Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees (beeswax) and used by them in constructing their honeycombs. Families Andrenidae Apidae Colletidae Halictidae Heterogynaidae Megachilidae Melittidae Oxaeidae Sphecidae Stenotritidae bee or bees, see bee (disambiguation). ... Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several compounds including: hydrocarbons 14%, monoesters 35%, diesters 14%, triesters 3%, hydroxy monoesters 4%, Hydroxy polyesters 8%, acid esters 1%, acid polyesters 2%, free acids 12%, free alcohols 1%, unidentified 6% [1]. Beeswax is secreted by honeybees in the form... A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal wax cells built by honeybees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen. ...

In modern terms, wax is an imprecisely defined term generally understood to be a substance with properties similar to beeswax, namely Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several compounds including: hydrocarbons 14%, monoesters 35%, diesters 14%, triesters 3%, hydroxy monoesters 4%, Hydroxy polyesters 8%, acid esters 1%, acid polyesters 2%, free acids 12%, free alcohols 1%, unidentified 6% [1]. Beeswax is secreted by honeybees in the form...

• plastic (malleable) at normal ambient temperatures
• a melting point above approximately 45 °C (which differentiates waxes from fats and oils)
• a relatively low viscosity when melted (unlike many plastics)
• insoluble in water
• hydrophobic

Waxes may be natural or artificial. In addition to beeswax, carnauba (a vegetable wax) and paraffin (a mineral wax) are commonly encountered waxes which occur naturally. Ear wax is a sticky substance found in the human ear. Some artificial materials that exhibit similar properties are also described as wax or waxy. Malleability is a physical property of matter, signifying its capability of deformation, especially by hammering or rolling. ... The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. ... Look up fat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ... The Pitch Drop Experiment at the University of Queensland. ... Plastic is a term that covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization products. ... In chemistry, hydrophobic or lipophilic species, or hydrophobes, tend to be electrically neutral and nonpolar, and thus prefer other neutral and nonpolar solvents or molecular environments. ... Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several compounds including: hydrocarbons 14%, monoesters 35%, diesters 14%, triesters 3%, hydroxy monoesters 4%, Hydroxy polyesters 8%, acid esters 1%, acid polyesters 2%, free acids 12%, free alcohols 1%, unidentified 6% [1]. Beeswax is secreted by honeybees in the form... Carnauba is a wax derived from the leaves of a plant native to northeastern Brazil, the Carnauba Palm (Copernica cerifera). ... Paraffin is a common name for a group of high molecular weight alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is greater than about 20, discovered by Carl Reichenbach. ... Cerumen, commonly known as earwax, is a yellowish, waxy substance secreted in the ear canal of humans and many other mammals. ... A left human ear. ...

Chemically, a wax may be an ester of ethylene glycol (ethan-1,2-diol) and two fatty acids, as opposed to a fat which is an ester of glycerin (propan-1,2,3-triol) and three fatty acids. It is a type of lipid. In organic chemistry and biochemistry esters are substances where an organic group replaces a hydrogen atom (or more than one) in an oxygen acid. ... Ethylene glycol (monoethylene glycol (MEG), IUPAC name:ethane-1,2-diol) is an alcohol with two -OH groups (a diol), a chemical compound widely used as an automotive antifreeze. ... In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid (or organic acid), often with a long aliphatic tail (long chains), either saturated or unsaturated. ... Look up fat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Glycerin, also known as glycerine and glycerol, and less commonly as 1,2,3-propanetriol, 1,2,3-trihydroxypropane, glyceritol, and glycyl alcohol is a colorless, odorless, hygroscopic, and sweet tasting viscous liquid. ... Figure 1: Structure of a Lipid. ...

See also

• Adipocere
• Bayberry
• Beeswax
• Candles
• Carnauba wax
• Hair wax
• Paraffin wax and Paraffin
• SC Johnson Company
• Sealing wax
• Ski wax
• Wax play
• Waxing for hair removal
• Hot wax

Adipocere or grave wax is the insoluble fatty acids left as residue from pre-existing fats from decomposing material such as a human cadaver. ... Species About 35 species, including: Myrica adenophora Myrica californica - California Bayberry Myrica cerifera - Wax-myrtle Myrica esculenta Myrica faya - Faya Bayberry Myrica gale - Sweet Gale or Bog-myrtle Myrica hartwegii - Sierra Bayberry Myrica heterophylla Myrica holdrigeana Myrica inodora - Scentless Bayberry Myrica nana Myrica parvifolia Myrica pensylvanica - Candleberry Myrica pubescens Myrica... Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several compounds including: hydrocarbons 14%, monoesters 35%, diesters 14%, triesters 3%, hydroxy monoesters 4%, Hydroxy polyesters 8%, acid esters 1%, acid polyesters 2%, free acids 12%, free alcohols 1%, unidentified 6% [1]. Beeswax is secreted by honeybees in the form... A lit candle. ... Carnauba is a wax derived from the leaves of a plant native to northeastern Brazil, the Carnauba Palm (Copernica prunifera). ... Hair wax is a wax to put in the hair to get some kind of hairstyle. ... Paraffin is a common name for a group of high molecular weight alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is greater than about 20. ... Paraffin is a common name for a group of high molecular weight alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is greater than about 20, discovered by Carl Reichenbach. ... SC Johnson & Son Inc. ... Sealing wax is used to seal envelopes. ... Ski wax is a material applied to the bottom of skis or snowboards to help them perform on snow. ... Wax play can create colorful and beautiful patterns on the subject Wax play is a form of sensual play involving warm or hot wax usually dripped from candles or ladled onto a persons naked skin. ... Waxing is a temporary method of hair removal which removes the hair at the root. ...

External links

• Wax frosting (Kontraband.com)