Spermaceti (from Greek sperma, seed, and cetus, whale) is a wax present in the head cavities of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and in the blubber of all whales. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bees ( Beeswax) and used by them in constructing their The Sperm Whale ( Physeter macrocephalus or Physeter catodon) is the largest of all Toothed whales and largest living toothed animal Blubber is a thick layer of vascularized Fat found under the skin of all Cetaceans Pinnipeds and Sirenians Description Spermaceti is extracted from whale oil by crystallisation at 6 °C, when treated by pressure and a chemical solution of caustic alkali. Whale oil is the oil obtained from the Blubber of various species of Whales particularly the three species of Right Whale ( Eubalaena japonica In Chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: Al-Qaly القلي القالي) is a basic, ionic salt of an Alkali metal Spermaceti forms brilliant white crystals that are hard but oily to the touch, and are devoid of taste or smell, making it very useful as an ingredient in cosmetics, leatherworking and lubricants. The substance was also used in making candles of a standard photometric value, in the dressing of fabrics, and as a pharmaceutical excipient, especially in cerates and ointments. A candle is a Light source and sometimes a Heat source consisting of a solid block of Fuel and an embedded wick. This article deals with the usage of this term in Optics and Lighting. An excipient is an inactive substance used as a carrier for the Active ingredients of a Medication. Cerate is an unctuous preparation for external application of a consistency intermediate between that of an Ointment and a Plaster, so that it can be spread upon An ointment is a viscous semisolid preparation used topically on a variety of body surfaces

Properties

Spermaceti is insoluble in water, very slightly soluble in cold alcohol, but easily dissolved in ether, chloroform, carbon disulfide, and boiling alcohol. Diethyl ether, also known as ether and ethoxyethane, is a clear colorless and highly Flammable liquid with a low Boiling point and a Chloroform, also known as trichloromethane and methyl trichloride, is a Chemical compound with formula C[[Hydrogen H]] Cl Spermaceti consists principally of cetyl palmitate (ester of cetyl alcohol and palmitic acid), C₁₅H₃₁COO-C₁₆H₃₃. Palmitic acid,CH3(CH214COOH or hexadecanoic acid in IUPAC nomenclature, is one of the most common saturated Fatty acids found in animals Cetyl alcohol, also known as 1-hexadecanol and palmityl alcohol, is a solid Organic compound with the Chemical formula CH3(CH215OH Palmitic acid,CH3(CH214COOH or hexadecanoic acid in IUPAC nomenclature, is one of the most common saturated Fatty acids found in animals

A botanical alternative to spermaceti is a derivative of jojoba oil, jojoba esters, C₁₉H₄₁COO-C₂₀H₄₁, a solid wax which is chemically and physically very similar to spermaceti and may be used in many of the same applications. Jojoba esters are the Hydrogenation or interesterification product of Jojoba oil. Esters of cetyl alcohol and jojoba oil are used as a substitute for spermaceti. Esters are a class of Chemical compounds and Functional groups Esters consist of an inorganic or organic Acid in which at least

Spermaceti processing

Spermaceti was gathered during whaling and was considered a valuable resource by whalers due to the high price that could be fetched for it. Whaling is the hunting of Whales and dates back to at least 6000 BC The sperm whale's head was either brought on deck or lashed to the side of the boat where a whaler would cut a hole in the case. The spermaceti could then be drawn out by bucket or a whaler would enter the hole and manually remove the fluid. Once gathered the spermaceti would be placed in barrels for the voyage home. A large whale would have as much as three tons of spermaceti.

References

• David R. Carrier, Stephen M. Deban and Jason Otterstrom, The face that sank the Essex: potential function of the spermaceti organ in aggression, Journal of Experimental Biology '205:'1755–1763, 2002.
• Dolin, Eric Jay (2007). Leviathan, The History of Whaling in America. W. W. Norton & Co. . ISBN 978-0-393-6057-7.  

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

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