Beeswax
Beeswax (also known as cera alba) is a natural
Beeswax has been used since prehistory as the first plastic, as a lubricant and waterproofing agent, in
Beeswax is edible, having similarly negligible toxicity to plant waxes, and is approved for food use in most countries and in the European Union under the E number E901. However, due to its inability to be broken down by the human digestive system, it has insignificant nutritional value.[1]
Production
Beeswax is formed by worker bees, which secrete it from eight wax-producing mirror glands on the inner sides of the sternites (the ventral shield or plate of each segment of the body) on abdominal segments 4 to 7.[2] The sizes of these wax glands depend on the age of the worker, and after many daily flights, these glands gradually begin to atrophy.
The new wax is initially glass-clear and colorless, becoming opaque after chewing and being contaminated with pollen by the hive worker bees, becoming progressively yellower or browner by incorporation of pollen oils and propolis. The wax scales are about three millimetres (0.12 in) across and 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick, and about 1100 are needed to make a gram of wax.[3] Worker bees use the beeswax to build honeycomb cells. For the wax-making bees to secrete wax, the ambient temperature in the hive must be 33 to 36 °C (91 to 97 °F).
The book Beeswax Production, Harvesting, Processing and Products suggests one kilogram (2.2 lb) of beeswax is sufficient to store 22 kg (49 lb) of honey.[4]: 41 Another study estimated that one kilogram (2.2 lb) of wax can store 24 to 30 kg (53 to 66 lb) of honey.[5][6]
Sugars from honey are metabolized into beeswax in wax-gland-associated
Processing
Beeswax as a product for human use may come from cappings cut off the cells in the process of extraction, from old comb that is scrapped, or from unwanted
The wax may be clarified further by heating in water. As with petroleum waxes, it may be softened by dilution with mineral oil or vegetable oil to make it more workable at room temperature.
Physical characteristics
Wax content type | Percentage |
Hydrocarbons | 14% |
Monoesters | 35% |
Diesters | 14% |
Triesters | 3% |
Hydroxy monoesters | 4% |
Hydroxy polyesters | 8% |
Acid esters | 1% |
Acid polyesters | 2% |
Free fatty acids | 12% |
Free fatty alcohols | 1% |
Unidentified | 6% |
Beeswax is a fragrant solid at room temperature. The colors are light yellow, medium yellow, or dark brown and white. Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several chemical compounds.
Beeswax has a relatively low melting point range of 62 to 64 °C (144 to 147 °F). If beeswax is heated above 85 °C (185 °F) discoloration occurs. The flash point of beeswax is 204.4 °C (400 °F).[8]
When natural beeswax is cold,[
Chemical composition
An approximate
Beeswax adulteration
Beeswax faces challenges in the market due to the presence of various suppliers, making it difficult to distinguish authentic from fake variants. Adulterated beeswax often contains paraffin and other toxic additives, posing potential health risks and lacking the genuine honey-scented aroma of pure beeswax.[12]
The fake counterparts, typically in pellet form, feel smooth, sticky, and greasy, reflecting the presence of added paraffin. To identify fake beeswax, consumers are advised to pay attention to color, scent, feel, and texture.
Genuine beeswax, sourced organically from beekeepers, is known for its varying hues, strong honey fragrance, and a hard yet pliable feel.
Production
Country | Tonnes |
---|---|
India | 23,716 |
Ethiopia | 5,339 |
Argentina | 4,970 |
Turkey | 3,765 |
South Korea | 3,758 |
World | 62,116 |
Source: FAOSTAT[13]
|
In 2020, world production of beeswax was 62,116 tonnes, led by India with 38% of the total.[13]
Uses
Candle-making has long involved the use of beeswax, which burns readily and cleanly, and this material was traditionally prescribed for the making of the
Refined beeswax plays a prominent role in art materials both as a binder in encaustic paint and as a stabilizer in oil paint to add body.[18]
Beeswax is an ingredient in surgical
Beeswax was formerly used in the manufacture of phonograph cylinders. It may still be used to seal formal legal or
Purified and bleached beeswax is used in the production of food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The three main types of beeswax products are yellow, white, and beeswax absolute. Yellow beeswax is the crude product obtained from the honeycomb, white beeswax is bleached or filtered yellow beeswax, and beeswax
The use of beeswax in skin care and cosmetics has been increasing. A German study found beeswax to be superior to similar barrier creams (usually mineral oil-based creams such as petroleum jelly), when used according to its protocol.[23] Beeswax is used in
In oil spill control, beeswax is processed to create Petroleum Remediation Product (PRP). It is used to absorb oil or petroleum-based pollutants from water.[24]
Historical uses
Beeswax was among the first plastics to be used, alongside other natural polymers such as
- As candles - the oldest intact beeswax candles north of the Alps were found in the Alamannic graveyard of Oberflacht, Germany, dating to 6th/7th century AD
- In the manufacture of cosmetics
- As a modelling material in the lost-wax casting process, or cire perdue[25]
- For wax tablets used for a variety of writing purposes
- In encaustic paintings such as the Fayum mummy portraits[26]
- In bow making
- To strengthen and preserve sewing thread, cordage, shoe laces, etc.
- As a component of sealing wax
- To strengthen and to forestall splitting and cracking of wind instrument reeds
- To form the mouthpieces of a
- As a sealant or firearms
- To stabilize the military explosive Torpex – before being replaced by a petroleum-based product
- In producing Javanese batik[27]
- As an ancient form of dental tooth filling[28][29]
- As the joint filler in the slate bed of pool and billiard tables.
See also
References
- ^ a b Beeswax absorption and toxicity. Large amounts of such waxes in the diet pose theoretical toxicological problems for mammals.
- (PDF) from the original on 2019-04-30.
- ISBN 0-905652-15-0
- ^ ISBN 978-1878075062.
- ISBN 978-1603584616.
- ^ Top-bar beekeeping in America Archived 2014-07-29 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Collision, Clarence (31 March 2015). "A Closer Look: Beeswax, Wax Glands". Bee Culture. beeculture.com. pp. 12–27. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- ^ "MSDS for beeswax".. No reported autoignition temperature has been reported
- ^ .
- ^ Umney, Nick; Shayne Rivers (2003). Conservation of Furniture. Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 164.
- .
- .
- ^ FAOSTAT). 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-933958-94-1.
- ^ 'Altar Candles", 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia
- ^ [1], Use of Candles in the Orthodox Church
- .
- )
- ^ 'Raw Beeswax Uses" Archived 2013-11-06 at the Wayback Machine, MoreNature
- ^ 'Metal Injection Molding Process (MIM)" Archived 2012-05-10 at the Wayback Machine, 2012 EngPedia
- PMID 12160878.
- .
- ^
Peter J. Frosch; Detlef Peiler; Veit Grunert; Beate Grunenberg (July 2003). "Wirksamkeit von Hautschutzprodukten im Vergleich zu Hautpflegeprodukten bei Zahntechnikern – eine kontrollierte Feldstudie. Efficacy of barrier creams in comparison to skincare products in dental laboratory technicians – a controlled trial". Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft (in German). 1 (7): 547–557. S2CID 70532469.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the use of after-work moisturizers is highly beneficial and under the chosen study conditions even superior to barrier creams applied at work. This approach is more practical for many professions and may effectively reduce the frequency of irritant contact dermatitis.
- ^ "Petroleum Remediation Product". spacefoundation.org. November 3, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- S2CID 193028590.
- ^ Egyptology online Archived 2007-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ormeling, F. J. 1956. The Timor problem: a geographical interpretation of an underdeveloped island. Groningen and The Hague: J. B. Wolters and Martinus Nijhoff.
- ^ "Oldest tooth filling may have been found – Light Years – CNN.com Blogs". Lightyears.blogs.cnn.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
- ^ "Don't Use Your Teeth". Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
External links
- The chemistry of bees Joel Loveridge, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, accessed November 2005