spermaceti

Scope note: A white, translucent wax composed of a mixture of fatty acid esters (cetyl palmitate) and long-chain alcohols, obtained from the the oil in the head cavity of the sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, other whales, or dolphins. It is created by the spermaceti organ inside the whale's head and connected to its nasal passage The substance was named in the mistaken belief that it was the coagulated semen of the whale. Spermaceti is collected from the cooled sperm oil, then washed with hot water and pressed to remove residual oil. The solid mass is then mixed with a slightly alkali solution and cast into molds. Spermaceti forms brilliant white crystals that are hard but oily to the touch, and are devoid of taste or smell. Spermaceti has been used since at least the 15th century for ointments, castings, soaps, cosmetic creams, fine candles, pomades, and textile finishing; later it was used for leather dressing and industrial lubricants. Space agencies in Europe and the United States still use spermaceti for roving vehicles on the moon and Mars and as lubricant on the Hubble space telescope. The biological function of the oil for the whale is uncertain, but among possibilities are that is used as a means of altering the whale's buoyancy, to focus sound waves to stun its prey, or as a cushion to protect the sperm whale's delicate snout while diving. Most spermaceti wax currently on the market is made synthetically.

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