Comprehensive view on chemistry, manufacturing & applications of lanolin extracted from wool pretreatment

摘要

Lanolin also called wool wax or wool grease is a yellow waxy substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals. Most lanolin used by humans comes from domestic sheep breeds that are raised specifically for their wool. Crude lanolin constitutes about 5–25% of the weight of freshly shorn wool. The wool from one Merino sheep will produce about 250–300 ml of recoverable wool grease. Lanolin is extracted by scouring the wool in hot water with a detergent to remove dirt, wool grease (crude lanolin), suint (sweat salts), and anything else stuck to the wool. The wool grease is continuously removed during this washing process by centrifugal separators, which concentrate it into a wax-like substance melting at approximately 38°C. Lanolin and its many derivatives are extracted from wool scouring liquor and converted to a value added products that are generally used extensively in both the personal care (e.g. in high value cosmetics, facial cosmetics, lip products, etc.) and health care sectors. It is frequently used in protective baby skin treatment and as a treatment for sore nipples in breastfeeding mothers. Lanolin is used commercially in many industrial products ranging from rust-proof coatings to lubricants.