Translucent Crystals?

[radellaf]

I'm looking for Paraflint or FT wax, which I think is also known as "Translucent Crystals" or maybe "Clear Crystals". As opposed to polyethylene (Epolene) crystals sold by Candlewic as Gloss Poly C-15.

These are from a 4 oz bag from AC Moore and called Translucent Crystals. They weren't Yaley brand, but something else, and on the back of the tag it actually said "Candlewic".

They are, however, making my 1274 paraffin completely OPAQUE, used at 0.5% (.7g to 140g wax).

Any idea what I've got here?

Edited February 24, 2010 by radellaf

[radellaf]

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Edited February 24, 2010 by radellaf
deleted

[Stella1952]

Any idea what I've got here?

Nope, but it looks like you may have spilled your drink...

[radellaf]

I think these are Luster Crystals. I have an opaque, shiny pink candle, vs. the same wax with 2% stearic instead making a nice red mottled one.

[topofmurrayhill]

Yeah, that's polyethylene. What you want looks kind of like orzo. I think CandleChem sells a few different kinds of F-T waxes.

[radellaf]

PITA -- Wish the names for this stuff were more standard. Just ordered 8oz ea of the clear and translucent from candlechem, both of which say they preserve translucency so at least one should

1274 is pretty translucent as is, but I want to see how many different looks I can get out of it.

FWIW I'm surprised you can burn polyethylene, but I guess used like this it burns (more) completely rather than what happens when you just light plastic on fire.

[topofmurrayhill]

Low molecular weight polyethylene is sometimes called polyethylene wax. The chemical structure is fairly simple and not radically different from paraffin molecules. It burns completely in the flame.

[radellaf]

My nose agrees

Nice Ginger peach scent, no oil bleeding. Acts like wax, looks like plastic. Not what I intended, but it'll have its place.

Didn't think PE came in more than one molecular weight. I did work for a polymer chemistry company, but was just designing electronic sensors around the chemicals so didn't pick up much chemisty. Know there was a jar on the shelf labeled "polyethylene", so figured that's the only way it came.

[radellaf]

Just got in my CandleChem order and here's what their additives look like.

Translucent Crystals:

Clear Crystals:

Are one or both of those "FT Wax" or "Paraflint"? Either dissolved fine when I got a few ounces of wax in my pour pot, on direct heat, up to about 250F. Only the translucent came with a big warning to MELT SEPARATELY.

And here are two candles, top made with translucent at 0.5% and bottom with clear at 0.7% by weight (both 1 tsp pp). Sorry, couldn't resist burning the top one. But it wasn't very translucent, and had only a few flecks of mottling. Both 3% CS Dragon's Blood FO.

I kinda like the bottom one with the clear crystals, though not sure what caused the messy bottom-of-the-mold end. It was poured at at least 185F.

I'll have to try the translucent crystals at 0.25% (half) and see what I get. We're talking really small amounts here, in 5oz candles. Like 2-3 grams.

Edited March 3, 2010 by radellaf

[radellaf]

Even at 0.25%, the translucent crystals suppress mottling with 3% FO. There are bubbles, and in the clear middle I can see some tiny hints of mottle.

[radellaf]

Was mentioned that EVA is part of hot glue, so here's an experiment in using 1% by weight of a multi-temp hot glue stick as an additive in IGI1274, 3%FO. Completely opaque and very shiny. Looks a lot like the polyethylene additive. Had to get the wax up to about 250F for the bit of hot glue to dissolve, but it did.

Edited March 5, 2010 by radellaf