How to distinguish stearin candles from paraffin ones? How to make stearin candles with your own hands. What are candles made of? How much wax is in wax candles
To make a regular white candle, you will need stearin, paraffin and a wick. Buy these materials in small flakes or small forms.
What are candles made of? To color liquid molten material, dissolve powdered wax in it. It comes in all colors of the spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
Now new materials have appeared on sale, such as colored powder wax. Buy it in packages of several grams - such packages are also good for gifts.
To introduce original inclusions into the base material and achieve beautiful color combinations, use small tablets or grains of wax.
Buy special wax strips and use them to decorate the outside of the candle.
Beeswax leaves will give your candles a delicate honey scent.
Special gelatin for candles is available in various colors and has good properties, in particular, blooms easily and burns for a long time.
Modeling wax is sold in small forms and is suitable even for delicate fingers, so you can safely involve your child in the candle making process.
Chandelier
A massive candelabra, as a rule, has numerous branches. A large candle is placed in the center of it, and smaller candles around it. Antique candelabra made from different materials: wood, ivory, bronze - and decorated with decorative and symbolic figures.
What are candles made of?
Paraffin and stearin
Paraffin is contained in different types petroleum and is a by-product in the production of lubricants. It is sold in paint departments in the form of bars, blocks and flakes. In fact, it is a white transparent mass without taste or smell, which melts at a temperature between +40°C and +65°C. Paraffin is used not only for making candles: it is used in the paper, textile and electrical (as an insulating material) industries, in the production of rubber, explosives, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Paraffin is mixed with stearin - a triglyceride of stearic acid obtained from animal fats. Stearic suppositories contain up to 60-70% stearin, the rest of their composition is paraffin, beneficial features which improves the quality of the cheapest varieties.
Buy wax leaves, gold or silver decorative cords and ready-made candles of different shapes and colors that you are going to decorate.
Decorate candles with laces before the New Year and Christmas holidays and give such candles to your friends and family.
Liquid paraffin and stearin take the shape of the container where it is stuck.
Use yogurt jars plastic cups, clay bowls and cookie cutters.
Stores sell special plastic molds for candles.
Containers made from reimbursable materials
Insert the wick into the cardboard cone. Melt paraffin (3:4) and stearin (1:4) in a saucepan. Let the liquid cool so that you can dip your finger into it without getting burned. Supporting the wick with a wooden stick (toothpick, clothespin, etc.), pour a little wax and cool it so that the wick attaches to the bottom of the container and remains exactly in the center of the candle. Seal all possible holes with putty, otherwise the wax will leak out, then pour it into the container. Shake it a little to prevent air bubbles from appearing. If, despite this, voids have formed around the wick, add more wax.
Table decoration
Place small flat candles in a bowl of water so that they float on the surface, and larger candles on a composition of Christmas trees, fruits and flowers made from butter dough, and let them illuminate festive table.
Decorate the candles with decorative polka dots, paint them with stripes, and decorate them with flowers made using the patchwork technique.
Stores sell flat wicks specifically for very large candles and hard wicks already impregnated with wax. different sizes. Choose a wick that is suitable for the size of your candle: if it is too small, the candle will burn only partially, and if it is too large, a smoky flame will form.
Get your wicks and adhesive packing tape ready.
To place wicks in a large container, secure them to the bottom with beads of putty. Place two strips of adhesive packing tape around the edges of the container, make holes and insert the wicks.
Pull the wicks well and secure them with duct tape. Pour melted wax into a container.
Working with wax
Melt the wax in a water bath, but do not bring the process to the appearance unpleasant odor. If you do this on kitchen stove, cover it with special foil, otherwise wax stains can damage the surface, and it is very difficult to remove them.
Melt the wax. You can use paraffin and add 10-15% stearin.
To color the base material, mix the liquid substance with aniline, wax pastel or oil paint.
Pour the melted liquid into the container.
Often, during the cooling process, a void forms around the wick. Fill it with wax of the chosen color.
Cones and colored stripes
To make candles with colorful layers, fill part of the mold with wax and wait for it to harden. Then add wax of a different color. Rub the candle with flannel soaked in ammonia or ethyl alcohol.
Insert the wick into the mold. Insert it obliquely into the saucer with salt.
Slowly pour the wax near the wick. To ensure that the stripes stand out clearly, do not stain the sides of the mold.
When the liquid hardens, the opposite side and pour wax of a different color. Continue the process until the entire form is completed.
Today, candles are not used as often as they once were. In our lives, with their help, people create a romantic atmosphere, scent the air, or simply use them as a decorative element.
But many experts argue that scented candles are very harmful to humans and should not be used very often. They release large amounts of toxins into the air, which can cause health problems for people.
What to do? Choose paraffin or wax candles, how do they differ?
Paraffin candles - harm and benefit
Paraffin candles When burned, toxic compounds are released into the air - toluene and benzene. Benzene is used in industry. Based on it, many are produced various products: rubber, plastics, synthetic rubber, paints, explosives, fabric dyes and some medications.
Benzene enters the human body through the respiratory tract. This is how people suffer from weakness, sleep disturbances and dizziness. Also, if a person inhales this for several years harmful substance, then his liver and kidneys may work poorly, diseases of the blood and bone marrow develop, the functions of the circulatory and nervous systems. In addition, acute poisoning is possible.
Toluene - an aromatic compound from which benzene is obtained. Toluene, like benzene, enters the human body through the respiratory system, and sometimes through the skin. In most cases it affects the nervous and circulatory system.
It is worth understanding that paraffin candles are quite harmful to the human body, so they need to be used several times a month. There is no need to get too carried away with these candles.
If you want to create a pleasant smell in your apartment or just lie in the bath with candles, then don’t delay this matter. A few minutes will be enough and this way you can protect yourself.
Wax candles - harm and benefit
Wax candles completely made from natural substances, they will not cause harm to health, even when a huge amount of them burns. In old times church candles consisted of beeswax, they burned evenly and did not emit harmful substances into the air.
Nowadays, aromatic candles made from wax with propolis are gradually being replaced. These candles are not harmful to the body, but on the contrary, they are beneficial.
Such candles are often used for creating a romantic atmosphere, to relieve stress, or during epidemics. The price for them will be more expensive than for paraffin candles.
Today, soy wax is gaining popularity - it is 100% safe, cheaper than beeswax, and does not contain chemical substances. Soy wax candles can be easily recycled or tinted.
What is the difference between a wax candle and a paraffin candle, how to distinguish them?
A person can already visually distinguish these types of candles. Wax product made from yellow tint, and paraffin products are made of white or translucent.
- If you cut paraffin, it will crumble, but wax cuts smoothly and easily.
- Wax candles do not leave a black residue.
- If you bend a candle, the paraffin candle will fall apart, and the wax candle will only change its shape.
- When a wax candle burns, the aroma can be honey-like, while paraffin candles give off a pungent odor.
Wax candles - video
Good day, dear friends! Winter is almost here. Many beekeepers are now preparing for next season: they repair frames, string wire in them, buy some equipment, inspect their household, including their cell phone, melt wax, etc. So I recently melted wax in my small one. Immediately after this, the thought arose: where else can I use beeswax, other than simply changing it to wax? It turns out that you can make candles from natural beeswax with your own hands.
DIY candles. Why and who needs them?
Many may ask: “What is this for?” Well, at a minimum to please yourself and your loved ones, and at a maximum to receive additional profit from the apiary.
Friends, coming soon New Year! I can't even believe it. Many people associate this holiday not only with fun and vacation, but also with bustle and gifts. No one wants to deprive loved ones or leave them without attention. But not always and not everyone has the opportunity for this, including material. Here's an idea for you: make wonderful fragrant candles with your own hands from natural beeswax, not from paraffin, not from boring chemicals, but from an environmentally friendly natural product and give it to your loved ones! While still at school, in primary school, our first teacher Svetlana Alexandrovna told us: “ Best gift this is the one made with your own hands and with love!” Thanks her! I remembered these words for the rest of my life.
The second option would be to use the resulting product(s) for commercial purposes. The line of products on the beekeeper’s counter should always strive to expand. The market does not stand still. The buyer has become picky, picky (or vice versa indiscriminate...), demanding, capricious and stingy. I am also stingy with regard to my health, but that is another topic. The buyer needs to please and hit the target, identify and satisfy his needs in the here and now. Why not put five candles on the counter? Beautiful, quite original (for now), exclusive. I think this makes sense.
How to make a wax candle with your own hands?
As usual, I took the path of the least material costs. It is known that molds are needed to make candles. Most often they are made from silicone. The silicone mold is very easy to remove from the finished candle after the wax has cooled. Problems may arise with a plastic mold or other mold made from a hard, non-elastic material.
So where can you get these candle making molds? Ideally, of course, it is better to buy them in a store. There is a wide choice of shapes and sizes. There is room for your imagination to run wild. But there is one point that initial stage may repel - price. The price varies on average from about three hundred rubles to three thousand for one form.
I chose a different option. I went into one of the hardware stores and saw a silicone baking pan. I thought: “Why not?” It cost about 300 rubles. But there are six different options baking molds for candles. That is, one costs about 50 rubles. Bought.
And here's the view from inside.
Next came the question of choosing a wick. I have never made candles and after thinking a little I came to the conclusion that the wick should be from natural material, since synthetics will probably burn and release an unpleasant odor. Nothing better came to my mind than to buy a jute cord. Two hundred meters in a reel cost about 60 rubles. Pennies. The cost of such a wick does not even need to be taken into account when calculating the cost of one candle.
I came home, took some wax and put it in a glass jar, and put the jar in a saucepan. 
That is, I did water bath. Of course, it’s better not to use glass, it might burst, but for some reason I didn’t figure it out right away. Probably because I wanted to quickly try to make a candle with my own hands))
While the wax was heating, I chose the cutest mold and prepared it. I immediately made a hole for the wick. I did this with a fountain pen refill. By the way, it was also useful to me in the future. It’s more convenient, of course, to use an awl or a nail, but I was too lazy to get it)))
I made a hole exactly in the center. It is important. Then the future wick was threaded into it.
The tail of the wick reached 2.5-3 centimeters. Then I took the pen refill again and secured the wick to the inside of the mold.
The wick must be pulled strictly vertically. If this is not done, the candle will not burn evenly.
By this time the wax had just ripened. All that remains is to carefully and evenly pour it into the mold.
Yes, the form should lie on horizontal surface. Our candle should turn out even.
Literally immediately the wax began to cool, forming beautiful pattern. My wife looked at this beauty with rapture))
Well, the wax is almost frozen. There is no need to rush to take off your uniform. Our candle is still soft and can be accidentally deformed.
While the wax was curing, a small amount of it flowed out through the hole we made for the wick. This turned out to be not critical. So I left our candle to cool.
Here you go. Came a couple of hours later, when the mold had already cooled down. The sign was a noticeable decrease in size of the candle itself and a small distance appeared between the candle and the walls of the mold.
Can be taken out. This is what happened. The top near the wick had to be trimmed a little with a knife, since the wax turned out to be not entirely clean and there was a little honey and water in it, which flowed down to the bottom of the mold and occupied part of the cavity there. The first damn thing is lumpy. Now I will know that the wax should be as pure as possible. Yes, I trimmed the wick length a little more.
That's it, the candle is ready! To my surprise, it even caught fire and did not go out))) You can have a candlelight dinner.
So, a brief summary of using this method of making wax candles with your own hands:
- ease of manufacture, low cost and availability for the beekeeper of everything necessary is a definite plus;
- the wax must be clean, without impurities;
- the wick should be made of natural materials;
- the form must be positioned strictly horizontally, and the wick strictly vertically;
- do not rush to remove the hot candle from the mold;
- The downside is the paucity of form options.
Conclusion: you can use this method for everyday purposes and for experimental purposes, to analyze the market (demand). However, later it is worth taking a closer look at one with a more pronounced and interesting volumetric texture and theme.
Well, now, as promised, an interesting crossword puzzle. The first five people who send me a list of correct answers in free form to email, will receive an electronic collection of Beekeeping magazines, consisting of 333 issues of this legendary magazine!
My email address is on the page
Please: do not write answers in the comments!
Since the discovery of fire, humanity has been looking for ways to maintain it. At first, this function was performed by a torch in which resin burned. It was poured into the recess of the wooden handle. However, the torch was short-lived due to the burnt handle. They began to pour resin into clay and glass vessels. Along with the resin, animals were burned and a piece of moss, a bunch of plant fibers, and then a piece of twine or a strip of fabric were dropped into the burning material. This prototype of the wick marked the beginning of wick lamps.
History of the lamp
The first lamps were not perfect. They smoked terribly, and the light from them was weak and often went out.
Later, the clay bowl turned into a closed teapot, into the spout of which a wick was threaded. This is how it appeared for several hundred years best source lighting. Its flame was brighter, but when burning the lamp smoked. The invention of lamp glass helped overcome soot.
History of the candle
Another descendant of a torch is a candle. At first, candles were made from wax or lard. They appeared in the 10th century AD. Tallow candles were the easiest to make. The wick was lowered into the melted lard, removed, and the lard froze on it. And this procedure was repeated several times to create a candle of the required thickness. Much later, special molds for candles appeared, into which melted wax or lard was poured.
There was little light from the tallow candle, but a lot of soot. Because of this, several such candles were usually lit simultaneously in a room. It was then that the candelabra was invented - a candlestick with branches for securing several products.
Material to replace lard was needed for a long time, but was found at the dawn of the 19th century. For candles, stearin began to be used, which was integral part lard Thus the stearin candle was born. When it appeared, it instantly gained popularity, displacing the sebaceous one. It burned brighter without producing soot and without getting your hands dirty. Stearic suppositories surpassed their predecessor in all respects. And they began to be used everywhere.
Many argue about what came first - kerosene lamp or stearic suppository. from which candles began to be made almost immediately, was invented in 1816. Kerosene replaced oil in lamps only in the middle of the 19th century.
Properties of candles
At first, the materials for candle production were wax and paraffin. Later they began to use stearin. Paraffin and stearin have different physical and chemical characteristics, which leaves an imprint on the difference in candles made from these materials.
Paraffin is a petroleum refining product, which is a mixture of various hydrocarbons. And stearin contains glycerin and stearic acid. It belongs to esters. This led to different temperatures their melting point: for paraffin - from 36 to 55 °C, while for stearin from 55 to 72 °C. This makes stearin products harder, allowing them to better retain their shape. In this case, a stearic candle reaches 1500 °C, and a paraffin candle - 1400 °C.
In candle production, paraffin and stearin in their pure form are almost never used. More often they are mixed in different proportions. Typically, stearic candles are used, the composition of which is 96% palm oil and 4% paraffin.
Differences
How to distinguish a stearic candle from a paraffin candle? In real life, paraffin is distinguished from stearin by the use of alkali. When alkali reacts with stearin, the result is soap, which precipitates under the influence of acid. Paraffin is neutral with respect to the alkali solution, so nothing will change.
Stearin most often serves as a raw material for the manufacture of various decorative products.
DIY making
If in the old days candles were used to provide normal lighting in rooms, today stearine candles are increasingly gaining the role of an interesting decorative element that can create a romantic or festive atmosphere.
Nowadays, specialized stores sell many candle-making items, both the simplest and those striking the imagination with their whimsicality and originality. At the same time, such decorations are quite amenable self-production using simple materials, which are freely available. Creating this decorative element with your own hands does not require too much financial expenditure and does not take much time. At the same time, by giving free rein to your indomitable imagination and putting your soul into your work, you will create an unprecedented thing that can give joy to you and those around you.
Material
We will create miracles from stearin, paraffin or wax. For people starting to create candles for the first time, it is best to start their experiments with paraffin, since working with it is the easiest. Paraffin is either bought in a store or obtained from ordinary household colors or their cinders.
It is also not difficult to obtain stearin from ordinary stearin. To do this, you need to grate the soap on a coarse grater or slice it with a knife. Next, the resulting shavings are placed in a metal container, completely filled with water and sent to a water bath to melt. After the soap has dissolved, it is removed from the heat, after which vinegar is added to the resulting composition. A mass of thick consistency will appear on the surface, which after complete cooling can be removed with a spoon. This substance is stearin. It must be washed running water and wrapped in a clean cloth to remove excess moisture.
Wick
The best wick would be a thick cotton thread. You can use twisted or woven floss. Artificial materials They are absolutely not suitable for creating a wick, as they quickly burn out, while emitting a disgusting smell. The easiest way to obtain a wick is from ordinary candles.
Form, dyes, dishes
The shape can be a variety of containers. These could be sand molds or coffee cans. If you want to make the decoration tapered or round, you need to take a container that is used as a mold, for example a plastic ball. It is necessary to make a longitudinal cut and make a hole in the upper part of the mold, with a diameter of at least ten millimeters, so that the composition can be poured into it without hindrance.
Wax crayons or natural substances, for example cocoa, can be used as dyes. Dyes based on water or alcohol are not suitable.
You will also need dishes: a small saucepan or bowl will do. It is important that it fits comfortably in the water bath.
In the old days, candles were made from beeswax. Then they began to use paraffin for their production. What are modern decorative candles made of? Unlike those that illuminated our house in the old days, they can easily be made at home, and this procedure is safe, and the materials used for it are very affordable.
Basically, the candle mass is a mixture of paraffin and stearin, the latter being used as an additive to harden the paraffin and the percentage should be as follows: 80% paraffin, 20% stearin. In principle, you can use environmentally friendly, pleasant yellow beeswax, but it will cost much more. But candles made from it smell pleasantly of honey. For aromatherapy candles, even rarer and more expensive types of wax are used - candelilla, carnauba, and mimosa wax.
Candles sold in stores can also be made from palm or soy wax. These substances burn long and cleanly. Their advantages are that they are natural, environmentally friendly products. For the production of scented candles, the ability of palm and soy wax to absorb odors is also important. This provides a lasting aroma. Palm wax has one more feature: when it hardens, it does not form smooth surface, on the contrary, a relief pattern, similar to frosty, always appears on it. This is a very beautiful effect. If you make candles from palm wax at home, then in order not to lose this pattern, it is better to use metal or plastic candle molds. In glass and silicone forms it will be less noticeable. Fat-soluble dyes are used to tint candles.
