sept. 2005].
- The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996 Comment: "Wax" by C. Harley
- Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax Wax) (Accessed Sept. 20, 2005 and Oct. 2024)
- Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- Tom Rowland, Noel Riley, A-Z Guide to Cleaning, Conserving and Repairing Antiques, Constable and Co., Ltd., London, 1981
- 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, 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: www.hants.org.uk/museums/ofr/cmeth_t.html