Patented Dec.

2, 1947 2431,842
UNITED STATES PATENT of FICE
. . . .. . . . . . . . . . 2431,842

. . . . . CHLoRITE BLEACHING of wax AND onl

: . . . . . . . . . . ESTERs

Ernest Stossel and Ernest Zerner, New York,

assignors to The Mathiesori Alkali Work, ne,
New York, N. Y., a corporation of Virginia
No Drawing. Applieation September 9, 1942,
Serial No. 457,719.
7 Claims. (C1, 260-423)
1 2
This application relates to a process of bleach tained, it is advisable to wash the bleached Wax
ing and more particularly of bleaching ester type thoroughly with steam by blowing the same into
waxes and oils. the molten wax. It is also advisable to treat the
The process is especially adapted for the thus partly cleaned wax with an acid, preferably
bleaching of beeswax and by its use it is possible phosphoric or oxalic acid, destroying thereby the
to obtain a product of satisfactory lightness of emulsion formed during the bleaching process by
color without considerable cost and without de reaction of the sodium chlorite with the free acids
stroying the valuable properties of the beeswax. of the wax. Although addition of this phosphoric
Beeswax bleached by this new process is very acid has the advantage of destroying the emulsion
similar to sunbleached beeswax; furthermore, this 0 formed during bleaching, it sometimes Causes
new process can be very well Combined with Sun darkening of the bleached wax through develop
beaching, thereby considerably reducing the time ment of chlorine. In order to avoid this effect,
needed for bleaching such waxes by the action of it is herewith proposed to add, before the acid
the Sun alone. treatment, a very small amount of sodium thio
Thus, it is an object of the present invention 5 sulphate which binds the chlorine developed dur
to provide a new method of bleaching ester type ing the acid treatment, thereby preventing dark
waxes and oils, particularly for bleaching bees ening of the wax.
wax, which process is simple and inexpensive and After the above described acid treatment, the
adapted to reduce the time needed for sunbleach bleached wax is left to settle and washed again
ing substantially. 20 with steam and a sodium thiosulphate Solution
It is a further object of the present invention until all traces of chlorine and chlorine dioxide
to produce chemically bleached beeswax having are removed. Thereafter, the thus treated wax
Substantially the same properties as sun-bleached may be exposed to the action of the Sun and fur-e
beeswax. ther beached, if desired.
It is still another object of this invention to 25 It is possible to obtain white wax by the above .
provide a chemical bleaching process which is treatment alone; but there is always the danger
well adapted to be combined with sun-bleaching that the bleached wax acquires a brownish color
of beeswax. due to excess addition of bleaching chemicals.
With the above objects in view, the present Therefore, it is often preferable to bleach the
invention mainly consists in bleaching ester type 30 wax by the above described chemical process only
waxes and oils with chlorine dioxide, for instance partly and to expose the thus semi-bleached wax
by intimately mixing the wax in molten condi to the action of the sun. This combined chemical
tion with one or more substances adapted to and sun bleaching has proved especially advan
create, during this mixing, chlorine dioxide. This tageous.
can be accomplished by adding sodium chlorite Although the proportions of the ingredients
to the wax or oil to be bleached and stirring said used for the above described new bleaching proc
mixture until the desired bleaching effect is ob ess may be varied to a considerable extent, certain
tained; the chlorine dioxide necessary for bleach relations have been found to be particularly ad
ing can also be produced by mixing the wax or oil vantageous. Thus, if a thousand parts of bees
to be bleached in molten state with a small AC wax have to be bleached, it is preferable to add
amount of a salt of chloric acid, e. g., sodium or for bleaching to the molten, purified crude wax
potassium chlorate, and an organic polybasic from about four to eight parts of sodium chlorite
acid, e. g., Oxalic acid, and stirring this mixture. dissolved in about eight to twenty-four parts of
The salt of chloric acid reacts with the organic warm water. The wax bleached by this solution
polybasic acid, forming chlorine dioxide which 45 is thereafter treated with about one part of so
has a bleaching effect on the treated wax or oil. dium thiosulphate and then mixed with about
The new process can be carried out in various five parts of phosphoric acid diluted in water.
ways. Preferred embodiments of the same will The amount of steam used for cleaning depends
be described below in detail: only on the cleaning effect required, i.e., as much
1. Crude dark-colored beeswax is melted after steam must be used as necessary to remove el
having been previously clarified in known way. tirely from the wax all chlorine and chlorine
To this molten wax, a small amount of an aqueous dioxide traces.
SOdium chlorite solution is added and this solu 2. The chlorine dioxide needed for bleaching
tion intimately mixed with the molten Wax by purposes can not only be formed by adding of
stirring for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the de 55 sodium chlorite as described above, but also by
sired bleaching effect is obtained. It should he intimately, mixing the beeswax in molten state
noted that this mixing period should be as short with a small amount of a salt of a chloric acid
as possible, as otherwise the wax takes on 8 and an organic polybasic acid. As salts for this
brownish color. purpose may be added chlorates of alkali metals
After the desired bleaching effect has been ob- 60 and alkaline earth metals, preferably sodium
 2,481,848
3. 4.
chlorate or potassium chlorate; as Organic poly said unacidified wax-sodium chlorite mixture
basic acids may be used, for instance oxalic acid, until said wax is bleached to the desired extent;
citric acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, fumaric washing the thus bleached wax with steam; add
acid and acOnitic acid. ing a small amount of sodium thiosulphate,
This process is preferably carried out by melt thereby destroying any sodium chlorite not con
ing the crude beeswax after preliminary clean Sumed during said bleaching and said washing
ing, heating it to a temperature not exceeding With steam; and after said bleaching destroying
165 F. and adding to this molten beeswax sodium the emulsion formed during said bleaching by
chlorate or potassium chlorate or both these means of an acid.
chlorates, a Small amount of Water and Oxalic O 5. The process of bleaching ester-type oil,
acid. Thereafter, this mixture is thoroughly comprising the steps of adding to said oil a small
mixed and stirred until the desired bleaching amount of an aqueous Sodium chlorite Solution
effect is obtained. It should be noted that for thus forming an unacidified oil-sodium chlorite
this bleaching process only a very small amount, mixture; stirring said unacidified oil-sodium
practically only traces, of Water are needed. s chlorite mixture until said oil is bleached to the
Thus it is often possible even to omit addition of desired extent; Washing the thus bleached oil
water entirely as the water present in the mixture with steam; adding a small amount of sodium
is sufficient to create the necessary reaction, thiosulphate thereby destroying the sodium
namely to form the chlorine dioxide needed for chlorite traces not consumed during said bleach
the bleaching process. Also this process can be ing and said Washing with steam; and mixing
20 the thus obtained bleached and washed oil with
combined with consecutive sunbleaching of the
Wax. phosphoric acid, thereby destroying the emulsion
While we have illustrated and described the formed during bleaching.
invention as embodied in processes for the bleach 6. In the process of bleaching beeswax, the
ing of ester type waxes and oils, especially of steps of heating one thousand parts of said wax
beeswax, we do not intend to be limited to the until the same is molten; adding to said molten
details shown, since various modifications and wax about four to eight parts of Sodium chlorite
structural changes may be made without depart dissolved in about eight to twenty-four parts of
ing in any way from the spirit of our invention. water thus obtaining an unacidified Wax-sodium
What we claim as new and desire to secure by 30 chlorite mixture; stirring said unacidified wax
Letters Patent is: , Sodium chlorite mixture until the wax is bleached
1. The process of bleaching ester-type wax to the desired extent; Washing the thus bleached
comprising the steps of melting said Wax; adding wax with steam; adding about one part of sodium
to said molten wax a small amount of an aqueous thiosulphate thereby destroying substantially all
sodium chlorite Solution thus obtaining an un the Sodium chlorite not consumed during said
acidified WaX-Sodium chlorite mixture; stirring bleaching and said washing; intimately mixing
Said unacidified WaX-SOdium chlorite mixture the thus bleached and washed molten wax with
until said wax is bleached to the desired extent; about five parts of phosphoric acid; and finally
and treating the thus bleached wax with an acid, Washing it again with steam until all traces of
thereby destroying the emulsion formed during 40 Sodium chlorite are removed.
bleaching. 7. The process of bleaching a substance se
2. The process of bleaching ester-type oil con lected from the group consisting of ester-type
prising the steps of adding to said oil a small Waxes and ester-type oils comprising the steps of
amount of an aqueous Sodium chlorite solution melting said substance; adding to said molten
thus obtaining an unacidified oil-sodium chiorite 45 Substance a small amount of an aqueous sodium
mixture; stirring said unacidified oil-sodium chlorite Solution. So as to obtain an unacidified
chlorite mixture until said oil is bleached to the mixture of said Substance and said Sodium chlo
desired extent; Washing the thus bleached oil rite and to bleach said Substance to the desired
With Steam; and mixing said bleached and extent; and treating the thus bleached substance
Washed oil with phosphoric acid, thereby destroy 5 with an acid, thereby destroying the emulsion
ing the emulsion formed during bleaching. formed during bleaching.
3. In the process of bleaching beeswax, the ERNES SOSSE.
Steps of heating one thousand parts of said was: ERNEST ERNER.
until the Same is molten; adding to said molten
Wax about four to eight parts of sodium chlorite 55
REFERENCES (CETE
dissolved in about eight to twenty-four parts of The following references are of record in the
Water thus obtaining an unacidified wax-sodium file of this patent:
chlorite mixture; stirring said unacidified wax
Sodium chlorite mixture until the wax is bleached UNITED STATES PATENTS
to the desired extent; washing the thus bleached 60 Number Name Date
Wax With Steam; intimately mixing said bleached 389,898 Perrine ----------- Sept. 25, 1888
and Washed Wax with about five parts of phos 1,580,136 Hamburger --------- Apr. 13, 1926
phoric acid; and finally washing it again with 2,113,433 Reichert ----------- Apr. 5, 1938
steam until all traces of sodium chlorite and 2,194,956 Taylor ----------- Mar. 26, 1940
chlorine dioxide formed during bleaching are 2,269,667
Kauffman --------- Jan. 13, 1942
removed. 2,383,629
Treacey ----------- Aug. 28, 1945
4. The process of bleaching ester-type wax, OTHER REFERENCES
comprising the steps of melting said wax; adding
to Said molten wax a small amount of an aqueous Taylor, “Sodium Chlorite,' Ind. Eng. Chem,
Sodium chlorite solution thus obtaining an un 70 July 1940, page 899. (Copy in scientific library.)
acidified wax-sodium chlorite mixture; stirring hotostat in 8-108.5,