Where Did People Get Wax From?
Wax has been an important material used by humans for centuries. Beeswax dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was used for mummification and as an ingredient in lost-wax casting of metals. Animal and plant waxes were also important historically and were used for making candles, waterproofing, food preservation, and as ingredients in cosmetics and medicines. In modern times, wax continues to have a wide variety of applications – candles, crayons, polishes, and in the cosmetics, food, and textiles industries. Synthetic waxes have supplemented natural waxes and enabled more specialized industrial uses. Overall, wax in its many forms has a long legacy as a versatile material used by humans across history.
Beeswax
Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honey bees to build the honeycomb in their hives. Honeybees produce wax in worker bees less than 18 days old through wax glands on the ventral side of their abdomen. The wax is secreted in tiny flakes and used by the bees to build comb cells in the hive (http://galwaybeekeepers.com/bees-wax/).
Worker bees consume honey for energy to produce beeswax. The wax starts as a liquid and is excreted through small wax mirrors on the underside of the bees. The wax quickly hardens into flakes and small wax scales when exposed to air (https://threeforagers.com/blogs/threeforagersbeeblog/how-is-beeswax-made). The bees use their mandibles to mold the wax into the familiar hexagonal honeycomb cells used to store honey and house bee larvae.
Animal Fat
Animal fats like tallow (rendered beef or mutton fat) have been used to make candles and other items requiring wax for centuries. Tallow can be rendered from raw beef or mutton fat by heating it slowly to extract the fat, then straining and cooling it to form wax cakes. This rendered animal fat produces a smokeless candle that burns slowly and evenly. Tallow candles were very common before paraffin wax candles became widely available in the mid-1800s. Today, some people still render tallow at home to make traditional tallow candles. Sources like The Prairie Homestead provide DIY instructions for rendering tallow and making candles at home. Tallow candles have a distinct meaty aroma, but can be made more pleasant smelling by adding beeswax or essential oils.
Whale Fat
Whales have been hunted by humans for their oil and wax for centuries. The blubber or fat of whales contains oils that can be extracted and purified into a waxy substance called spermaceti. Spermaceti was used to make smokeless candles, cosmetics, textile treatments, and more. Whale oil was sometimes known as train oil, which comes from the Dutch word “traan” meaning tear or drop.
To extract spermaceti, whale blubber was boiled which caused the fat to melt into oil. The oil was then allowed to cool and condense, separating the waxy spermaceti from the liquid whale oil. Spermaceti solidifies into a waxy, white substance when cooled. The process of solidifying spermaceti from whale oil was called “wintering” by whalers because it relied on colder temperatures.
While whale oil and spermaceti wax were important sources of fuel and materials for centuries, the practice of whaling is much less common today due to conservation efforts and alternative fuel sources. However, whales continue to be hunted in some parts of the world.
Petroleum
Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum refining. During the distillation process of crude oil to produce gasoline and other petroleum products, the heavier waxy residuals left over are further refined through the process of de-oiling, crystallization, and filtering to produce paraffin wax
The history of producing wax from petroleum dates back to the 19th century. Chemist Carl Reichenbach first discovered paraffin in 1830 from distilling wood, coal, and peat. He named it paraffin because it had a low affinity to other compounds, from the Latin term “parum affinis.”
In the 1850s, paraffin wax started being produced from the distillation of shale oil. By the early 20th century, paraffin wax was being produced from petroleum refining on a commercial scale
Plants
Some plants naturally produce wax, which humans have historically collected and used. The most common plant wax is carnauba wax, which comes from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree. Native to northeastern Brazil, the carnauba palm thrives in the arid climate of the Caatinga forests. The waxy coating on the palm leaves helps retain moisture. Brazil produces most of the world’s carnauba wax supply, around 20,000 tons annually. Collectors manually strip the dried palm fronds then beat them or run them through a grinder to remove the powdery wax. Carnauba wax is hard, has a high melting point, and is useful for various industrial applications (Initiative for Responsible Carnauba; Ataman Chemicals).
Fossil Fuels
Crude oil and coal contain hydrocarbon compounds that can be turned into wax through refining and distillation processes. Most paraffin wax today is made from crude oil. According to PetroNaftco, crude oil undergoes refining methods like fractional distillation to separate the hydrocarbon compounds. Through crystallization and filtering, paraffin wax is extracted as a byproduct. Another paper from ScienceDirect explains how paraffin wax crystallizes out of crude oil mixtures during transportation and extraction, causing operational issues (Qi, 2023).
Coal and oil shale can also be processed into wax using pyrolysis and distillation. The hydrocarbon compounds found in fossil fuels provide abundant sources of paraffin wax in modern production.
Synthetic Wax
Synthetic waxes emerged in the late 19th century as modern chemical processes allowed wax to be synthesized from various materials. In the 1860s, German chemist Carl Schorlemmer developed the first partial synthesis of paraffin wax from coal. Schorlemmer’s process involved distilling bituminous coal at high temperatures to isolate hydrocarbon fractions in the distillate. These fractions were then further distilled and processed to produce paraffin wax. (Wiley 2022)
By the early 1900s, chemists had developed full syntheses of paraffin wax from petroleum and coal tars. Petroleum wax became the predominant type of synthetic wax produced. The fractional distillation of crude oil yields a range of hydrocarbon fractions, including paraffin wax. Further refining and crystallization processes purify the wax. Today, synthetic waxes can also be produced from natural gas, shale oil, and used motor oil. Modern synthetic waxes offer benefits like higher melting points, hardness, and resistance compared to natural waxes. Their consistent chemical composition also makes them versatile for commercial and industrial applications.
Recycled Wax
Previously used wax can be reclaimed, purified, and reused for new products. According to the Ardrossan Gin FAQ page, they are experimenting with reclaiming used wax to determine if it can be reused in a sustainable production process. The End Times Report on solar ovens explains how recycled wax containing impurities can be re-melted and filtered to remove debris before being repurposed. Reclaiming used wax is an eco-friendly practice that gives leftover wax new life in candles, cosmetics, polishes, and other items.
Conclusion
Throughout history, humans have used various natural and man-made sources to produce wax for candles and other purposes. Beeswax from honeycombs was one of the earliest and most common waxes, providing a cleaner burn than animal-derived tallow. Whale fat became popular during the whaling boom of the 18th and 19th centuries. In the late 19th century, paraffin wax from petroleum allowed mass production of affordable candles. Modern waxes range from byproducts of crude oil refining to synthetic polymers to plant-based and recycled waxes. Though methods have evolved, wax remains an essential material across industries and cultures. Our ingenuity in sourcing and refining waxes has kept the candle burning for millennia.
