A process for the manufacture of refined sugar cane wax

摘要

Refined wax from cane sugar factory filter cake or press mud is obtained by extracting the dried cake by means of benzene, toluene, petroleum hydrocabons or other suitable solvent, evaporating the extract to small bulk, crystallizing the wax therefrom by cooling, separating the crude wax by filtration, and thereafter subjecting the product to distillation under a pressure of 0.5 to 10 mm. of mercury. The distillate consists of an almost colourless, odourless hard wax, leaving a residue of dark, very hard wax. The crude wax solvent extract may be evaporated to dryness with omission of the crystallizing step. The temperature of distillation may range from 150-400 DEG C. Open steam or other vapour or permanent gas may be introduced into the distillation vessel, in which case the pressure of distillation may be from 2.0 to 50 mm. The distillation causes inter-esterification between the waxy and any fatty materials in the crude sugar cane wax These fatty materials may, however, be removed before the distillation step, by extracting the evaporated crude wax solution with acetone or other suitable solvent, the resulting slurry being cooled to crystallize the wax. The wax finally obtained may be modified by incorporating with either the crude wax or the wax obtained after the treatment with acetone &c., a polyhydric alsohol, such as ethylene glycol, glycerol, sorbitol, sorbitan or isosorbide, mannitol, mannitan or isoacetone &c., a polyhydric alcohol, such as palmitic or stearic acid, in an amount depending on the free carboxyl or hydroxyl content of the waxy material. The mixture may be subjected to distillation directly, or may be first heated, in the presence of a catalytic amount of sulphuric acid followed by neutralization with soda ash, calcium carbonate &c. and then distilled. Specification 1332/15, [Class 91], is referred to.