Wax

Waxes are a special group of natural materials that are solid but can be shaped easily when warmed up. They are found in many living things, like plants and animals, and also come from places where oil is found, such as petroleum. When waxes get hot, they melt into liquids that flow easily, but they stay solid at normal temperatures.

These materials do not mix with water, but they will dissolve in certain other liquids, like hexane, benzene, and chloroform. Waxes are made from organic compounds, including things like higher alkanes and lipids, and they play important roles in nature and many everyday products. Their ability to change shape when warm makes them useful for many different purposes.

Chemistry

Waxes are natural materials made from long chains of molecules. They can come from plants, animals, or even oil. Many waxes come from insects like bees, which use beeswax to build their homes, or from plants like the Brazilian palm that makes carnauba wax. These waxes help protect plants and animals.

Some waxes come from oil and are called paraffin waxes. They are used in many things we see every day, like candles, food wrappers, and polish for cars and furniture. There are also special waxes made from coal and plastic, each with their own uses and properties.

Uses

Waxes are mainly used in factories as parts of mixtures, often for coatings. They are important in making colors for plastics. Waxes help give paints a dull finish and make them last longer. They are also used in inks, to make things slippery, and to protect against rust.

People have used wax for a long time. It can be shaped into figurines, dolls, and wax sculptures. Wax was also used for writing on special tablets long ago.

Waxes like paraffin wax and beeswax are used to make candles for light and decoration. Other types, like soy wax, are also used for candles.

Waxes are great for protecting wood. They are often used to finish and coat wood products. Beeswax is even used to help drawers slide smoothly.

Waxes have many other uses too. They were used to seal important papers in the past. Today, waxes are used to make waxed paper, shoe polishes, wood polishes, and car polishes. They also help protect cheeses, leather, and fabric from water. Waxes are used in making colored crayons, china markers, and pencils. They are even in some makeup like lipstick and mascara. Skiers and snowboarders use special wax for better performance. Some waxes are safe to use with food and are used on cutting boards and sweets like chocolate-covered treats.

Specific examples

Animal waxes

• Beeswax – produced by honey bees
• Chinese wax – produced by the scale insect Ceroplastes ceriferus
• Lanolin (wool wax) – from the sebaceous glands of sheep
• Shellac wax – from the lac insect Kerria lacca
• Spermaceti – from the head cavities and blubber of the sperm whale

Vegetable waxes

• Bayberry wax – from the surface wax of the fruits of the bayberry shrub, Myrica faya or sister species Myrica cerifera or Myrica pensylvanica
• Candelilla wax – from the Mexican shrubs Euphorbia cerifera and Euphorbia antisyphilitica
• Carnauba wax – from the leaves of the carnauba palm, Copernicia cerifera
• Castor wax – catalytically hydrogenated castor oil
• Esparto wax – a byproduct of making paper from esparto grass (Macrochloa tenacissima)
• Japan wax – a vegetable triglyceride (not a true wax), from the berries of Rhus and Toxicodendron species
• Jojoba oil – a liquid wax ester, from the seed of Simmondsia chinensis.
• Ouricury wax – from the Brazilian feather palm, Syagrus coronata.
• Rice bran wax – obtained from rice bran (Oryza sativa)
• Soy wax – from soybean oil
• Tallow tree wax – from the seeds of the tallow tree Triadica sebifera.

Mineral waxes

• Ceresin waxes
• Montan wax – extracted from lignite and brown coal
• Ozocerite – found in lignite beds
• Peat waxes

Petroleum waxes

• Paraffin wax – made of long-chain alkane hydrocarbons
• Microcrystalline wax – with very fine crystalline structure