Beeswax is a tough
wax formed from a mixture of several
compounds secreted by
honeybees in the form of thin scales from
glands on the ventral surface of the
abdomen and used in building the combs in which the young are raised and
honey and
pollen are stored. Its color varies from yellowish-white to brownish depending on purity. It has a high
melting point, near 65°C.
Beeswax is used commercially to make fine candles, in polishing materials, as a component of modelling waxes, and in a variety of other products. Beeswax candles are preferred in most Eastern Orthodox churches because they burn cleanly, with little or no wax dripping down the sides and little visible smoke.
See esters.
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