Wax

Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bee s ( Beeswax ) and used by them in constructing their Honeycomb s.

In modern terms, wax is an imprecisely defined term generally understood to be a substance with properties similar to Beeswax , namely

Plastic ( Malleable ) at normal ambient temperatures

a Melting Point above approximately 45 °C (113 °F) (which differentiates waxes from Fat s and Oil s)

a relatively low Viscosity when melted (unlike many Plastic s)

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 an oily substance found in the human Ear . Some artificial materials that exhibit similar properties are also described as wax or waxy.

Chemically, a wax may be an Ester of Ethylene Glycol (ethan-1,2-diol) and two Fatty Acid s, as opposed to a Fat which is an ester of Glycerin (propan-1,2,3-triol) and three fatty acids. It may also be a combination of other fatty alcohols with fatty acids. It is a type of Lipid .

WAX TYPES

Animal and insect waxes