Jessie Taylor
When a candle is lit, the heat of the flame melts the solid wax, turning it into liquid wax, which is drawn up the wick. This liquid wax then vaporizes and burns in the presence of oxygen, creating heat, light, water vapour, and carbon dioxide. Once the flame is extinguished, the liquid wax cools and solidifies once more. This process will continue until the wax runs out or the flame is eliminated. However, if your candle has turned entirely to liquid, it may be due to factors such as temperature fluctuations or fragrance oil overload.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Phase changes | From solid to liquid to burning vapour |
| Liquid wax | Heated solid wax |
| Solid wax | Room temperature wax |
| Vaporized wax | Combustible, highly-heated liquid wax |
| Vaporized wax candle flame | Burns and melts the wax in the wick |
| Flame | Burns cleanly and steadily in a quiet teardrop shape |
| Flame colour | Blue, dark orange-brown, and yellow |
| Flame base colour | Blue (oxygen-rich zone) |
| Flame byproducts | Water vapour, carbon dioxide, and smoke |
| Smoke | Unburned carbon particles (soot) |
| Candle tunneling | Uneven melting of wax, causing the wick to descend deeper and the flame to go out |
| Candle pooling | A full melt pool on the top surface of the wax |
| Candle wet spots | Wax contracts and pulls away from the sides of the jar |
| Candle bumpiness | Crystallization during cooling, causing a "cauliflower top" |
| Candle fragrance | May cause discolouration |
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What You'll Learn
The liquid wax travels up the wick and vaporises
When a candle is lit, the heat from the flame vaporises the liquid wax, turning it into a hot gas. This liquid wax travels up the wick, replacing the wax that has just been vaporised. The vaporised wax molecules are drawn into the flame, where they react with oxygen from the air. This reaction creates heat, light, water vapour, and carbon dioxide.
The heat from the flame causes the solid wax to melt and become liquid. This liquid wax then continues to move up the wick through capillary action, a process where the wax is drawn up the small spaces in the wick. As the wax travels up the wick, it replaces the wax that has been vaporised, ensuring a continuous supply of fuel for the flame.
The liquid wax that travels up the wick is composed of hydrocarbon molecules. As these molecules enter the flame, they are broken down into hydrogen and carbon atoms. The hydrogen atoms react with oxygen to form water vapour, while some of the carbon burns to form carbon dioxide. This combustion process releases heat and light, contributing to the flame's intensity and illumination.
The vaporisation and combustion of the liquid wax are essential for the candle's sustained flame. The heat generated by the combustion is radiated back down, melting more wax and maintaining the cycle. This process continues until the wax runs out or the flame is extinguished, at which point the remaining liquid wax begins to cool and solidify.
It is important to note that the liquid wax itself does not burn. Instead, it is the vapourised form of the wax that undergoes combustion. This distinction is crucial to understanding how a candle functions, as it highlights the role of the wick in drawing up the liquid wax and facilitating its vaporisation.
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The vapour burns, creating heat, light, water vapour and carbon dioxide
When a candle is lit, the heat of the flame turns the solid wax into liquid wax. This liquid wax is drawn up through the wick, where it vaporises and burns in the presence of oxygen. This process of combustion produces heat, light, water vapour and carbon dioxide.
The heat generated by the flame is enough to melt more wax, which is then drawn up the wick, replacing the wax that has just been burned. This cycle continues until the flame is extinguished or the wax runs out. Approximately one-fourth of the energy created by a candle’s combustion is radiated as heat, which helps to sustain the process.
The blue area at the base of the flame is oxygen-rich, and it is here that the hydrocarbon molecules in the wax vaporize and break down into hydrogen and carbon atoms. The hydrogen reacts with the oxygen to form water vapour, while some of the carbon burns to form carbon dioxide.
If the flame is deprived of oxygen, or if the wick is too small, the cycle may be interrupted. In these cases, the wax may not melt evenly, resulting in a phenomenon known as "tunneling". To prevent tunneling, it is important to ensure that the candle burns long enough for the entire top surface of the wax to melt.
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The heat melts more wax, which continues the process
The heat of the candle flame vaporizes the liquid wax, turning it into a hot gas. This gas then rises up through the wick, where it combines with oxygen from the air to create heat, light, water vapour, and carbon dioxide. This process releases enough heat to melt more wax, which continues the process.
The heat from the flame melts the wax, which then rises up the wick as a liquid. This liquid wax is what burns in the presence of oxygen, creating the candle's flame. As the wax burns, it turns into water vapour and carbon dioxide, releasing heat and light. This heat melts more wax, which continues the process until the flame is extinguished or the wax runs out.
The efficiency of this process depends on the size of the wick. If the wick is too small, it might not generate enough heat to melt the wax all the way to the edge of the candle, resulting in a phenomenon known as "tunneling." Tunneling occurs when only a small portion of the wax surrounding the wick melts, causing the flame to carve out a vertical tunnel in the centre of the candle. This problem is more common in cheaper, mass-produced candles that use lower-quality wicks. To prevent tunneling, it is recommended to burn the candle long enough for the entire top surface of the wax to melt, especially during the first burn.
The heat from the flame vaporizes the liquid wax, breaking down the hydrocarbons into molecules of hydrogen and carbon. These molecules are then drawn up into the flame, where they react with oxygen to produce heat, light, water vapour, and carbon dioxide. This combustion process is highly efficient, with approximately one-fourth of the energy created being radiated as heat. This heat melts more wax, sustaining the process.
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When the flame is extinguished, the wax cools and solidifies
When a candle is lit, the heat from the flame vaporises the liquid wax, turning it into a hot gas. This gas then rises up through the wick and combusts, producing heat, light, water vapour, and carbon dioxide. The heat generated by the combustion melts the wax surrounding the wick, which is then drawn up through the wick to be combusted, continuing the cycle. When the flame is extinguished, the wax cools and solidifies.
The time it takes for the wax to cool and solidify will depend on various factors, including the initial temperature of the wax, the ambient temperature, and the presence of any external cooling agents. Placing a candle on a wire cooling rack, for example, will cause the wax to cool and solidify more quickly than if it were left to cool on its own.
During the cooling process, the wax will undergo phase changes from a liquid to a solid state. This can sometimes result in the formation of "bumpy tops" or "cauliflower tops," caused by polymorphism and temperature fluctuations during the cooling process. The wax on the top, sides, and bottom may cool and form crystals, while the centre remains liquid and continues to cool and set. This can result in an uneven surface and is more likely to occur in certain types of wax, such as soy, paraffin, palm, and beeswax.
To prevent this issue, it is recommended to ensure that the entire top surface of the wax is melted before extinguishing the flame. This is especially important the first time a new candle is lit and is referred to as the “first burn.” The recommended duration for the first burn is approximately one hour per inch of the candle's diameter. Allowing the wax to melt evenly across the surface will help to prevent "tunneling," which occurs when only a small portion of the wax surrounding the wick melts while the candle is lit.
Therefore, when the flame of a candle is extinguished, the wax will gradually cool and solidify, returning to its original solid state. However, the rate at which this occurs can vary, and certain measures can be taken to ensure an even cooling process and prevent potential issues such as "tunneling" or uneven surfaces.
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Preventing wax from cooling unevenly and forming bumps
When candles cool, they can develop a rough, uneven surface known as "bumpy tops" or "cauliflower tops". This occurs due to temperature fluctuations as the liquid wax cools and solidifies. To prevent this issue, follow these steps:
- Allow the wax to cool in the pouring pot before pouring it into containers. Stir slowly as it cools to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the wax.
- Preheat your containers in a low-temperature oven or with a heat gun before pouring the wax. This prevents the wax from setting too quickly and unevenly.
- Keep the containers warm as the wax sets to promote slow and even cooling.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the containers before use to prevent any film or buildup that could affect adhesion.
- Pour the wax slowly into the containers to avoid creating air bubbles, which can affect even cooling.
- Gently tap the containers after pouring to release any air bubbles.
- Space the containers at least 10 cm apart to allow air circulation and prevent heat retention between containers.
- Use a wire cooling rack instead of a solid surface, as solid surfaces can absorb heat and cause the wax to cool too quickly, leading to uneven cooling and crystallization.
- For soy wax, consider adding paraffin or coconut wax to reduce the likelihood of crystal formation and frosting.
- Cure the candles at room temperature, away from drafts and windows, to prevent rapid cooling and crystallization.
By following these steps, you can help prevent wax from cooling unevenly and forming bumps, resulting in a smoother and more aesthetically pleasing candle.
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Frequently asked questions
This is a normal part of the process of burning a candle. The liquid wax will cool and solidify again.
When you blow out a candle, the flame is extinguished and the heat source is removed. The liquid wax then cools and solidifies.
The time it takes for liquid wax to solidify depends on the temperature and the type of wax. Generally, it takes a few minutes for the wax to cool and begin to solidify, but this process can be sped up by placing the candle on a wire cooling rack.
This means that your fragrance oil is leaking out of the wax. This could be due to improper binding or fragrance oil overload.
If you don't let the wax solidify and pool to the edges of the candle before extinguishing, tunneling may occur. Tunneling is when a small portion of wax surrounding the wick melts while the rest remains hard, causing the flame to eventually go out due to a lack of oxygen.
