Bayberry wax is an aromatic green vegetable
wax. It is removed from the surface of the fruit of the
bayberry (wax-myrtle) shrub (ex. ''
Myrica cerifera
''Myrica cerifera'' is an evergreen tree or large shrub native to North and Central America and the Caribbean. Its common names include southern wax myrtle, southern bayberry, candleberry, bayberry tree, and tallow shrub. It has uses in the garde ...
'') by boiling the fruits in water and skimming the wax from the surface of the water. It is made up primarily of
ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...
s of
lauric,
myristic, and
palmitic acid
Palmitic acid (hexadecanoic acid in IUPAC nomenclature) is a fatty acid with a 16-carbon chain. It is the most common saturated fatty acid found in animals, plants and microorganisms.Gunstone, F. D., John L. Harwood, and Albert J. Dijkstra. The ...
.
Uses
Bayberry wax is used primarily in the manufacture of scented
candles
A candle is an ignitable candle wick, wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a Aroma compound, fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. ...
and other products where its distinctive resinous fragrance is desirable.
Properties
*
Melting point
The melting point (or, rarely, liquefaction point) of a substance is the temperature at which it changes state of matter, state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase (matter), phase exist in Thermodynamic equilib ...
=
*
Acid value
In chemistry, acid value (AV, acid number, neutralization number or acidity) is a number used to quantify the acidity of a given chemical substance. It is the quantity of Base (chemistry), base (usually potassium hydroxide (KOH)), expressed as m ...
= 3.5
*
Saponification value
Saponification value or saponification number (SV or SN) represents the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) required to saponify one gram of fat under the conditions specified. It is a measure of the ...
= 205–217
[
* Iodine number = 1.9–3.9][
]
References
{{reflist
6. https://academic.oup.com/plcell/article/28/1/248/6098194
Waxes