Ouricury wax is a brown-colored wax

Wax

thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...

 obtained from the leaves of a Brazilian Feather Palm Syagrus coronata

Syagrus coronata

The Licuri Palm, Syagrus coronata, is a species of palm tree that plays an important role in the diets of tropical rainforest animals...

or Cocos coronata by scraping the leaf surface.

Harvesting

Harvesting ouricury wax is more difficult than harvesting carnauba wax

Carnauba wax

Carnauba , also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the palm Copernicia prunifera, a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of Piauí, Ceará, and Rio Grande do Norte. It is known as "queen of waxes" and usually comes in the form of hard yellow-brown...

, as ouricury wax does not flake off the surface of the leaves.

Properties and uses

The physical properties of ouricury wax resemble carnauba wax

Carnauba wax

Carnauba , also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the palm Copernicia prunifera, a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of Piauí, Ceará, and Rio Grande do Norte. It is known as "queen of waxes" and usually comes in the form of hard yellow-brown...

, so it can be used as a substitute where light color is not required, eg. in carbon paper

Carbon paper

Carbon paper is paper coated on one side with a layer of a loosely bound dry ink or pigmented coating, usually bound with wax. It is used for making one or more copies simultaneous with the creation of an original document...

 inks, molding

Molding (process)

Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern....

 lubricants and polishes

Polishing

Polishing is the process of creating a smooth and shiny surface by rubbing it or using a chemical action, leaving a surface with a significant specular reflection In some materials polishing is also able to reduce diffuse reflection to...

. Its melting point is 81-84 °C.