Transcript Investigation of Mixing and Cooling Properties of Beeswax

Investigation of Mixing and Cooling
Properties of Beeswax and Table Sugar
Through Microstructural Analysis
Nozomi Ando
Dan Steingart
Nick Svencer
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155
Overview
To study wax-sugar phase boundaries
To determine whether a mixture or reaction
occurs.
To investigate the resulting physical
properties
To analyze the products viability for sale as
a candy.
Introduction
Areas of Interest are:
 Cooling Properties of a Beeswax/Sugar Mixture
Based on Composition and Cooling Rate
 Homogeneity of the Mixture
 Physical Properties of the Mixture
 Optical Properties of the Mixture
Experimental Design
 Spherical Mold chosen
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Creates even cooling
Aids in cast removal
Thermocouples placed
to create cooling
comparison
 Made Wax the Major
Component
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To create diversity
among the experiments
Water-Sugar-Wax
Ratio 25/20/50
Experimental Procedure
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
Made Mold
Determined Wax-Sugar-Water ratio
Heated Sugar-Water mixture to 180 Celcius
Added 50 grams wax
Using LabVIEW program, measured and graphed
temperature until change leveled off.
 Waited for mixture to solidify, then studied microstructure
under microscope.
Results - Cooling Curve
Temperature Degrees
Celcius
Thermocouple Readings
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Wax Thermocouple
Mixture Thermocouple
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Time (s)
 Since the mixture was supersaturated, the
precipitate wax fell out of solution quickly.
 Two distinct cooling curves resulted, one for each
section of the mixture.
Results - Mixture Properties
 Separation occurred
rapidly, a low
solubility assumed.
 Compared to graduate
student sample; less of
a saturation gradient.
Results - Microstructure
Properties
 Wax Region
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Dark, amorphous
region
No visible pattern
 Sugar Region
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Bright, globular region
No apparent structure,
bright spots may allude
to diffraction, a crystal
property
Discussion - Cooling Theory
 Wax observed to solidify
quickly; assumed to have a
lower specific heat.
 If wax has a lower specific
heat, then the wax which
remained in suspension
must have increased the
cooling rate of the sugar.
Discussion - Mechanical
Properties
 Wax
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soft
malleable
 Sugar - Wax Mixture
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hard
brittle
Discussion - Mixture vs.
Reaction
 Separation indicative
of a mixture.
 Microstructure shows
a disorderly
combination of wax
and sugar properties.
 If mixture is so
obvious, why consider
a reaction?
Discussion - Optical Properties
 Although the mixture
is mostly wax, the
sugar’s optical
properties are
predominant.
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Translucent
Diffracts light when
cracked
Conclusion
 Wax cools faster than
sugar, thus sugar has a
high heat capacity
 The creation is a mixture,
not a reaction
 While sugar was only a
fraction of the mixture, its
physical properties were
predominant in the
mixture
Temperature Degrees
Celcius
Thermocouple Readings
200
150
Wax Thermocouple
100
Mixture Thermocouple
50
0
0
100
200
300
Time (s)
400
500
600
Future Modifications
 Control and compare different wax to sugar
composition
 Better mixing tools
 Use an electron scanning microscope for
more precise crystal analysis
 Uniform molds between all experiments