The bees-wax' of commerce is of a dirty yellow color,and mixed with many impurities. It has, consequeutly,to undergo a process of bleaching, by which it is rendered quite white and pure. The usual process is to melt the max with boiling water, and stir them together for a short time, so as to separate the impurities from the wax. It is then allowed to rest for a short time, and the pure wax floats on the top; and when cold, is taken off iu cake, the lower part of which is often discolored with the dirty water. This is scraped off and mixed with the next lot to be operated upon. The purified portion is next remelted, and is then allowed to trickle from the melting-pan on to a Wooden cylinder, revolving rapidly, and partly immersed in pure cold water, in a large cistern. This throws it into the water in the form of fine, thin, feather-like flakes, which cool and harden instantly iu the water. When all is run off, the wax is removed from the water, and laid ou linen cloths, placed on tables in a field for the air to bleach. From time to time, the flakes are turned over and examined; and when the bleaching effect of the air seems to have stopped, the wax is remelted, and converted into flakes in the cistern, and replaced in the bleaching-ground until it is quite white.
WAX. MrxERAL, is a natural product known under the name of ozokerit. It used only to be found in small quantities oozing from rocks of coal formation, though near Edinburgh, candles, as curiosities, were made of it by the miners. Lately, however, immense deposits of the hydrocarbon have been found in several parts of Europe, chiefly in Galicia and Moldavia, and it has now become a commercial article for the manufac ture of candles. When found, it has a dark, rich-brown color, slightly greenish and translucent in thin films; but when refined, it resembles well bleached bees-wax. Br melting-point is about 60°.
a name sometimes given, but very erroneously, to floor-cloth (q.v.).
An elegant use is found for bees-wax in the manufacture of wax flowers. The wax for this purpose is bleached and prepared in thin sheets of various colors, which are cut out into the shape for petals and leaves according to the kind of flower to he imitated. They arc easily made to adhere, either by a slight amount of heat or a little melted wax.