Temp to Add Fragrance

[Gary in Canada]

I just thought I would ask about temperature to add fragrance...if you read all the info on the internet...some say to add it at 180, some say dependent on flash point...others say add just before pouring..NGI suggested adding just before pouring but no lower than 135... So what is it?? I have tried all the different temps and not sure what works best.  I have been using CB135, tried Q210,  Q220. 

 

Most of you seem to sell your candles and are very successful..so I ask you..at what temp do you add fragrance??

[bfroberts]

To the best of my knowledge, 185 is the rule of thumb for soy and paraffin waxes.

[moonshine]

Many many debates on this and many good threads in here to read on it 

 

adding at higher temps is thought to be ideal so it incorporates into the wax yet it's also contradicted as being thought to "burn" off some of the fragrance 

 

When I first started out many years ago I added it higher - 170-180, read debates and tried it lower and a chemist friend thought it made "more sense" to add it lower even though he knew nothing of actual candle making - I never totally paid attention to whether it made a difference or not back then and it was easier for me to have my FO in the pour pot waiting for wax to reach temperature and dump it right in at a higher temp

 

as of lately with all the soy problems out there and my beloved 415 acting like a 🦀 I have been dabbling in other waxes and  this has been brought to my attention again....there is a supplier out there claiming flash point has a lot to do with throw - whether there is any truth to this 🤷‍♀️

 

I think the only way to know is doing a side by side comparison and see if a definite difference can be defined 

 

there are many people who add lower and many that add higher and the wax type to be able to compare will make a difference as well 

palm wax has to be poured at a high temp so there is hardly any wiggle room on when to add the FO - you have to add it at a higher temp 

Edited November 16, 2017 by moonshine

[TallTayl]

Not to sound flippant, but you need to add the fragrance at whatever temp your wax needs to fully, and completely incorporate. The purpose is to not allow the fragrance to puddle, sink or otherwise cause potential fire issues. Start at the temperature your wax manufacturer suggests. Experiment at 5-10 degree increments from there and take very good notes. Be prepared to cut open some candles to see if you have any fragrance unblended anywhere in the candle. 

 

When wax molecules are hot they expand. Imagine balloons being filled with air. When the wax cools the molecules contract (the balloons shrink and fit tighter together.) fragrance molecules are like ping pong balls that fit within the balloons. You need to ensure that the fragrance molecules are evenly distributed and trapped within the cooled and shrunken wax molecules. 

 

Keep in mind flash point has exactly zero to do with when it is added to candle wax. Zip. None. You can search the term flash point in the top right corner and find loads of recent threads about it. 

[Gary in Canada]

On 11/15/2017 at 11:05 PM, TallTayl said:

Not to sound flippant, but you need to add the fragrance at whatever temp your wax needs to fully, and completely incorporate. The purpose is to not allow the fragrance to puddle, sink or otherwise cause potential fire issues. Start at the temperature your wax manufacturer suggests. Experiment at 5-10 degree increments from there and take very good notes. Be prepared to cut open some candles to see if you have any fragrance unblended anywhere in the candle. 

 

When wax molecules are hot they expand. Imagine balloons being filled with air. When the wax cools the molecules contract (the balloons shrink and fit tighter together.) fragrance molecules are like ping pong balls that fit within the balloons. You need to ensure that the fragrance molecules are evenly distributed and trapped within the cooled and shrunken wax molecules. 

 

Keep in mind flash point has exactly zero to do with when it is added to candle wax. Zip. None. You can search the term flash point in the top right corner and find loads of recent threads about it. 

I've added FO at 180, and around 135...(right before pouring) and never really noticed any difference using Millenium, and CB135.  But now with all the changes in soy wax...it's back to square one.  I watched the melted wax when I added the FO, and when I saw it become clear again...I assumed it was blended?