Extracting and refining plant cuticular waxes from aqueous dispersion using temperature and pH adjustment

A method of extracting and refining cuticular wax from plant material, said method comprising the steps of

• a. providing plant material comprising cuticular wax,
• b. disassociating cuticular wax from said plant material provided in step (a) by subjecting said plant material to a dry mechanical treatment and suspending the dry mechanically treated material, or a fraction thereof, in an aqueous solution comprising protease and/or pectinase enzymes, thereby obtaining a sample comprising plant derived cuticular wax and dewaxed plant material in an aqueous suspension,
• c. solubilizing said plant derived cuticular wax by increasing the temperature of the sample obtained in step (b) to a temperature greater than the melting point of said plant derived cuticular wax,
• d. separating the suspension obtained in step (c) into a solid fraction and a liquid fraction, wherein said liquid fraction comprises melted plant derived cuticular wax,
• e. adjusting the pH and temperature of the liquid fraction from step (d) to pH 5.5 or lower and 50° C. or lower, respectively,
• f. separating the mixture obtained in step (e) into a waxy fraction and an aqueous fraction,
• g. recovering plant derived cuticular wax from said waxy fraction from step (f.