Does anyone know if this is true??

[gmp]

While researching burn time rates on the web I found this statement. Does anyone know if it is true?

"Some large manufactures will whip tiny air bubbles into their wax to reduce the amount of wax needed. Whipping air into the wax does not hurt the candle, nor alter it's appearance, it just reduces it's burn time by about half."

[MeAndMyPuppyDog]

Yes. Very true. Another reason for it is to reduce freight (lowers weight, obviously) -- import novelty candles are notorious for doing this. Ya pick up a candle off the shelf that you think should 'x' and it weights x-3 lbs.)

There are different degrees to which you can do this.

[sudsnwicks]

I have picked up candles at discount stores and they feel light, almost as if they are hollow. I guess this must be due to the extra air in them.

[gmp]

Okay, does this statement mean that the candle manufacturer whips air after mixing fo and dye but before pouring?

I guess I was confused in thinking that they whip air into wax slabs before selling to people like me. So I don't have to worry about air in my wax that I purchase from suppliers and my burn rate should be okay? Sorry to be a bit ditzy on this one. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night, and I'm testing candles again tonight so another late one for me!

[sudsnwicks]

No you don't have to worry about the slabs of wax you buy having air in them. After dragging those boxes around I know they are pure wax! So I guess the air must be whipped in somewhere during the process of manufacturing the candle, and not during the manufacturing of the wax.

[candlesprite7]

The air would leave when you melted down the wax anyway.

[Everito Bandito]

I think that they blow streams of hot wax through nozzels as a sort of spray. The hot wax spray is blown upwards into cold air whichs produces tiny flakes and/or beads. The flakes or beads are then compressed into molds thus creating a candle. In which case, the amount of pressure applied to the wax flakes (or lack thereof) is what allows less or more air to be in the finished product.

Tighter compression = less air. Less compression = more air.

Just a thought...

[cybersix]

I know that many company make candles using wax microspheres. They shoot them in molds then press. That's why they have air in.

[debscent]

Back when I sold Partylite, they told us that they whipped their candles also to increase the burn time. This was back in 1995 and 1996 though.

[HeavenScentU]

There is a local company that sells the bakery looking muffin candles and they are very very light, so I assume they whip their wax. There's no label or any type of packaging to see what it is supposed to weigh. I have compared mine to theirs and figured it out because mine feel like a brick.

[MeAndMyPuppyDog]

Back when I sold Partylite, they told us that they whipped their candles also to increase the burn time. This was back in 1995 and 1996 though.

Good gosh! If I could *only* get my hands on that information in writing...

WAX = Fuel

More air in wax @ same volume = Less Fuel = Less burn time.

[sudsnwicks]

Good gosh! If I could *only* get my hands on that information in writing...

WAX = Fuel

More air in wax @ same volume = Less Fuel = Less burn time.

Even if someone didn't know that wax = fuel, you'd think they would be able to conclude that:

more air = less product

less product ==> it will finish faster

So I wonder if people actually believed that message from partylite?!