Re-Curing

[rjdaines]

Strange things pop into my mind as I make candle, like this question. If I remelt a candle that has already been cured with a FO, does it need to cure again? When people say the FO "binds" with the wax molecules, just how tight is that bonding? Which I knew more about the chemistry off all this.

[Stella1952]

A remelt usually doesn't require as long to cure, but it is common to lose some of the FO's throw due to the remelt, depending on how stable the structure of the FO is, how sensitive it is to heat and how high it has been heated during the initial melting and remelting.. Much ado is made of the "binding" thing. I have never been sure when folks talk about "binding" if they really mean "bonding" or what... Sometimes common terminology is confusing... I agree that the chemistry and science behind all of this is fascinating. We could all benefit from learning more about the science behind our candles, especially veggie wax candles. Researching oleochemistry, oleoscience, triglycerides and lipids sometimes helps answer some of these technical questions.

Another reason I cure candles, besides allowing the FO to fully permeate the wax (whether it's binding, bonding or incorporating or what), is to allow the newly formed wax crystals to harden. Most syneresis, frosting and "wet spots" occur or begin during that first week or two after a candle is poured. I consider storage temperatures & humidity to be especially critical during this time. Older candles have less problems with these issues, although changes to texture from polymorphism (frosting, cauliflowering, etc.) can occur over longer periods of time, especially if the candles are not stored carefully.

Edited May 8, 2011 by Stella1952