The wax fraction of soils: Separation and determination of some components

Resin- and asphalt-free wax components from a mineral soil and from a peat were separated into free acids, esterified acids and unsaponifiable material. The acids, as methyl esters, were fractionated by column chromatography on magnesium trisilicate to yield n-alkanoic- and hydroxy-acid fractions. The unsaponifiable material was fractionated on activated alumina, and fractions consisting of n-alkanes, n-alkan-2-ones (methylalketones) and primary n-alkanols were obtained. Gas chromatography was used to separate and determine individual components. The n-alkanoic acid fractions contained members with both odd and even numbers of carbon atoms ranging from C₁₈ to C₃₄ but with the latter predominating (80-90%). The carbon number of the n-alkanes and n-alkane-2-ones covered a similar range in which the odd-numbered members predominated (80-90%). The primary alcohols had a slightly lower average chain length (C₁₆- C₃₀) and 90% consisted of even-numbered members. These fractions together accounted for 25–30% of the resin- and asphalt-free wax.