Sugar cane wax

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Sugar cane plant

Sugar cane wax is a wax that is extracted from the stems of the sugar cane plant .

production

The production of sugar cane wax is difficult and economically expensive. Sugar cane is used almost exclusively for the production of sugar, and sugar cane wax is only about 0.1% in sugar cane. Economic production therefore only takes place in the main growing countries Brazil , India , China , Thailand , Pakistan and Mexico . A filter residue, the so-called bagasse , is produced during the production of sugar . The sugar cane wax is extracted from this filter residue. This is freed from plant residues and chlorophyll.

history

The American pharmacist Avequin was able to produce sugar cane wax in relatively pure form for the first time around 1840 from the filter cake produced during sugar production. In his quantitative analysis he found that only 0.1% of the whitish to dark yellow wax is found in the sugar cane plant. In 1909 the Frenchman A. Wynberg received a patent for the production of sugar cane wax by extraction from the filter cake. During the First World War, one of the first companies to manufacture sugar cane waxes in large quantities was established in Natal, South Africa . As early as 1924, around 6000 tonnes of dark sugar cane wax a year could be produced there. This was mainly used for candle making in the Orthodox Church in Russia. Due to the Russian Revolution and the associated suppression of the Church, the consumption of sugar cane wax decreased so much that the company had to be closed. In the following years the sugar cane wax was produced in the USA, mainly in Louisiana , where there were up to 22 sugar cane wax producers. As early as 1922, M. Rindl described in detail applications for sugar cane wax , including as a substitute for carnauba , bees and montan waxes .

ingredients

Sugar cane wax consists of about 70% alcohols of long-chain hydrocarbons with chain lengths of C 18 to C 32 , wax acids with chain lengths of C 18 to C 32 , ω- hydroxycarboxylic acids and aromatic carboxylic acids . Fatty alcohols ( wax alcohols ) and diols also occur as alcohol components . In addition, there are around 5–10% unesterified diols, long-chain wax acids such as behenic acid , cerotic acid , lignoceric acid or melissic acid and saturated hydrocarbons . Unpurified sugar cane wax contains up to 25% resin and up to 60% policosanol ( 1-octacosanol ), which can be obtained in its pure form from sugar cane wax.

properties

Sugar cane wax is indigestible and harmless to health; if consumed accidentally, it is excreted. In its refined form, it has a light yellowish color. The high melting point of 75 - 80 ° C keeps it stable even when exposed to sunlight. Sugar cane wax has good oil and solvent retention for anionic self-shine emulsions.

Applications

Food

Until the 1960s, sugar cane wax was added as an edible wax in chewing gum production . The sugar cane wax acted as an elastomer or as a plasticizer and consistency agent. In 1943, JW Schlegel and L. Lang were granted a patent to dust donuts with sugar. 0.4% sugar cane wax was added to the ground sugar. This made donuts more grease and water repellent and kept their fresh appearance longer. Chocolate was also coated with a very thin layer of sugar cane wax. The gloss retention improved, the melting decreased and the packaging was also made easier. To keep vegetables or fruit fresh or to make them look fresh, emulsions were made from sugar cane wax in mixtures with other natural waxes. The vegetables or fruit were dipped in the emulsions or sprayed with wax emulsions.

Medical applications

Additional uses for policosanols, made from sugarcane wax, were added to medicinal products for lowering cholesterol in the 1970s . Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, this was promoted by the Cuban laboratory DALMER SA in Havana with various investigations. During this time, there were many patent applications, some of which were controversial. The last known patent was applied for in 1998 by DALMER SA. The results were evaluated, summarized and further developed by I. Gouni-Berthold and HK Berthold. From 2004 to 2007, the cholesterol-lowering effect of polycosanols from sugar cane wax was transferred to montan waxes by E. Krendlinger and M. Neumaier, as these have a very similar chemical structure. Policosanol-containing food supplements for lowering cholesterol levels are currently offered in a wide range.

Current

Sugar cane wax is suitable for technical applications, but also for applications in the food industry. Sugar cane wax can be used as a care product (shoe, floor, and car care products), in the leather and plastics industries, right through to application in the additives and cosmetics industries. It can also be used in the paint and printing ink industry and for the manufacture of candles.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Avequin M., "The Matter of Waxy Sugarcane," Ann. Chim. phys. (2), 75, 218-222 (1840); Ann., 37, 170-173 (1841)
  2. ↑ French Patent 397.843 (1909).
  3. ↑ Rindl, M., S. African J. Ind., 5, 513-518 (1922).
  4. ^ “The Chemistry and Technology of Waxes”, Albin H. Warth. 1956, pages 665-667.
  5. ↑ Patent US2320831 : Donut sugar. Applied June 4, 1940 , published June 1, 1943 , Applicant: Nat Sugar Refining Company, Inventor: Louis Lang, John W. Schlegel. ‌
  6. ^ “The Chemistry and Technology of Waxes”, Albin H. Warth. 1956, pages 735-737.
  7. ↑ Patent EP0969827 : Mixture of primary fatty acids from sugar cane wax . Filed April 1, 1998 , published February 26, 2003 , Applicant: Laboratorios Dalmer. Also
    published under DE 698 11 643 T2
  8. ↑ Gouni-Berthold, I and Berthold HK: Policosanol: clinical pharmacology and therapeutic significance of a new lipid-lowering agent. In: American Heart Journal , 2002, pp. 356-365. - ISSN  0002-8703 (expert opinion )
  9. ↑ DE 10 2006 012 872.9