Beeswax
Beeswax is the primary animal-based wax in use today. It is a byproduct of beekeeping, synthesized by bees from honey and then harvested by beekeepers.
- Yellow Beeswax: This is the raw product. The wax has typically been steamed and filtered without undergoing any bleaching or deodorizing treatments.
- White Beeswax: This is the processed version. The wax has usually undergone multiple treatments to purify, deodorize, and bleach it.
Filters
How is Beeswax Produced and Harvested?
Beeswax in Detail:
Beeswax is produced by worker bees (neither the queen nor the males produce it) from wax glands located on the underside of their abdomen. It is secreted in the form of thin, white, transparent scales. This wax is mixed with bee saliva, kneaded by the bees' mandibles, and heated to about 35°C to be used in the construction of hexagonal cells. Interestingly, bees do not deliberately create hexagonal shapes; instead, they form cylinders, and the physical properties of the softened wax, such as viscosity and surface tension, cause the shapes to morph into hexagons. These cells are where honey is deposited, and later sealed with another layer of wax.
Bees synthesize wax from honey and sugars, not from pollen.
Beeswax starts as a white solid but gradually turns brown as it absorbs pigments from substances like pollen. It melts around 65°C and has a density of 0.96. It is insoluble in water but soluble in hot ethanol, chloroform, and benzene.
Chemical Properties:
- Acid value: 15-23
- Iodine value: 6-12
- Saponification value: 85-105
- Ester value: 70-82
Uses of Beeswax:
- Cosmetics: Beeswax is valued for its film-forming abilities in lipsticks and deodorant sticks, its texturing properties in glosses, and its hardening function in soaps.
- Pharmaceutical Industry: Beeswax is widely used in medicinal applications.
- Candles: Beeswax is a traditional material for candle making.
- Food Industry: It serves as a coating agent and is classified as a food additive under the code E 901 (used for glazing and texture).
- Polishes: "Natural" polishes often contain beeswax mixed with carnauba wax.