Food Lipids: Chemistry, Nutrition, and Biotechnology

has an acid value of 17–36, a saponification number of 90–147, melting point of
60–67�C, an ester number of 64–84, a specific gravity of 0.927–0.970, and an iodine
number of 7–16. Pure beeswax consists of about 70–80% of long chain esters, 12–
15% of free acids, 10–15% of hydrocarbon, and small amounts of diols and cholesterol
esters. Beeswax is one of the most useful and valuable of waxes. Its consumption
is not limited to the candle industry, the oldest field of wax consumption.
It is also used in electrical insulation and in the food, paper, and rubber industries.
b. Wool Grease and Lanolin. Wool grease is a by-product of the wool industry,
and the finest wool grease yields lanolin. Pharmaceutical grade lanolin accounts for
about 80% of all wool grease consumption. Wool grease has a melting point of 35–
42�C, an acid value of 7–15, a saponification value of 100–110, an ester value of
85–100, a specific gravity of 0.932–0.945, and an iodine value of 22–30.
c. Carnauba Wax. Carnauba wax, ‘‘queen of waxes,’’ is a vegetable wax produced
in Brazil. Carnauba wax is hard, amorphous, and tough, with a pleasant smell.
It is usually used in cosmetics and by the food industry, in paper coatings, and in
making inks. In the food industry, it is a minor component in glazes for candies,
gums, and fruit coatings. Carnauba wax is soluble in most polar organic solvents. It
contains esters (84–85%), free acids (3–3.5%), resins (4–6%), alcohols (2–3%),
and hydrocarbons (1.5–3.0%). Typically, carnauba has an acid value of 2.9–9.7, an
ester value of 39–55, a saponification value of 79–95, an iodine value of 7–14, and
a melting range of 78–85�C.
d. Candelilla Wax. Candelilla wax is a vegetable wax produced mainly in Mexico.
It is used chiefly in the manufacturing of chewing gum and cosmetics, which
represent about 40% of the market. It is also used in furniture polish, in the production
of lubricants, and in paper coating. Candelilla wax has a specific gravity of 0.98,
an acid value of 12–22, a saponification value of 43–65, a melting point of 66–
71�C, an ester value of 65–75, and an iodine value of 12–22. The chemical composition
of candelilla wax is 28–29% esters, 50–51% hydrocarbon, 7–9% free acids,
and small amounts of alcohols and cholesterols.
e. Ozocerite. Ozocerite is a mineral wax found in Galicia, Russia, Iran, and the
United States. Most ozocerite consists of hydrocarbons, but the chemical composition
varies with the source. Typically ozocerite has an ester value of 56–66, an acid value
of 31–38, a saponification value of 87–104, a melting point of 93–89�C, and an
iodine value of 14–18. Ozocerite is graded as unbleached (black), single bleached
(yellow), and double bleached (white). It is mainly used in making lubricants, lipsticks,
polishes, and adhesives.
C. Isolation, Separation, and Analysis of Natural Waxes
Knowledge of the chemical analysis of natural waxes is essential for understanding
wax biosynthesis, manufacture, and application. While the chemical compositions of
synthetic waxes are constant and depend on the manufacturing process, the natural
waxes are much more complicated in chemical composition. In general, natural
waxes are isolated by chemical extraction, separated by chromatographic methods,
and analyzed by means of mass spectrometry (MS); both gas chromatography (GC)
and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques are used. The fol-
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