Rapple "Scholarly Communications and the Sustainable Development Goals"
Beeswax
1. Prepared By:
Jahanvi P. Tankaria
B.Pharma. Sem 3
Akshar Preet Institute of Pharmacy, Jamnagar.
Guide by: Mrs. Pooja Khanpara
Beeswax
2. Synonyms:
Yellow wax, Cera alba.
White wax obtained is known as
cera flava.
Obtained from the honey comb of the bees Apis mellifera
and other species of Apis belonging to the family Apidae,
order Hymenptera.
.
It is produced in France, Italy, West Africa, India.
Biological Source:
Geographical source:
3. Preparation:
1) The combs and capping of honeycomb are broken and
boiled in soft water.
2) These are then enclosed in a porous bag weighed to
keep under water, the boiling causes oozing of the
wax, which get collected outside the bag and form a
cake after cooling.
3) The debris on outer surface is removed by scraping.
4) The process is repeated several times and finally wax
is skimmed off.
4. Description:
Colour : Yellow to yellowish-brown
Odour : Agreeable and honey-like
Non crystalline solid.
Soft to touch and crumbles under pressure of
fingers to plastic mass.
Under molten condition, it can be given any desired
shape.
It breaks with a granular fracture.
Insoluble in water
Soluble in hot alcohol, ether, chloroform, carbon
tetrachloride, fixed and volatile oils.
Extra features:
Solubility:
5. Standards:
M.P. : 62 to 65°c
Specific gravity : 0.958 to 0.967
Acid value : 5 to 10
Saponification value : 90 to 103
Ester value : 80 to 95
It consists of esters of straight chain monohydric
alcohols with straight chain acids.
Constituent is myricin i.e. myricyl palmitate 80%, free
cerotic acid 15%, melissic acid and aromatic cerolein.
Indian bees wax contains low acid value and
European bees wax has acid value of 17-22.
Chemical constituents:
7. Uses:
In preparation of ointments, plasters and polishes.
Also used in the manufacturing of candles, moulds in
dental and electronic industries, cosmetics for lip-
sticks, face cream.
Is an ingredient of paraffin ointment.
Adulterated with colophony, hard paraffin stearic acid,
Japan wax, spermaceti, carnauba wax.
Adulteration can be detected on the basis of solubility
and melting point.
Adulteration: