A study on physical properties of some waxes

Abstract

Natural waxes are obtained from animals, plants or minerals. Beeswax, shellac wax and Lanolin are derived from animals, where as Candelilla wax, Carnauba and jojoba are obtained from plant. Natural waxes can also be mined like Montan wax, Paraffin wax, Microcrystalline wax. Chemically, a wax is a type of lipid that contains a wide variety of long chain alkanes of primary alcohols and fatty acids. They are usually distinguished from fats by the lack of triglyceride esters of glycerine and three fatty acids. Extensive information is available on the chemistry of waxes such as separation of wax from crude oil, water repellent capacity, rheological property, deletion of impurities and emulsion behavior of oxidized wax but studies on physical properties are meager. In view of this, it is proposed to study electrical properties and dielectric parameters of waxes in the range of radio and microwave frequencies, in order to have an insight into their application in electronic components and devices. Structural analysis is essential for the understanding of electrical and dielectric behavior of waxes. Hence, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, Gas Chromatography mass spectrum (GC-MS) and FTIR spectroscopy have been employed. For this purpose, the animal wax such as beeswax and animal fat and mineral wax; paraffin and microcrystalline wax have been selected. This thesis is divided into five chapters; chapter wise titled are as: chapter-1 Introduction, chapter-2 Theoretical aspects, chapter-3 Materials and methods, Chapter-4 Results and chapter-5 discussion and conclusion.