Formulation and Characterization of Bees Wax-Based Shoe Polish

Abstract

Shoe Polish Is A Wax-Based Product That Is Put On The Surface Of The Shoe Leather To Enhance Waterproofing, Restore, And Improve The Appearance Of Leather To Make The Finished Leather Smooth And Glossy. The Main Intention Of This Research Thesis Is To Formulate And Characterize Shoe Polish From Beeswax. Beeswax Is One Of The Natural Waxes From Which Shoe Polish Is Produced. Ethiopia Has The Potential To Produce Beeswax And One Of The Beeswax Exporters To The World Market But Amounting To Less Than 10% Of The Total Estimated Beeswax Production Of The Country Exported Per Year. The Remaining Huge Amount Of Beeswax Is Wasted Due To Different Reasons. Therefore, This Work Was Conducted Primarily To Evaluate The Physicochemical Properties Of Beeswax, Which Is The Most Important Input To Shoe Polish Formulation. The Physicochemical Analysis Was Conducted According To The Standard Protocols Of The Ethiopian Beeswax Specification Et-1203-2005 Developed By Quality Standard Authority Of Ethiopia Qsae, 2005. According To The Laboratory Results, The Average Values For Each Parameter Are Melting Point (61.43??C), Specific Gravity (0.9711), Refractive Index (1.4403), Ash Content (0.123), Total Volatile Matter (0.69), Acid Value (22.44),Saponification Value (96.31), Ester Value (73.87), Fat And Fatty Acids (Passed), And Paraffin And Other Waxes (Passed). The Result Showed That The Compositional Content Of Beeswax Sample Falls Within The Range Of Quality Parameters Set For National Standards. Hence, It Is Suitable To Utilize Beeswax In Ethiopia For Shoe Polish Formulation. Additionally, Activated Carbon (Ac) Was Prepared From Sugar Cane Bagasse And Its Characteristics WereInvestigated. Sugar Cane Bagasse Activated Carbon Was Produced Using Potassium HydroxideAs An Activating Agent And At 500 ??C For 2 Hours Of Carbonization. Sugarcane Bagasse Ac Was Used As A Colorant Agent In The Shoe Polish Formulation. Its Proximate Analysis Were DoneAnd Compared With Commercially Available Ac By Sem To Determine The Surface Morphology Of Activated Carbon Ftir Analysis To Examine The Functional Group Of Materials. The External Surfaces Are Full Of Cavities And Aggregate Structures. And Ftir Spectroscopy Showed Presence Of Significantly Different Peak Frequencies In Sugarcane And Commercial A.C By Different Functional Groups. The Chemical Surface Characterization Result Showed That Sugar Cane Bagasse Ac And The Commercially Available Activated Carbon Have Almost Similar Properties. Hence, Instead Of Using Commercially Available Activated Carbon The Possibility OfSugar Cane Bagasse Ac Was Confirmed. Finally, Four Shoe Polishes Were Formulated From Beeswax And Sugar Cane Bagasse Ac Alone In Addition To Other Ingredients (Castor Oil, Naphtha, Stearic Acid), And The Properties Of The Four Samples Were Tested And Compared With The Standard Commercially Available Shoe Polish (Kiwi). VThe Viscosity, Density, Melting Point As Well As Physical Testing Like Gloss, Fade Resistance, RubResistance, And Dust Absorption Of The Properties Were Investigated And The Sample With A Proportion Of 14.4% Beeswax, 25% Castor Oil, 43.6% Naphtha, 7% Stearic Acid And 10% Activated Carbon Was Found To Be The Best Blending Ratio And Its Comparison Favors Close To The Standard Kiwi Shoe Polish