Are they any articles about wick/melt pool size/melt pool temperature...

[SimpleScentsCandleCo]

in relationship to hot throws in soy wax. As they relate to each other?

Not specific to a brand of wax. Just the type of wax in general. I'd be interested in reading the article(s), if they did exist.

I'm interested in learning the scientific measurement aspects/data presented so that I may better understand the specifics of vegetable based waxes. I know that personally, as a chandler, it does depend on many variables...but that's not what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for a published study for the wax family as a whole.

[Candybee]

Here's a website on the science of wicks that may help you www.wicksunlimited.com. The right wick and proper burn has a lot to do with hot throw.

[Stella1952]

The data you are seeking differs from wax type to wax type and brand to brand... You can read all kinds of stuff on wax and wick manufacturers websites, but most of the wick tests are done with paraffin - not applicable to soy except in the most general ways. Each FO, additive, etc. changes things. I am not aware of any scientific white papers such as you are describing because there are simply too many variables. The few that have been published are more proprietary and slanted toward a particular product...

Honestly, though I DO love to read scientific data, it's more important for you to dig out your lab coat and do your own testing with the ingredients and materials you choose to use. This is how you establish your candle system. While there is tons of science behind all of this, it isn't necessary to have a degree in oleoscience to make good soy wax candles. And sometimes all the data in the world won't help put it together...

Concentrate first on finding the best wick type and size for your particular wax and container. Hint: start with CDs or CDNs.

Choose a straight-sided container no more than 3" in inside diameter that is not much taller than it is wide. No dye, no FO, no additives. Just the wax. Wick for the last half of the candle. The container should not become too hot to handle at any point. It does not have to achieve FMP on the first test burn, but should be close.

Hint: if a candle achieves FMP too quickly, it will be too hot during the last half of the candle when the container temps are the highest.

Test for 1 hour per inch of diameter of the container. Weigh before each burn to compute RoC per hour. Trim the wick to 1/4" before each burn.

When you have narrowed down your wick size, pour one more tester with that wick/size and powerburn it (ie. burn for long periods of time or continuously without trimming the wick). If the container does not become excessively hot at any point, the wick shows no excessive mushrooming, no sooting or smoking or flickering or dancing, you've got a winner.

Once you have established what wick/size works best for your wax, add the variables one at a time to see how they change the mean you established. I'd suggest starting with 1 oz. of FO per pound. Once you see how that changes your wicking using the test method described above, and arrive at a good hot throw in addition to the above properties, then continue testing by adding dye to the wax and FO. Once you ascertain the best wick/size for that, then you can work on reducing frosting (that's a whole different discussion and leads us into the use of additives). HTH

Edited September 22, 2011 by Stella1952