Beeswax is a wax produced by honey bees of the genus Apis. It is processed from the honeycomb after the honey is removed. The wax comb is broken up and boiled to extract the wax. It is then purified by heating and settling. Beeswax is yellow to brown in color with a honey-like odor. It is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents and oils. Its main uses are in making candles, polishes, ointments, and cosmetics.

1. SUBMITTED by :
Harsh Kumar Baranwal
Dev Bhoomi Institute of Pharmacy & Research Dehradun

2. WAXES
• Waxes are unctuous, fusible, variably viscous
solid substance, with characteristic waxy lustre.
• These are the fatty acids with high weight
monohydric alcohol, such as cholesterol, cetyl
alcohol, melissyl alcohol, etc.
• They are insoluble in water, but soluble in most
organic solvents.
• The esters in waxes are generally more resistant
to saponification than the glycerides of oils and
fats.

3. Source of Waxes
VEGETABLE(a) Seasal Wax
(b) Carnauba Wax
(c) Japan Wax
(d) Bayberry Wax
ANIMAL
(a) Spermaceti
Wax
(b) Bees Wax
(c) Wool Fat

4. BEES WAX

5. Biological Source

6. Geographical Source
• It is processed and commercially prepared in
France, Italy, West Africa, Jamaica and India.

7. Processing and Preparation
Combs & cappings honeycomb broken
Boiled in soft water
Enclosed in a porous bag weighted to keep
under water
Boiling causes oozing of the wax

8. Gets collected outside the bag
Forms a cake after cooling
Debris on outer surface is removed by
scraping
Then purified by heating in boiling water or dil.
Sulphuric acid & settling

9. Process is repeated several times & finally wax is
skimmed off
Various techniques are adopted to bleach wax
Such as treatment with hydrogen peroxide,
chromic acid, ozone , etc.
Bees wax obtained
NOTE: India has exported 45 tonnes of bees wax
costing Rs. 62 lakhs in 1996-97

10. Description
• Colour : Yellow to yellowish-brown
• Odour : Agreeable and honey like

11. Extra Features
Non-Crystalline solid , it is soft
to touch and crumbles under
the pressure of fingers to plastic
mass
Under molten condition , it can
give desired shape
Breaks with a granular fracture

12. Solubility
Insoluble
in water
Soluble in
volatile oil
Soluble
in fixed
oils
Soluble in
hot alcohol ,
ether ,
chloroform

13. Standards
Melting point
• 62 to 65 degree C
Specific gravity
• 0.958 to 0.967
Acid value
• 05 to 10

14. Chemicals Constituents
• It consist of esters of straight-chain monohydric
alcohol with straight chain acid.
• Myricin i.e. myricyl palmitate (about 80%).
• Free cerotic acid (about 15%).
• Small quantity of melisssic acid & aromatic
substance cerolein are the other constituents.
• NOTE : Indian bees wax is characterised by its low
acid value , while European bees wax has the acid
value of 17 to 22.

15. Chemical Test
• Saponifications claud test :
Boil 0.5 gram bee wax with 20ml of caustic
soda solution
For 10 minutes cool it
No turbidity is produced

16. USE
• Preparation of ointments.
• Plasters & polishes.
• Manufacture of candles.
• Moulds & dental , electronic industries.
• Also used in cosmetics for preparation of lip-
sticks and face creams.
• PHARMACEUTICLLY, it is an ingredient of
paraffin ointment I.P.