8006-44-8

Candelilla wax is obtained from several species of Euphorbiaceae, rush-like perennial plants that grow in the semiarid regions of northern Mexico and southern Texas, and to a limited extent in Arizona and southern California. The plants consist of numerous slender, leafless cylindrical stalks 2 to 5 ft high, covered with a powdery wax that gives the plant a blue-green color.
The wax is extracted from the plants by immersing the dried stalks in boiling water acidified with sulfuric acid; the molten product is skimmed off as it rises to the surface. The wax is transferred to lead-lined tanks, kept at the boiling point to remove water, and then allowed to settle to remove any dirt present. The yield of clarified wax is from 1.5 to 3.0% of the air-dried plant. The sole criterion of purity is usually the color of the product, which varies from light yellow to brown. For other details of description, refer to Burdock (1997).