Wax

== Description ==
A solid or semi-solid substance that is slightly greasy to touch. Waxes are composed of long chain hydrocarbon compounds, and may contain esters of fatty acids and alcohols. They are thermoplastic and melt at low temperatures (between 40 and 100C). In general, waxes are water-repellent, smooth, and soluble in organic solvents. Waxes are classified by their origin: 
* animal: beeswax, lanolin, spermaceti, lac wax 
* vegetable: carnauba, candelilla, bayberry, Japan wax 
* mineral: paraffin, ozocerite, ceresin, montan, microcrystalline
* synthetic: polyethylene, polymethylene, Carbowax®, Halowax® 
Waxes are used for polishes, candles, crayons, sealants, coatings, adhesives, waterproofing, and carbon paper. Waxes have been used as a media in encaustic and wax emulsion paintings, and as repellents in wax-resist watercolor paintings.
Properties of some natural waxes:
Wax 	Source 	Iodine value	Saponification Number	Acid value 	mp C 	Ref. Index 	Spec. Gravity	Use
Bayberry wax 	Myrica cerifera 	2.9-3.9 	205-217 	3.5 	40-49 	1.436 	0.977-0.995 	soapmaking, candles, natural insect repellent
Beeswax 	Apis mellifica 	6-11 	84-103 	16-24 	63-70 (144-149 F)	1.440-1.449	0.955-0.966 	candles, polishes, adhesives, plasticizer, paint binder (encaustic)
Candelilla wax 	Euphorbia antisyphilitica; Pedilanthus pavinia	14-37 	35-86 	12-20 	67-71 	1.456 	0.950-0.990 	leather dressing, polishes, sealing wax, paper sizing, metal casting
Carnauba wax 	Corypha cerifera 	7.2-13.5 	75-95 	0.4-9.7 	83-86 	1.467-1.472	0.990-0.999 	floor waxes, polishes, metal casting, printing inks, carbon paper
Ceresin wax 	purified ozocerite 	 	 	 	61-78 	 	0.91-0.92 	candles, sizing, floor polish, waterproofing,leather dressing.
Chinese insect wax 	Coccus ceriferus 	1-2 	43-93 	0.2-1.5 (12-22)	80-83 	1.457 	0.950-0.970 	candles, polishes, sizing, leather dressing
Esparto wax 	Stipa tenacissima; Lygeum spartum 	22-23 	69.8-79.3 	22.7-23.9 	67.5-78.1 	 	0.9887 	carbon paper and as substitute for carnauba wax
Japan wax 	Rhus verniciflua; Rhus succedanea 	4.5-12.6 	206.5-237.5 	6-209 	53 	 	0.97-0.99 	candles, floor waxes, crayons, adhesive, metal casting
Microcrystalline wax 	Petroleum 	0 	0 	0 	60-93 	1.441 	0.915-0.941 	polish producing clear, non- sticky finish.
Montan wax 	Lignin and peat 	16-20 	74-127 	30-70 	76-130 	 	1.010-1.030 	polishes, phonograph records, adhesives, sizing, candles, carbon paper
Ouricury wax 	Cocos coronapa 	6.9-7.8 	61.8-85.8 	3.4-21.1 	79-85 	 	0.970-1.053 	substitute for carnauba wax
Paraffin wax 	Petroleum 	0 	0 	0 	47-75 	1.442-1.448	0.880-0.925 	floor wax, waterproofing textiles and paper, leather dressing, rust preventative
Spermaceti 	Physeter macrocephalus 	3.0-4.4 	120-136 	2.0-5.2 	40-50 	1.433-1.440	0.905-0.945 	ointments, candles, soap, surgery, leather dressing
Lanolin (wool wax)	Ovis aries 	15-47 	80-127 	5.6-22.0 	36-43 	1.478-1.482	0.932-0.946 	emollient, leather dressing, rust preventative
== Synonyms and Related Terms ==
voks (Dan.); Wachs (Deut.); cera (Esp., It.); cire (Fr.); wosk (Pol.); vax (Sven.) 
Types include: animal wax; synthetic wax, mineral wax; vegetable wax
== Physical and Chemical Properties ==
Soluble in most organic solvents. Insoluble in water.
== For easy printing and to download==
== Resources and Citations ==
* C.Harley, "Wax" The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996.
* G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 862
* Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
* Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "wax" [Accessed 20 Sept. 2005].
* The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996 Comment: "Wax" by C. Harley
* Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax Wax) (Accessed Sept. 20, 2005 and Oct. 2024)
* Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
* Tom Rowland, Noel Riley, A-Z Guide to Cleaning, Conserving and Repairing Antiques, Constable and Co., Ltd., London, 1981
* Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982
* Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
* Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
* The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983
* The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
* Website: www.hants.org.uk/museums/ofr/cmeth_t.html
Category:Materials database