Candles are one of the earliest sources of light. They’re old technology, but that doesn’t mean they can’t continue to improve. One of the recent changes in the world of candle making has been the development of soy candle wax.

For centuries, the main fuel for candles was tallow. While tallow did burn, tallow doesn’t make a good candle. They create a lot of smoke when they burn and they smell badly. For these reasons, paraffin rapidly overtook tallow as a candle material choice once it was developed.

However, paraffin is a residual of the petroleum refining process. That’s why people have been interested in developing a “green” alternative to paraffin. Soy candle wax resulted from this search.

Soy beans have a high fat content and soybean oil is derived from them. However, soybean oil isn’t solid so when it’s original form it can’t be used for making candles. But that can be changed.

Whether a fat is liquid or solid at room temperature depends on how many hydrogen molecules it contains. Fat molecules contain hydrogen atoms and a fat is “saturated” if it can’t hold any more hydrogen. It’s possible to saturate an unsaturated fat by adding hydrogen. That makes the oil solid at room temperature.

Now that description admittedly simplifies the situation, and different manufactures treat the oil different ways, but the end result is a candle wax from a renewable resource.

One difficulty with pure soy wax is that it is relatively soft. this means it’s great for making container candles but not so great for making pillars that need to stand on their own. Candle makers can compensate for that problem by blending soy wax with paraffin and hardening additives. If you do that, the resultant wax can be used for many more types of candles.

But many people want to use 100% soy wax, in which case they will probably get the best results if they stick to container candles. I’m sure you’ve seen and probably even have used container candles. The most common ones are jars such as canning jars or apothecary jars filled with wax. Other styles of candles are removed from the mold when the wax hardens. With container candles, the candle remains in its “mold”.

Of course there is much more to learn about soy wax and how to use it. One the best sites I’ve found to get more information is:

Soy Candle Wax

And of course if you’re looking into soy candle wax you’ll probably be interested in how to make a candle with. You can learn about the insiders techniques at: How to Make Soy Candles.

Better yet, I suggest you take a look at the e-book Home Candle Making Made Easy.

That book reveals insider secrets on all aspects of candle making from selecting what type of wax to use for specific situations, what additives to use and when, the best way to scent candles, and so much more… Getting the information this book will guarantee your success.

Candle making is a wonderful hobby. Get Home Candle Making Made Easy today and get started.

Related posts:

  1. Candle Making Wax – The Big Three If you’re going to make candles, obviously you’re going to...
  2. Easy Candle Making Who doesn’t enjoy a soft glow of candlelight.  It’s somehow...
  3. Learn All About Candles And How To Make Them There is a great deal of information about candles &...
  4. What is the Difference and Why You Should Try It – Gel Candle Making Beaded Craft hobby Many people think they can write...
  5. Making Beeswax Candles — A Quick and Easy Method Beeswax remains one of the best candle making materials. People...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.