Cochineal Wax (Dactylopius coccus costa) as an Eco-Friendly Alternative for Thermal Insulating Materials: A Physicochemical Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29356/jmcs.v70i1.2637Keywords:
Cochineal, wax, insect, insulator, FTIR, environmentAbstract
Abstract. Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus costa) is an insect of remarkable historical and contemporary value, whose wax represents a local, renewable, and biodegradable resource. In this study, an innovative material was developed from cochineal wax collected in San Francisco Tepeyecac (San Martín Texmelucan, Puebla, Mexico), aiming to explore its potential as an eco-friendly alternative for thermal insulation. The material was characterized using FTIR, UV-Visible, and GC-MS analyses, which revealed the presence of functional groups found in commercial insulating materials (CH2, CH3, C=O, C=C, COH) and identified nine compounds with insulating properties. Optical microscopy confirmed characteristic structures of both the wax and the fabricated material. In thermal conductivity tests, the material demonstrated stability under heat exposure, maintaining its structure after 10 seconds, and extinguishing the flame. At 50 °C, its performance in ice-melting experiments was comparable to that of wood and glass, while diamond detector measurements confirmed behavior similar to that of commercial insulators. These findings open a new line of research into the sustainable use of cochineal wax for thermal insulation materials, highlighting its potential industrial applications and its benefits to Mexican society.
Resumen. Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus costa) es un insecto de gran valor histórico y actual, cuya cera constituye un recurso local, renovable y biodegradable. En este trabajo se desarrolló un material innovador a partir de cera de grana cochinilla obtenida en San Francisco Tepeyecac (San Martín Texmelucan, Puebla, México), con el objetivo de explorar su potencial como alternativa eco-friendly para aislantes térmicos. El material fue caracterizado mediante FTIR, UV-Visible y GC-MS, identificándose enlaces funcionales relevantes (CH2, CH3, C=O, C=C, COH) y nueve compuestos con propiedades aislantes. La microscopía óptica reveló estructuras características de la cera y del material elaborado. En pruebas de conductividad térmica, el material mostró estabilidad frente a una fuente de calor, manteniendo su estructura después de 10 segundos de exposición. Además, a 50 °C, su desempeño en la fusión de hielo fue comparable al de la madera y el vidrio, y un detector de diamante confirmó un comportamiento similar al de los aislantes comerciales. Estos resultados abren una nueva línea de investigación sobre el aprovechamiento de la cera de cochinilla como insumo sustentable para materiales aislantes, con aplicaciones potenciales que podrían beneficiar tanto a la industria como a la sociedad mexicana.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Francisco Javier Gómez-Montaño, Arlette Michelle García-de Jesús, Abdú Orduña-Díaz, Stephania Baena-Leyva, Jorge García-Dávila, Marisol López-Ruiz, Sulem Yali Granados-Balbuena
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