| Abstract: | Waxes from filter press cake of the by-product of the Sugar Cane Industry gained from various Egyptian Cane Sugar Factories were studied. A method for continuous extraction of wax filter cake using different solvent i. e. toluene, naphtha, acetone, fractionated gasoline, denatured and refined alcohol was investigated. The speed and ease of extraction using different solvents were compared. By using toluene as solvent the highest percentage of crude wax was obtained from Edfu, which gave 14.55%, while extraction with refined alcohol produced 12.65% crude wax from Qus. Decolorization of crude wax was carried out by sodium hypochlorite, nitric acid, chlorine, sulphur dioxide and acetone. The pure wax was separated from the fatty oil fraction by fractional crystallization from 70° to 0° C. The greater portion of wax can be obtained at 30° C. Hard, brittle wax was obtained between 45° to 20° C. The crude and refined waxes had properties comparable to carnauba wax and other commercial waxes. The Egyptian cane sugar waxes can be utilized in paper, ink, coating, varnishes, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and fertilizer industries. |
