Idrialin

Idrialin is a mineral wax accompanying the mercury ore in Idria.

According to Goldschmidt it can be extracted by means of xylol, amyl alcohol or turpentine; also without decomposition, by distillation in a current of hydrogen, or carbon dioxide. It is a white crystalline body, very difficultly fusible, boiling above 440 C. (824 F.), of the composition C40H150. Its solution in glacial acetic acid, by oxidation with chromic acid, yielded a red powdery solid and a fatty acid fusing at 62 C., and exhibiting all the characters of a mixture of palmitic acid and stearic acid.