Japan wax
Japan wax, also known as sumac wax, China green tallow, and Japan tallow, is a pale-yellow, waxy, water-insoluble solid with a gummy feel, obtained from the berries of certain sumacs native to Japan and China, such as Toxicodendron vernicifluum (lacquer tree) and Toxicodendron succedanea (Japanese wax tree).[1]
Japan wax is a byproduct of lacquer manufacture. It is not a true wax but a fat that contains 95% palmitin.[1] Japan wax is sold in flat squares or disks and has a rancid odor. It is extracted by expression and heat, or by the action of solvents.
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Uses
Japan wax is used in candles, furniture polishes, floor waxes, wax matches, soaps, food packaging, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, pastels, crayons, buffing compounds, metal lubricants, adhesives, thermoplastic resins, and as a substitute for beeswax. Because it undergoes rancidification, it is not often used in foods.
Other names
Japan tallow; sumac wax; sumach wax; vegetable wax; Japan tallow; China green tallow.
Properties
Melting point = 124°F (51°C)[2] or 45–53 °C.[1]
Specific gravity ≈ 0.975[2]
Soluble in benzene, ether, naphtha and alkalis. Insoluble in water and cold ethanol.
Iodine value = 4.5–12.6
Acid value = 6–209
Saponification value = 220[2]
