From a technical point of view, wax refers to various natural or artificially produced substances that can be hard, ductile or brittle, and begin to melt at temperatures above 40 0 C.There are 3 types of wax: animal, mineral and vegetable. Animal wax comes mainly from bees. The mineral is mined, and also obtained from oil, paraffin. Vegetable wax is scraped off leaves or other parts of plants. From a chemical point of view, we are talking about the combination of fatty acid esters with polyhydric alcohols. Natural wax, which is beeswax, most often contains a small amount of acids, hydrocarbons, sterol and other substances. Wax has long been used primarily to make scented candles, to close wounds, for skin conditions and for cosmetic purposes, and as a chewing wax for internal use. This use of wax is due to the fact that it also contains propolis and a lot of "skin" vitamin A, as well as a number of other substances that can also be therapeutically active.
Wax is a product of the wax glands of bees. From the age of 12 days, the flying bee, which has stopped producing royal jelly, eats nectar, pollen and begins to produce wax. Wax is formed in special glands located in pairs on the ventral side, is secreted through the smallest pores of wax "mirrors" and on their surface turns into hard wax plates, each of which weighs from 0.18 to 0.25 mg. The process of production of wax by a bee is very complex and requires the presence of a sufficient amount of enzymes in the body. The bee family receives from 0.5 to 2.0 kg of wax per season and uses it to build combs and equip their homes. The wax is dissolved by the secretion of the maxillary glands, so there are no seams in the cells.
Newly built combs are light yellow in color and are 85-100% wax. Over time, the color of the honeycombs changes, after a year or two they darken down to dark brown. At the same time, the size of the cells changes, they become smaller in volume, and the amount of wax in the honeycomb is reduced to 50-60%. The brood in these combs matures small, the strength of the family falls. Such honeycombs are discarded and used for the production of commercial wax.
Before eggs or nectar are laid in the honeycomb cells, they are polished with propolis, beeswax always contains propolis.
Wax is a dense substance. After the honeycomb melts, it acquires a homogeneous solid mass. Its color depends on the color of the melted honeycombs, it can be yellow, greenish, red, white and even black. The color of the combs to a certain extent depends on the type of pollen that the young bees fed on. The color and other qualities of commercial wax also depend on the way it is processed. There are 4 types of wax:
Fresh honeycomb wax is more often almost white or creamy in color. This wax is highly valued.
Wax density 0.95-0.96 g/cm3, so it floats easily in water. The melting point varies from 62 to 68°C. Refractory wax is considered the highest quality. Remelting wax at a higher temperature promotes the formation of "wax oil", which is used in traditional medicine in the treatment of skin diseases.
Natural beeswax has a crystalline structure, at the break, it is homogeneous and granular, and has a pleasant honey smell, which intensifies when heated. The smell of wax is pleasant - honey-propolis or honey. At a temperature of 47, its normal structure is destroyed.
Waxes obtained from high quality raw materials are tasteless or have a peculiar faint aftertaste. The taste of wax is specific, a bit like the taste of honey and propolis. It chews well, becomes plastic in the mouth, does not stick to the teeth.
Beeswax is an inert material, with high plasticity at a temperature of 32 ° C. Pieces of wax are easily kneaded by fingers.
Beeswax is solid at room temperature. The wax ingot has a flat, slightly concave surface. When struck with a hammer or when dropped, the ingot easily breaks into pieces.
When heated and cooled, a thin layer of wax does not crack.
Wax burns with a luminous flame without residue and soot, which is why it is preferred to be used in temples. When heated, the wax transforms into a plastic mass that sticks to the fingers.
Wax is very resistant to external influences, well preserved for hundreds of years, almost without changing their properties. With prolonged storage, a grayish-white coating forms on its surface, which is a sign of the purity of the wax. This plaque disappears when heated to a temperature of +35...40°C. There is a case when wax lay in the ground for 1100 years and did not change in terms of physico-chemical parameters. Storage conditions - dry, dark and cool room. Wax does not lose color and flavor when placed in stainless steel, glass or plastic containers wrapped in wrapping paper.
The quality of the wax is determined by the acid number (16.7-29.6), saponification number (87.8-107), essential number (66-82), iodine number and the ratio of essential and acid numbers (3.5-3.9 ).
Natural beeswax has pronounced hydrophobic (insoluble in water; from the Greek "hydro" - water, and "phobos" - fear) properties It is absolutely insoluble in water, it is also insoluble in glycerol, at room temperature it is completely insoluble in any of the organic solvents. Above the melting point, the wax dissolves in gasoline, benzene, toluene, xylene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and carbon disulfide. At the boiling point, the wax dissolves in ethyl alcohol.
Wax adulteration is possible. In such cases, the wax is mixed with easily accessible paraffin, less often with rosin, stearin and ceresin. These additives give the mixture new qualities, a new smell and taste. If an ingot of wax contains paraffin, then its surface acquires a concave shape, from a blow with a hammer only a dent with light edges is formed in it, large crystals are visible on the section of the ingot, the cut will be shiny, smooth, the wax becomes more brittle, the chips made by the knife crumble, when smearing a piece of such wax, fat is felt. When chewing a piece of the mixture, it easily sticks to the teeth, and in water it quickly sinks.
Beeswax is a multi-component product containing over 300 substances. In chemical composition, it is similar to fats, but much richer than them. The main component of wax is esters.
Beeswax contains a small amount of water (0.1 to 2.5%), carotenoids (12.8 mg in 100 g of wax, in 100 g of carrots - 9 mg), coloring, aromatic and mineral substances, as well as impurities - shells of larvae, propolis, pollen, antibiotic substances, etc. Triterpenes (squalene and lanosterol), sterols (cholesterol and its esters) and substances that increase growth are isolated and identified in it plants, such as myricyl alcohol (myricil), gibberellin GA3 (gibberellin) and rapeseed oil steroid.
According to beeswax, it consists of four groups of organic compounds, each of which contains several components:
Hydrocarbons are organic compounds composed exclusively of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Hydrocarbons are considered the basic compounds of organic chemistry, all other organic compounds are considered as their derivatives. Limit hydrocarbons (alkanes) are saturated hydrocarbons and contain the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms. General formula Cn H2n+2 . The word "alkane" is of the same origin as "alcohol". The obsolete term "paraffin". Chemically inert, insoluble in water.
Fatty acids and glycerol are the main constituents of animal and vegetable fats. Fatty alcohol is a dense matte substance that looks like paraffin. For the first time in history, the highest fatty alcohol was isolated by the French chemist Chevrel from the head fat of a sperm whale. Esters of higher fatty acids and higher fatty alcohols- waxy substances, odorless, insoluble in water.
The basis of beeswax is esters (up to 75%) formed by palmitic, neocerotinic, and mellisic acids, ceryl and melissin alcohols. A large number of esters protect the wax from entering into chemical reactions with other substances. That is why it can persist for many years, even hundreds of years. In addition, the wax contains cerotinic, montanic and oleic acids, ceryl and montanic alcohols. Cerotinic and melissanic acids are the most active part of the wax; they can react with most metals as well as alkalis.
When free fatty acids of wax interact with some metals, colored salts are formed. So, when in contact with iron, the wax becomes brown in color; copper colors the wax green; zinc, dissolving in wax, acquires a dirty gray color.
In wax, only 21 compounds are present in amounts greater than 1%, which is 56% of the wax. The other 44% are various compounds that probably give the wax its characteristic malleability and low melting point.
Groups of compounds in beeswax.
Wax is widely used in modern industry; electrical engineers, polygraphs, and woodworkers cannot do without it. Wax is used in foundry, leather production, food, glass, automotive and aviation industries, in the manufacture of many medicines. The perfume industry cannot do without it, it is part of creams, lipsticks, mascaras, nourishing creams, deodorants, hydrophobic ointments and creams that protect the skin from exposure to water, saline solutions, acids, alkalis. With the help of petroleum ether, a special fragrant essential oil is obtained from wax, which is used in the production of perfumes. One ton of wax gives 5 kg of this ether. In terms of its qualities, it is not inferior to such expensive oils as rose and jasmine.
Mankind has been using wax for their needs since ancient times. Candles were made from it to illuminate dwellings and temples. It was used to embalm corpses. Later they began to make dummies, busts, wax figures. Wax is part of the paints for painting, both in the distant past and now. In the early days of gramophone recordings, wax was also used. Thanks to this, we can now hear the voices of Leo Tolstoy, Chaliapin, Blok, Mayakovsky, Kachalov, Sobinov and others. Wax is still used in the manufacture of anatomical preparations and models for teaching students of medical schools.
Many people know about the benefits of honey. But the bee apiary is not only famous for it: bee workers, in addition to this product, produce many other useful things. And today we will talk about one of them - beeswax.
What do we know about this product? The first thing that comes to mind is church candles. In fact, fragrant natural beeswax with a unique chemical composition is used everywhere: in industry, in everyday life, in cosmetology and medicine.
Beeswax is an amazing product of natural origin. Despite all attempts, a person has not yet been able to create a synthetic analogue of beeswax, which would be able to influence human health as actively as a product produced by bees.
Bees need wax to build honeycombs, where they then carefully store nectar. But this is not limited to the scope of beeswax. The remarkable properties of this unique product have found application in many areas of the national economy and at home.
Wax is produced mainly by young bees from the age of twelve. By this time, they stop secreting royal jelly and actively eat pollen and nectar. In order for a bee to be able to produce wax, its body must contain enough enzymes.
In special glands (located on the abdomen of insects), wax is formed, which begins to stand out in small drops through the pores. During the season, a family of bees can produce up to 3 kilograms of wax and use it to equip their hive and build honeycombs.
Newly built honeycombs are 85-100% wax. Cells of honeycombs before laying nectar or eggs in them are polished with propolis, due to which the wax is also enriched with propolis and acquires a yellowish tint.
After a couple of years, the color of the wax combs changes (they acquire darker brown shades), and the cells decrease in volume. This affects both the wax content in the combs (its amount decreases to 40-60%) and the quality of the brood, which becomes smaller, and the bee colony gradually loses its strength. Honeycombs that have served their time are discarded, and marketable wax is produced from them.
Pure wax is obtained by the method (or by pressing) directly in the apiary from old combs, cut wax caps, wax superstructures, the remains of various non-wax substances in the hive (the remaining cocoons after the brood exits from the cells, bee bread, feces of larvae, residues in honey cells). To remove all the dirt and get high-quality wax, the resulting raw material is melted and then filtered more than once. Then the wax, frozen in the form, is removed and used for its intended purpose.
Read also: How to make beeswax candles at home?
Wax obtained directly from the apiary is considered the best. Its other types (depending on the method of processing and the quality of the feedstock) are inferior to it in terms of properties and quality:
Natural beeswax is a dense substance with a crystalline structure (granular and homogeneous at the break). At room temperature, it is solid, but when the temperature rises, it becomes plastic and easily kneaded in the hands.
The quality of the wax depends on the melting point (the higher this value, the better). Refractory wax is valued more and it is it that is more often used in folk medicine.
When burning, wax does not emit soot (this property allows it to be used in the manufacture of candles for churches and temples).
Wax can be stored for a long time in a cool, dry place, completely retaining its properties. And in a glass vessel with a tight lid, its aroma and color will remain unchanged for a long time.
Natural wax is absolutely insoluble in glycerin, in water and slightly soluble in ethyl alcohol. When heated, it dissolves well in essential and fatty oils, gasoline, carbon disulfide, turpentine.
When interacting with metals, the color and quality of the wax may change. It is not recommended to use metal utensils for melting it.
Fresh honeycomb wax is light in color (creamy or almost white). He is valued the most. Later, under the influence of substances containing propolis, it turns yellow.
Wax in combs that have served for more than one year gradually darkens, acquiring dark yellow, brown shades and even black. The darker the honeycombs, the less wax they contain. Also, the color of the wax is affected by dyes found in propolis and pollen, partially contained in it.
In the composition of beeswax, according to scientists, there are more than 300 active substances and chemical compounds. The most important of them are esters (the main component of this product), saturated hydrocarbons, a small amount of water, free fatty alcohols and acids, carotenoids, aromatic, mineral and coloring substances, vitamins, impurities in the form of residues of larvae, propolis, pollen.
In chemical composition, it is similar to fats, but more complex. Esters, the content of which reaches up to 75% in it, protect the wax from chemical reactions in contact with other substances, which provides this substance with such a long shelf life. Wax in excellent condition, retaining its qualities, was found even in the ancient pyramids of Egypt.
Read also: DIY beeswax lip balm
Wax is one of the important products in the apiary. This is partly due to the fact that it is mined in small quantities. But this is not the only reason why it is so valuable. Its healing properties have long been studied by our ancestors. Although today the exact composition and its properties are not fully understood. And we often use beeswax at home, using old recipes that were inherited from our ancestors.
So where and how can beeswax be used?
In ancient Egypt, wax was necessary for sacrifices and for the burials of the nobility. And wooden boards covered with a layer of wax were used by our ancestors for writing long before the invention of paper.
For centuries, candles have been made from wax to illuminate churches and dwellings. It is used as part of ski wax, as part of cement for gluing plaster and marble, in mastic for grafting trees, in special pencils to draw on glass.
Artists have long (and still) paint with wax paints, which are distinguished by great strength and beautiful shine. This is confirmed by findings during archaeological excavations and literary sources. Wax is also used in the creation of sculptures and in children's art.
Wax is a raw material for many industries. It is used in electrical engineering, foundry, textile, aviation, perfumery, automotive, pharmaceutical, paint and varnish, printing, chemical industries and other fields.
It is simply impossible to imagine traditional medicine without prescriptions based on beeswax. The healing properties of this bee product, which contains wax, perga, pollen and propolis, make it possible to use it in medicine to nourish the skin, hair and nails, heal various skin lesions, relieve inflammation, relieve pain in rheumatism and arthritis.
This natural natural antibiotic with bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties is an excellent remedy for colds. It is used as a natural antidepressant, to strengthen the immune system, to improve metabolism.
The legendary doctors of antiquity: Avicenna, Pliny, Hippocrates - did not ignore beeswax.
So, the eminent physician of the Middle Ages, Avicenna, recommended using this product for nursing mothers to increase milk lactation and as an expectorant and emollient for coughs and sore throats.
Hippocrates suggested that patients with angina apply warm wax compresses to their chest and neck.
The scientist of Ancient Rome Pliny noted that fresh wax is considered the most useful. After studying its properties, he found that this product is able to draw out infection from wounds and heal various injuries and skin diseases, as well as warm, soften and promote skin renewal.
Such qualities of wax as elasticity, plasticity, softness, insolubility in water, low melting point, make beeswax one of the indispensable components for many pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations that are prepared on its basis - these are all kinds of ointments, warming dressings, patches.
Wax is a simple compound used in the manufacture of candles, honeycombs, and cosmetic products. You can cook it yourself and use it at a convenient time for yourself, because this necessary composition is not always in the house. A variety of crafts and figurines are made from wax - it is only important to show imagination and study the question of how to make wax yourself.
How to make wax?
For cosmetic purposes, self-prepared wax is suitable. It is made from sugar and lemon juice in proportion - one lemon per pound of bulk product.
So how do you make wax at home using just these two products? Here the following actions are carried out:
The resulting mixture is used hot for epilation or a newfangled introduction - shugaring. The composition should also be used in the manufacture of various candles and other figurines, but only as it hardens. If there are special forms in the question presented, there will be no problems - the liquid is simply poured into the prepared form.
As simple methods for preparing wax, you should use ready-made wax objects - candles, honeycombs, wax pencils and other products. The easiest way to quickly make wax is to make a composition of candles.
Do not look for difficult ways - if there are wax objects, use them immediately. In the case of the intended cosmetic procedure, use sugar and lemon juice.
Wax for bees is a tool for building their homes, honeycombs. But for humans, this product has become much more widespread - primarily in the treatment of various dermatological diseases.
In this article, we have prepared the most common questions about beeswax. And the beekeeper with more than 20 years of experience will answer them in detail.
The composition of wax is unusually complex. Most of it is occupied by esters - about 75%. The product also contains: hydrocarbons, fatty acids, water, aromatic substances, minerals, alcohols, carotenoids, vitamins. In addition, natural wax may contain minor impurities and other bee products: honey, pollen, propolis, etc.
You can buy wax directly from our apiary "Svіy honey":
As a raw material for processing, beekeepers use various trimmings that remain in the process of working in the apiary: deformed honeycombs, empty cells, cut bark, etc. Further, beeswax is processed in one of the following ways:
The best option is to process the product using a steam wax melter. The process takes less time than with other methods. In addition, it allows you to process the maximum amount of natural wax without waste.
The color of beeswax can vary from white to dark brown. This does not indicate the level of its quality - it all depends on the composition of the product and the method of its processing. For example, a wax high in propolis will be darker in color. And the product processed under ultraviolet rays will become lighter every day.
Related article: Wax for wood, leather and fabric: non-standard use of bee product
There are several factors that will help you distinguish a high-quality natural product from a fake with impurities:
The quality of the wax is easy to check when melted. A product with impurities will change color or delaminate.
There are several uses for bee wax:
Wax is not processed by the human body, so it does not make sense to use it for food. It can be chewed for several minutes and spit out. But, if you accidentally swallowed a piece (for example, along with honeycombs), do not worry, the product will come out naturally.
The product is for external use only. Depending on the focus of the disease, you can use it in one of the following ways:
Wax can also be used for hair removal at home.
Related article: Waxing at home: flawless smoothness
The only contraindication is individual intolerance to bee products. You can do a small test in advance to check if you have any allergies: apply a small piece of the product to the skin in the wrist area and hold for a few minutes. If during this time you do not have redness, rash, itching or other signs of allergy, you can safely use the product.
Beeswax is unpretentious in matters of storage. The only caveat is that it is not recommended to keep it near products with an excessively intense aroma, since wax easily absorbs odors. Also, beekeepers advise using more environmentally friendly storage containers: paper bags, glass jars, linen bags, etc.
Related article: How to store bee products: instructions and expiration dates