Melt pool and wax hang up

[HJS21]

Hello everyone!  

 

I am a newbie candle maker needing some advice on melt pools and wax hang up please. 
 

I’ve read previously that there are conflicting views on full melt pools during a first burn. I have been trialing wicks in my 8oz container and finally settled on a wick that seems to leave little hang up after three 4hr burn sessions (so no FMP on the first burn).  I’m using soy 464 and have just recreated my candle using only plain wax (no added FO) at the moment. This is just so I can test how the wick acts on a full burn, start to finish and am aware any fo added could alter my results so will test further. I know soy 464 can leave a residue so I’ve accepted this. My question is, how much hang up is too much? 
 

The attached picture below is from today’s first marathon burn (currently at 10 hours but will finish after 12). I have only slight wax hang up at the moment but this candle has been burning continuously throughout the day. I’ve had no mushrooming/carbon build up/excessive flame or heat from the container. I’m not expecting customers to burn candles for more than 4hr periods (and will strongly advise they burn for 4hr periods only) but I know some may leave them for longer during the day so needed to conduct a safety test. 

 

I’m very curious about wax hang up left after a marathon burn and hang up left after completing different 4 hour tests. Can I assume that based on today’s results, my wax hang up would have melted to this level after the 3rd burn a customer may complete (based on only burning for 4hr periods). Or is it that I only have little hang up due to burning for so long and incremental burning may leave a larger amount of hang up?
 

Thanks for any advice on this! 
 

Hannah x

[TallTayl]

how log was that wax cured before lighting? 
a freshly poured (< 1 week) soy candle will leave less hang than a fully cured (generally 2+ week old ). soy generally completes the majority of crystallization within 2 weeks. A small % will continue to cure for several weeks to months depending on the soy wax blend. Eventually all popular soy I’ve ever used will dry out and turn grainy - typically at about a year.

 

What are the proportions of the container? 
if the container is taller than wide that hang up is not “bad”. by the half way mark all hang up is generally caught up and a normal shallow pool will develop. Shallow containers (think 8 oz tins and tea light dimensions) might not be able to catch up as readily. Only test burning the entire candle will reveal how it will end.

 

I would make another, cure appropriately and burn for the typical 3 hour  cycles, allowing to cool completely between burns.  This is where the wick selection becomes easier to decipher. If too underwicked it will create a definite wall that will have difficulty catching up. I use a powerburn just to ensure my “normal” final wick will not cause harm to people and their homes when they burn it. Often that “final people” are my own family 😅. 

wick testing services burn for a standard length of time, usually  in a 70*F temp controlled space. Burn tests at home can be enlightening or misleading depending on the temp (and humidity)  we keep our homes. It is not an exact science, but is sure useful!

this is a nice baseline powerburn study.  Well done. Keep going. 

It will change depending on the fragrance and fragrance % you use in the final candles. Some FO will make the wax practically melt immediately, others will remain largely like the unscented wax. It is maddening. 

[HJS21]

Thank you for such a detailed response! So the wax was actually poured yesterday, meaning I had a 24hr cure time prior to burning 🤦🏻‍♀️ Newbie mistake!! I had assumed cure time was only essential for added fo and the overall HT, I didn’t even think of crystallisation! I’ll re make this to get a view on how the hang up is after 2 weeks. 
 

At the moment after a 12hr burn, I have a melt pool of Approx 1/2 inch. So not too deep. Saying that the dimensions are 93mm height X 78mm diameter. Which is nice to know that hang up is expected in a container that has more height than width. 
 

Haha that’s not a bad idea! I’m going to be conducting multiple safety tests to ensure my candles are safe. I would hate to know that I’d endangered anyone by not being thorough! I will re make this and test in 3-4hr increments for a clearer idea on my wick ☺️
 

Room temp has been very stable, not too hot or too cold here in the U.K at the moment but it’s great to know how the room itself can have an impact on the burn - another thing I hadn’t thought off! 
 

I was curious regarding FO’s so your view on certain FO’s burning the wax quicker than others is super helpful. I had thought this may be the case but didn’t want to solely rely on my logic of thinking ‘certain fuel may burn quicker’. I can never be too sure with the right or wrong methods involved in candle making. I’m enjoying the testing but there are so many elements, I had no idea 😂 

 

Thank you, I’ll keep testing until my candle is somewhat perfect but completely safe x