Stearic Acid Container Palm wax question...

[Elyse]

I just found out/heard that the container palm I'd been using is just plain stearic acid... The CP from Calwax. Could that be so?

I knew I could also make pillars with it...

I think I'm just stumped knowing now that I've been using something so simple, or what people would consider an additive.

What do you think they add to other container palms to make it different, a "better" blend? Do you get what I'm asking? Would I be better off exploring, say IGI's palm container, or what CS calls Glass Glow, or just stick with what I've been doing? My people like it, and I get good throw with the right oils and wicks.

Am I missing something? If I had a blank slate, would it be worth retesting everything? Would I find better burn properties with a more "complex" blend?

[topofmurrayhill]

The short answer is that you should keep using the CP if it's working well for you. There's no reason I know of to think it's somehow lame compared to other products.

However, it's a really good question that warrants a little more explanation. Many of the products on the market aren't described in great detail and it can be confusing to sort out what they all are. Personally, it took me quite a while. Researching vegetable waxes helped, but getting into soapmaking really helped.

Stearic acid is one example of a fatty acid. Three fatty acid molecules attached to a glycerin molecule is called a triglyceride -- otherwise known as oil. Almost all the fatty acids you encounter in life are in the form of these triglycerides, or little fatty acid triplets, that make up fats and oils.

It's possible to take an oil and chemically break up these little triplets, then collect and purify the individual fatty acid molecules. That creates a product called a free fatty acid -- in other words, fatty acid molecules that are no longer part of an oil. The stearic acid you buy as a candle additive is a free fatty acid rather than a fat or oil.

Check their website and you'll see that Calwax sells a few different grades of free-form stearic acid. The CP wax, however, is a different product. Palm waxes contain ingredients that are blended to produce materials specially designed for candlemaking. Different blends produce waxes with varying properties, such as different crystal patterns or melting points. Palm wax typically includes a combination of liquid and solid palm oils (triglycerides). It can also contain a free fatty acid such as the stearic you buy for candles, but the two products are not the same thing.

In addition to the fact that palm wax can contain stearic acid in some form, confusion can also stem from certain trade names and industry terminology. Palm oil tends to separate into solid and liquid portions, which are often refined into two different products called "palm olein" and "palm stearin." Both are used in varying percentages to make palm wax. However, despite the fact that it sounds so similar, palm stearin is a type of vegetable fat and is not the same thing as the palm stearic acid you buy from candlemaking suppliers.

[Stella1952]

Top, you RULE! Great explanation.

[Elyse]

Yes, thanks so much Top, and Stella for your confirmation.

I'll keep doin what I'm doin, but at the same time of course I'll have to try the IGI 2322 to compare.... I've got samples coming.

And I've got my lye sitting here waiting for me to venture into soaps. Maybe I will, just for the learning experience....

It never ends.

[Stella1952]

Elyse, the IGI 2322 and Glass Glow are ones that you should not have to add anything to other than scent and color. You should plan on retesting for wicking, as this wax tends to burn hot. Hope you have fun with the samples.

My brain is too full to get into soapmaking right now, but I sure do feel the pull.... the Force is strong....