loriemccl Posted November 21, 2021 Share Posted November 21, 2021 (edited) Hi all, and I want to first say thank you to all of the posters, new and veteran, for all of the information I have gathered here. I am grateful. I am new to candle making, but while doing wick tests, I had a very strange (to me) thing happen: I was on the first light after a 10-day cure. The wax is a 6046/4625 blend. There is UV inhibitor @ 1/2 tsp per pound. There is no fragrance oil. The container is an 8-ounce tin ( 3 1/8" Diameter x 2 1/8" Deep). This wick is a zinc 51-32-18. It was a step up from the previously tested 44-36-18 that was "almost there." There was an Eco 8 wick and an HTP 83 in this same batch test. The ignitor is an electric plasma lighter. So, when I got the ignitor within an inch of the zinc-wicked candle, a flame shot up like there was a buried gas jet in the wax! I quickly pulled away, and it stopped immediately without lighting the wick. I tried a second time, and the same thing happened. I'm not too bright, so I went in for a third time, and it lit like normal. The other 2 candles in this test batch didn't behave in any unusual way, and this candle has continued to perform well throughout the testing beyond the shocking event. Is this a common thing that has just never happened to me in decades of using candles? Is this a common thing in candle-making? Is this a bad wick that had some kind of foreign material on the wick? Anyone have similar experiences? I appreciate any guidance. --Lorie Edited November 21, 2021 by loriemccl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted November 21, 2021 Share Posted November 21, 2021 Zinc is used in fireworks, and can have shocking flames when superheated. use a”normal” lighter and I bet the zinc wick performs like it is supposed to check out YouTube for zinc and fire videos. Pretty sure you make zinc oxide, so I hope you didn’t breathe the smoke. 😬 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted November 21, 2021 Share Posted November 21, 2021 How does zinc react to fire? ZINC METAL is a reducing agent. Reacts violently with oxidants causing fire and explosion hazards [Handling Chemicals Safely 1980. ... Zinc powder or dust in contact with acids forms hydrogen. The heat generated by the reaction is sufficient to ignite the hydrogen evolved [Lab. https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/4814 Zinc Oxide fumes are fine, white, odorless particles which are formed when Zinc or Zinc alloys are heated to high temperatures (such as in welding, galvanizing and smelting). * Zinc Oxide is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, DOT, NIOSH, DEP and EPA. https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/2037.pdf normally, the zinc in a wick is a core to keep I upright. It does not burn, well burn completely. You set the metal on fire with a plasma torch. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriemccl Posted November 21, 2021 Author Share Posted November 21, 2021 THANK YOU! I will check out all of those. I never considered the zinc + plasma combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 On 11/21/2021 at 12:34 PM, loriemccl said: THANK YOU! I will check out all of those. I never considered the zinc + plasma combo. We’re you ever able to recreate that phenomenon? would be interesting to see a video of it - made safely of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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