Brooke Martin
Candles are made from a variety of materials, including fossil sources, fats, oils, waxy substances, and waxes derived from animals, insects, plants, and rocks. The wax used in candles is typically a soft, colorless solid derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale, consisting of hydrocarbon molecules containing carbon atoms. The wick, which can be made from cotton or paper, draws the liquefied wax up into the flame, where it vaporizes and combines with oxygen to form a flame. The type of wax and the length of the wick can affect the burn rate and the amount of soot produced. While candles are primarily used for functional, symbolic, and aesthetic purposes, they also emit volatile organic compounds, including carbon, into the environment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Candle components | Wax, wick, fuel |
| Wax composition | Hydrocarbons with 20-40 carbon atoms |
| Types of wax | Paraffin, beeswax, soy, palm, gels, microcrystalline, synthesized waxes, vegetable waxes |
| Wick function | Draws liquefied fuel to flame, regulates flame size and rate of burning |
| Combustion process outputs | Light, heat, carbon dioxide, water vapour, soot, fragrance |
| Candle use purposes | Lighting, fragrance, heat, timekeeping, aesthetics, cultural/religious |
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What You'll Learn
Candles are made from wax, or another flammable solid substance
A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax or another flammable solid substance, such as tallow. The wick delivers the fuel (wax) to the flame. The heat of the flame melts a small amount of the solid fuel, which then moves up through the wick and is burned. The flame melts the top of the solid fuel mass, which is continually burned, maintaining a constant flame.
The type of wax used in a candle affects its burn rate. For example, beeswax and coconut wax burn slower than paraffin or soy wax. The size of the flame and the corresponding rate of burning are also controlled by the candle wick. The longer the wick, the more fuel is drawn into the flame. However, if the wick is too long, the flame will flare and soot.
Over the centuries, candle fuels have been developed from fossil sources and a variety of fats, oils, and waxy substances derived from animals, insects, plants, and rocks. The term wax is used as a generic term for materials that are solid at room temperature and liquid at higher temperatures. All waxes are primarily hydrocarbons, whether they are of animal, vegetable, or petroleum origin.
Today, paraffin wax is the most commonly used candle wax, followed by beeswax, soy wax, palm wax, gels, and synthesized waxes. Paraffin wax was first created in 1830 by German chemist Karl von Reichenbach and marked a major advancement in candle-making technology. It burned more cleanly and reliably than tallow candles and was cheaper to produce.
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Wicks are an essential component of candles
A candle is a mixture of compounds that are derived from fossil sources, fats, oils, and waxy substances. It is not an element or a compound in itself.
Now, wicks are an essential component of candles. Without a wick, a candle cannot burn. The purpose of a wick is to deliver fuel (wax) to the flame. It acts as a fuel pump, drawing the liquefied wax up into the flame, where it vaporizes and combusts. The wick's size and style determine the amount of fuel that reaches the flame. If too much fuel is drawn up, the flame will flare and soot; if too little, the flame will sputter out.
There are hundreds of different styles and sizes of wicks, and the choice of wick depends on several factors, including the type of wax, the candle's size, shape, colour, and fragrance. Reputable candle manufacturers take great care in selecting the proper wick to ensure the candle burns cleanly and properly. Most high-quality wicks are made from braided, plaited, or knitted fibres to encourage a slow and consistent burn. Flat wicks, for example, are very consistent in their burning and curl into the flame, making them self-trimming. Square wicks are similar but are more rounded and robust, making them ideal for beeswax candles. Cored wicks use a core material, such as cotton, paper, zinc, or tin, to keep the wick straight or upright while burning.
In recent years, wooden wicks have become popular for the visual and auditory ambiance they create. They are made from 100% wood, semi-wood, fibrous material, or a combination of cotton and wood. Additionally, specialty wicks are designed for specific applications, such as oil lamps and insect-repelling candles.
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Candles emit volatile organic compounds
Candles are made from a variety of fats, oils, and waxy substances derived from animals, insects, plants, and rocks. The development of new candle fuels has been influenced by the availability of raw materials, ease of processing, and desirability. For example, ancient civilizations like the Ancient Egyptians and Early Romans used tallow from animals, while beeswax was employed in China as early as the Tang Dynasty.
Over time, candles have been made from various substances, including spermaceti wax derived from sperm whales, stearin extracted from animal fatty acids, and paraffin wax derived from petroleum. Today, paraffin wax is still the most commonly used candle fuel globally. However, other options like soy, palm, and rapeseed oils have gained prominence as natural, renewable alternatives.
While candles enhance our living spaces by creating a cozy atmosphere, their soft light, and pleasant fragrances, they may also pose hidden health risks. Many candles emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can negatively affect indoor air quality and our health. VOCs are chemicals that easily become vapors or gases at room temperature. In candles, VOCs can originate from the wax, fragrance, and wicks.
Common VOCs released by burning candles include benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde, which are linked to various health issues. Formaldehyde, for instance, has been found to have high emission concentrations in certain scented candles, even before they are lit. To minimize potential harm, experts recommend choosing candles made from natural waxes like soy, beeswax, or coconut wax, opting for fragrance-free or naturally scented candles, and using proper wicks, like cotton or wood, instead of those with metal cores. Burning candles in well-ventilated areas can also help disperse any pollutants.
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Candle waxes are primarily hydrocarbons
The development of new waxes for candles has historically been influenced by the availability and ease of processing of raw materials, as well as the desirability of the wax compared to other options. Ancient civilizations relied on locally available resources, with the Ancient Egyptians and Romans using tallow rendered from animals. In China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), beeswax was used for candles, and by the 12th century, candle wax derived from the Coccos pella insect had been developed.
In the 18th century, the whaling industry led to the creation of spermaceti wax, derived from sperm whale head oil, which became the primary candle wax until the mid-1800s. This was followed by the development of stearin wax, derived from animal fatty acids, and paraffin wax, derived from petroleum. Paraffin wax, also known as petroleum wax, is a soft, colorless solid consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules containing 20 to 40 carbon atoms. It was first created by German chemist Karl von Reichenbach in 1830 and revolutionized candle-making due to its clean burning and lower production cost compared to traditional candle fuels.
Today, paraffin wax remains the most widely used candle fuel globally, although hydrogenated vegetable oils and stearin from palm, soy, and rapeseed have gained prominence. The process of burning a candle involves the heat of the flame melting the wax near the wick, with the liquid wax then drawn up the wick. The flame's heat vaporizes the liquid wax, breaking down the hydrocarbons into hydrogen and carbon molecules. These vaporized molecules react with oxygen to produce heat, light, water vapor, and carbon dioxide, sustaining the combustion process.
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Candles are ignitable and provide light
A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax or another flammable solid substance, such as tallow, that provides light. They have been used for over two millennia and were a significant form of indoor lighting until the invention of other light sources.
The combustion process of lighting a candle includes the release of light, heat, carbon dioxide, and water vapour, to fuel the flame. The hottest part of a candle flame is just above the very dull blue part to one side of the flame, at its base. This part of the flame is small and releases little heat energy. The blue colour is due to chemiluminescence, while the visible yellow colour is due to radiative emission from hot soot particles. The soot is formed through a series of complex chemical reactions, leading from the fuel molecule through molecular growth, until multi-carbon ring compounds are formed.
The combustion of a candle proceeds in a self-sustaining manner. As the wick of a candle is lit, the heat melts and ignites a small amount of solid fuel (wax), which vaporises and combines with oxygen in the air to form a flame. The flame then melts the top of the mass of solid fuel, which moves upward through the wick via capillary action to be continually burnt, thereby maintaining a constant flame. The size of the flame and corresponding rate of burning is controlled largely by the candle wick. The kind of wax also affects the burn rate, with beeswax and coconut wax burning longer than paraffin or soy wax.
Candle fuel is often called candle "wax", but only some of the fuels that are used nowadays are actually waxes, like paraffin wax or beeswax. Scientists consider "wax" to be a generic term for classifying materials that are solid at room temperature and liquid at higher temperatures. Waxes are primarily hydrocarbons, whether the wax is of animal, vegetable, or petroleum origin. The chemical composition of all waxes used for candle-making is similar, and all candle waxes burn in the same manner.
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Frequently asked questions
A candle is made of an ignitable wick embedded in wax or another flammable solid substance like tallow. The wax itself is made from a variety of materials, including fossil sources, fats, oils, waxy-like substances derived from animals, insects, plants and rocks.
When a candle is lit, the heat melts and ignites the wax, which acts as a fuel. The wax then vaporises and combines with oxygen in the air to form a flame. The flame melts the top of the wax, which moves up through the wick and is continually burned, maintaining a constant flame.
Burning a candle releases volatile organic compounds, carbon, light, heat, carbon dioxide and water vapour into the environment. The soot is formed through a series of complex chemical reactions, leading to the formation of multi-carbon ring compounds.
