A Background on Decorative Candles
admin | April 26, 2010
The beauty of a candles flicker is actually based on some pretty basic scientific principles.
Candles are comprised of a mass of fuel which is intended to feed a flame, and a wick which contains the flame and balances the amount of fuel it takes in. A candles body can be comprised of the following substances…
Gel - a mixture containing mineral oil and resin
Beeswax - a natural byproduct of the honey collection process
Paraffin - a byproduct of petroleum
Stearin - a product formed from palm waxes
Tallow - rendered animal fat which is more expensive than most modern alternatives
Plant waxes including carnauba, bayberry and soy.
Generally the process of creating a candle is fairly simple. One of the fuels mentioned above is melted down into liquid form. Then one of three processes is generally undertaken.
1. The fuel is poured into a mold, and turned into a pillar candle
2. The container used to hold the fuel is a flame resistant material, which is often decorated in such a way as to enhance the inherent beauty of the flame
3. The wick is dipped repeatedly into the fuel to create a drip taper candle.
You can add dye to teh materials while its being made to change the color of the finished product. This is most often done by adding an aniline-based dye to the body of the candle.
If desired, fragrance oils can be added to give a candle a specific scent. In more expensive candles, natural scents can be added using essential oils. However scents can occasionally cause a decorative candle to burn less purely, which may result in ghosting.
Technically speaking, a candle produces 13 lumens of light, and about 40 Watts of heat. These numbers however are subject to change based on the make up of the candle, and how cleanly it burns. By comparison, a light bulb can produce 500 lumens of light while consuming the same amount of fuel.
