17 Mar 09 Gel Wax Candles and Containers
Traditionally candles have been made from tallow or animal fat, whale oil, beeswax, paraffin, which is a by-product of refining petroleum, and more recently soy and other vegetable oils. Gel wax is also a newer kind of wax for candle making. What is gel wax? It is a mineral oil or hydrocarbon. To make gel wax they thicken the mineral oil with a particular polymer. This makes the wax clear and makes it burn slowly.
There is a patent on gel wax, which Penreco holds. The company uses the name VersaGel™C for commercial purposes. There are three grades of gel wax: low, medium, and high density. The low density melts the easiest and pours well. It can only use 3% fragrance oil and it can't be embedded. The medium density gel wax melts and pours well. It will hold 5% fragrance and can hold embeds like small beads and shells and glitter. The high-density gel wax is somewhat harder to melt and it doesn't pour as easily as the other two. But dense pigments can be suspended in it. The embeds should be non-flammable. It can use 5-6% fragrance.
Gel wax is clear and this enables candle makers to do interesting things with it. Candle makers make aquarium scenes. When lit the flame creates an unusual glow because of the candles clear quality. Gel wax is used to make container candles. It burns and melts at a higher temperature than paraffin wax. Because of the higher temperature and because it has to be melted with direct heat unless a presto pot is used-one must be extremely careful when working with gel wax. The only fragrances that work with gel candles are oil-soluble fragrance oils that means non-polar.
Some of the containers that are good to use with gel candles are roly-poly glass, ivy bowls, but basically they need to be heat resistant and crack resistant. Some candle makers don't like to use the bowls as they say they hold the heat more so. The thing is that all candle containers have to be heat and crack resistant and they can't leak. So heat resistant containers. The stories out there concerning gel candles that exploded come from people making candles from containers like fish bowls and martini glasses; neither of these is tempered to resist heat, if anything just the opposite is true. A good container for making gel candles or any container candles is the old standby canning jars, which are made to resist heat and cracking. Jelly jars are also made to take high temperature. That has made both of these containers perennial favorites of candle makers.
It is wise to take into consideration that even a heat resistant container can crack. You can take proper precautions: don't ever leave the candle lit and go out of the room, put it on a heat resistant surface, and keep it from any flammable material. This is important to do with all candles. Remember, safety comes first.
About the Author:
Tara Smith is a crafter and candle maker. The head writer and co-owner of a Halloween Candle and Holders, company Candle Scentsations. Join her as she writes about her passion and shares ideas and tips at her website that carries Spooky Designs candles.
