| The other day I was hard at work in my office | | | | Knowing how this works now, think about paraffin |
| when a pressing question came to mind. How do | | | | wax. Paraffin comes from refining crude oil. When |
| candles burn? OK, so it seems I have a little too | | | | wax made from paraffin vaporizes and burns, the |
| much time on my hands. Nevertheless, it is an | | | | nasty toxins in the paraffin are added to the air that |
| interesting question. | | | | you breath in your home. |
| My wife and I make Soy Wax Candles, so we are | | | | This is not the case with soy wax candles. It works |
| burning candles all the time. What makes them burn, | | | | about the same way - the wick is lit, melts the wax |
| and why doesn't the wick just burn up? It is | | | | which is absorbed into the wick, then vaporizes and |
| interesting to think of the science behind candles - | | | | burns. The difference is that there are no toxins |
| but then again, I am a geek. Stick with me for a | | | | released into the air as you burn the candle. Soy wax |
| minute. | | | | is much cleaner and cooler burning. I have also |
| When you light a candle, the wick starts to burn and | | | | noticed that scented soy wax smells a lot better |
| melts the wax around the wick. The melted wax is | | | | that scented paraffin wax. |
| then absorbed into the wick and upward where the | | | | Now that this pressing question has been answered, |
| heat of the flame vaporizes the wax. It is the wax | | | | you are free to tackle much more difficult issues like |
| vapor that burns. The wick doesn't burn up, because | | | | - How to get that paraffin soot out of your drapes! |
| the liquid wax cools the wick. (howthingswork.com) | | | | |