The main components of beeswax can be divided into four categories, namely esters, free acids, free alcohols and hydrocarbons. It also contains trace amounts of volatile oil and pigments. Esters include cerelic acid mellenol, arachidic acid mellonate; free acids include cerotic acid (about 15%), lignoceric acid, montanic acid, melilolic acid, folic acid, and peanut oil Acid, neoceric acid is pentacosan acid; free alcohols include n-octacosanol and melilotos; hydrocarbons include pentacosane, heptadecane, nonacosane, triacontane and Unsaturated honeybee. The composition of yellow and white beeswax is basically the same. Beeswax is said to contain an aromatic colored substance called paramethoxin.
The chemical composition of beeswax alkanes: hexadecane, heptadecane, octadecane, nonadecane, palmitic acid, dibutyl phthalate, nonadenodecadienoic acid, nonadenodecenoic acid, eicosane, Eicosanol, docosane, tricosane, tetracosane, hexadecane, octadecane, triacontan, tridodecyl alcohol, triacontanol.
(1) Esters
Fatty acid esters include monoesters and hydroxy esters, with a content of 70%-75%. Among the monoesters, there are 23% mellyol palmitate, 2% lacquer palmitate, 12% mellyol cetoate, and 12% mellyol pyrogallate. The hydroxy esters include hydroxy palmitic acid wax alcohol ester 8%-9%, diester 9%-95%, and acid ester 4%-4.5%.
(2) Fatty acid
Free fatty acid content is 10%-15%; saturated fatty acid 9%-11%, of which ceric acid 3.3%-4.4%, wood tar oil acid 1%-1.5%, melic acid and montanic acid 2%, folic acid 1.3% -1.5%, pyrogallic acid 1.5%, etc.
(3) Sugar
The carbohydrate content is 10%-16%. The saturated hydrocarbons are most prominent with 15-31 carbon atom chains, among which 25 alkanes are 0.3%, 27 alkanes are 0.3%, 29 alkanes are 1%-2%, and 31 alkanes are 8%-9%; no Saturated hydrocarbons are mainly 30 alkanes, accounting for 2.5%.
(4) Other ingredients in beeswax
Beeswax contains fatty acid cholesterol esters, colorants (mainly 1-3 double hydroxide flavonoids), ω-myristolactone, free fatty alcohols, etc. In addition, beeswax also contains a small amount of water and minerals. The ash content of beeswax contains 80%, 13%, and 7% of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Beeswax is a complex organic compound. The main components of beeswax are esters, fatty acids and hydrocarbons synthesized by higher fatty acids and monohydric alcohols. However, the composition of beeswax is also different due to differences in bee species, honey powder source plants, and extraction methods.