Candle Safety, Directions & Candle Information
  
Summary of Presentations at the Second World Candle Congress
Emissions
Candle Emissions are being focused on because
1)The consumer of today has the right to high quality products, the use of which do not present a hazard to people or the environment.
2) Global warming has created an increased in ecological awareness of all kinds of emissions.
3) Interest in indoor air quality has increased.
4) Unsubstantiated claims of sooting petroleum-based candles vs. not-sooting vegetable-based ones employed as marketing tools.
Several groups including the NCA and alafave worked on this study. They just tested waxes without additives and fragrance.
The waxes tested were paraffin, soy, palm, stearin, and beeswax.
Results for emissions were that there are no general indoor air quality standards available for the relevant emitted substances. None of the considered air quality standards were exceeded or even reached. The sooting candles show increased emission rates in some cases, but are still within the limit values. The emission increase for the sooting candles was not as high as expected.
Soot
Paraffin and soy were tested for sooting. The question is: Do the results depend on the wick? That is the wick determines the fuel flow and that determines the flame size. The carbon concentration in the flame is also determined by the fuel flow which influences the sooting.
When a candle soots there is a carbon concentration in the flame that is too high for complete combustion. Those fragments gather in the flame and accumulate as visible soot and also react to other substances to create non visible emissions. When this happens, the system is out of control. So if there is soot there is an indication of the presence of non visible emissions.
Our goal is to produce good candles. All the raw materials tested can be used to make good candles. The fuel flow makes the difference between candles that soot and those that don’t. If a candle soots, this is a good indication of candle emissions.
The formula for success in making candles is: High quality raw materials + Candle know how (e.g. wick selection) + On going quality control (e.g. soot test) = Quality Candles.

Material was presented by Sasol Wax.

WAXES
Information provided is from The National Candle Association. web site:www.candles.org
Over the centuries, candle waxes have been developed from a variety of fats, oils and waxy-like substances derived from animals, insects, plants and rocks.

Scientists consider "wax" to be a generic term for classifying materials that have the following characteristics:

Solid at room temperature; liquid at higher temperatures

Primarily hydrocarbon in structure

Water repellent; insoluble in water

Smooth texture; buffable under slight pressure

Low toxicity; low reactivity

Low odor

Waxes are widely used throughout the world for a wide range of applications, including packaging, coatings, cosmetics, foods, adhesives, inks, castings, crayons, chewing gum, polishes and - of course - candles.

Development of Candle Waxes

Early civilizations depended largely on the raw materials at hand to create candle wax. Ancient Egyptians and the Early Romans relied largely on tallow rendered from animals.

In China, beeswax was used for candles as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), and candle wax derived from the Coccos pella insect had been developed by the 12th century. Extracts from tree nuts were used to make candle wax in early Japan, while in India they boiled the fruit of the cinnamon tree for candle wax.

Beeswax was introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages, but was rarely used in homes because of its great expense.

Over the centuries, the development of new waxes for candles has hinged on the availability of the raw material, the ease and economy of processing the raw material into a wax suitable for candle use, and the desirability of the wax in comparison to other available candle waxes.

Tallow was the typical everyday candle wax used in Europe and the Americas until the 18th century, when the whaling industry stimulated the development of spermaceti wax, a clean-burning, low-odor wax derived from the head oil of the sperm whale.

Spermaceti remained the primary candle wax until the mid-1800s, when stearin wax and then paraffin wax were developed. Stearin wax, based on extracting stearic acid from animal fatty acids, was widely used in Europe. Paraffin wax, developed after chemists found a way to remove the naturally-occurring waxy substance from petroleum during refining, became the standard candle wax in the Western Hemisphere.

During the latter half of the 20th century, several synthetic and chemically synthesized waxes, including gels, were developed largely for specialty candle uses. Two vegetable-based candle waxes - soy wax and palm wax - were developed for commercial use in the candle market during the late 1990s by hydrogenating soybean and palm oils, respectively.

Paraffin is by far the most frequently used candle wax on a worldwide basis today. Beeswax is also used around the globe, although in significantly smaller quantities. Stearin candle wax is largely limited to European use. Soy wax, palm wax, gels, synthetic waxes, and synthesized waxes are also now used in candles, as are a variety of wax blends and customized wax formulations.

Candle Wax Facts

Prior to the 19th century, a "wax" candle typically referred to a beeswax candle.

All 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.

An estimated 1 billion pounds of wax are used in the candles sold each year in the United States.

Candles account for the second largest use of waxes in North America, after packaging and package coatings.

Paraffin is the most commonly used candle wax today. Beeswax, soy wax, palm wax, gels, and synthesized waxes are also used in candle-making for the U.S. market, as are blends of waxes.

Waxes burn with a yellow flame due to the presence of carbon.

No specific type of wax or wax blend is considered "best" for candlemaking. All candle waxes - when provided in high-quality format - have been shown to burn cleanly, safely and in the same manner.

From the National candle association. web site:www.candles.org

"What is the difference between a vegetable wax and a paraffin (petroleum-based wax)?

A: There have been several misconceptions floating around (especially on the internet) regarding paraffin waxes vs. vegetable-based waxes. Many proponents of vegetable waxes are making extravagant claims about their superiority to paraffin. It is important to realize that both are safe, viable “natural” raw materials with differing chemical compositions thus offering many varied benefits depending on end user applications.

Both paraffin and vegetable waxes occur naturally.

· Vegetable crude oils are extracted from plant matter. These vegetable crude oils are further refined and subsequently hydrogenated to form a partially or fully hydrogenated vegetable oil thereby increasing the wax content of the refined vegetable oil. Hydrogenation is a process where hydrogen is reacted with the vegetable oil in the presence of a catalyst. Hydrogenation raises the melt point of vegetable oils, and hardens them, making them suitable for use in candles (this is also how margarines and shortenings are made from vegetable oils). Some of the compounds formed during the hydrogenation process do not occur naturally.

· Paraffin waxes occur naturally as components of crude mineral oil. Paraffin waxes are produced by refining or separating the waxes out of the crude mineral oils.
As vegetable wax proponents seek to establish market share, there is a misconception that it must be done at the expense of paraffin waxes. Various manufacturers who utilize vegetable wax materials, have launched aggressive marketing campaigns designed to “disqualify” and “discredit” petroleum wax. Unfortunately, their negative publicity campaign has resulted in numerous misconceptions and generally unsupported scientific claims being promoted. It is important to clarify that both paraffin and vegetable-based waxes have been found to be biodegradable, safe, and effective when used in well-designed product systems. Today, Parafin and Soy can be blended together to be the best of both worlds." Quoted per: THE INTERNATIONAL GROUP, INC. (IGI)

Some enhanced benefits of Soy/Palm Natural Wax is its natural, long burning candles qualities.
Some benefits of Parrifin Wax is its high fragrance scent hold in candles. Soy/Palm Natural waxes blended with Parrifin develops an extraordinary, highly scented, long burning candle!
The Cottage Rose has tested the premium waxes we use and found all choices of wax we carry to be of a Higher Quality candle on the market today. Therefore, you the customer are assured you will be getting a Premium Candle!
 
Candle Safety Tips provided courtesy of the International Guild of Candle Artisans (IGCA)www.igca.net.and The National Candle Association


Burn within sight.
Keep away from things that burn,
Keep away from children
Candles are safe products, buy may become hazardous when used improperly or in an unsafe manner. National fire safety agencies report that the bulk of candle fire incidents in the United States are due to consumer inattention to basic fire safety or to the misuse of candles. The National Candle Association recommends the following safety tips when burning candles:

Always keep a burning candle with sight. Extinguish all candles when leave a room or before going to sleep.

Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.

Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets, Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.

Read and carefully follow all manufacturer instructions.

Trim candlewicks to 1/4 inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and dripping.

Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax. Be sure the candleholder is placed on a stable, heat-resistant surface.

Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents and air currents. This will help prevent rapid, uneven burning, smoking and excessive dripping. Drafts can also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they could catch fire. Ceiling fans can cause drafts.

Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.

Do not burn a candle for longer than the manufacturer recommends.

Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room.

Extinguish the flame it it comes too closed to the holder or container. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 2 inched of wa remains (1/2 inch if in a container). This will also help prevent possible heat damage to the counter/surface and prevent glass containers from cracking or breaking.

Never touch or move a votive or container candle when the wax is liquid.

Extinguish pillar candles if the wax pool approaches the outer edge.

Candles should be placed at least three inches apart from one another. This is to be sure they don't melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.

One of the safest ways to extinguish a candle is to use a candle snuffer, which helps prevent hot wax from spattering. Do not extinguish candles with water. The water can cause the hot wax to spatter and can cause glass containers to break.

Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are much safer light sources than candles during a power failure.

Never use a candle as light when you go into a closet to look for things.

Never use a candle for light when fueling equipment such as a lantern or kerosene heater.

All contents and graphics, unless otherwise noted, are property of the International Guild of Candle Artisans, Inc. Copyright © 1965 - present. All rights reserved.
 
Read the Label....Candles are Labeled for Fire Safety The National Candle Association is committed to the safety of candles and candle users. NCA works aggressively to educate consumers on the importance of candle fire-safety, and has played a pivotal role in the development of national industry standards for the fire-safety labeling and design of candles and candle accessories. You can't see the fire-safety designs that reputable candle manufacturers follow when making their candles, but you can see the fire-safety label. Look for the cautionary label and read it carefully before burning a candle. It's the first step to ensuring your safety. What You Should Know Every candle should have a cautionary label or tag listing the three key rules for candle fire-safety. Most cautionary labels also include additional manufacturer instructions for burning the candle properly. All NCA members label their candles for fire safety, and test their candles to meet fire-safety manufacturing specifications. Beware of purchasing a candle that doesn't carry a fire-safety label. Reputable candle manufacturers adhere to industry standards. If a candle doesn't meet the labeling standard, it probably doesn't meet other important industry standards for fire-safety design. Introducing the New Look In Candle Fire Safety These graphic safety symbols will soon be seen on more and more candle labels worldwide. Learn to recognize these important visual reminders of the candle fire-safety rules. Burn within sight. Keep away from combustibles. Keep away from children.