The structural constituents of carnauba wax

Type 1 yellow carnauba wax has been separated into its structural constituents. Analyses of these constituents by a variety of conventional techniques has shown the composition to be: hydrocarbon 0.3–1%, aliphatic esters 38–40%, monohydric alcohols 10–12%, ω-hydroxy aliphatic esters 12–14%,p-methoxycinnamie aliphatic diesters 5–7%,p-hydroxycinnamic aliphatic diesters 20–23%, an uncombined triterpene type diol 0.4% and uncombined acids and other unknown constituents 5–7%. Type 4 carnauba wax, the common wax of commerce, was found to be essentially the same as Type 1, with the exception that for Type 4, the cinnamic esters were highly polymerized and none of the uncombined triterpene diol could be isolated. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, April 1970.