Soy Candles
By Dr. D.S. Merchant
Candles were used by people from a very long time but there is no historical record of the first candles used by man. In those days & today candles were commonly used for lighting, heating, decoration, and celebration. The early Chinese and Japanese candles were made with wax originally from insects and seeds molded in paper tubes. Wax skimmed from boiling cinnamon was the basis of tapers for temple use in India. The Native Americans burned oily fish (candlefish) stuck into a forked stick.

Soy wax is produced form soybean oil but may contain other non-soy ingredients. Soybean oil is separated from the solid components by solvent extraction or by mechanical pressing. This raw oil is then further refined and bleached. Around 60 kg of soybeans are required to produce 10 kg of soybean oil. The soy solids, which remain after oil extraction, can be used as cattle feed.

The main step in making soy wax is hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is the process whereby the poly- and monounsaturated oils are solidified in order to increase the viscosity. This is done by reaction of hydrogen with the oil at elevated temperature (140-225°C) in the presence of a nickel catalyst. It is important to stir the mixture to help dissolve the hydrogen and to achieve a uniform distribution of the catalyst with the oil. The hydrogenation process will create saturated fats (the double bonds are converted into single bonds) which are not very healthy for human consumption because it contains trans-fats.

Hydrogenation of soybean oil alone will produce a wax with low melting point and not so solid texture. Fragrance oils and dyes often added to soy candles. Scented soy wax, which is very popular, can contain up to 10% fragrance oil, which are readily miscible with wax.

Soy candles are best to use because they come from a vegetable, it is non-toxic, and are 100% biodegradable. Soy candles burn 40-50% longer, and burn at a lower temperature than paraffin, making them a much safer. Soy candles are also easy to care for and clean up. Even more these candles do not increase the carbon dioxide level of the atmosphere, making them more attractive to environmentally conscious people. Compared to paraffin candles, their non-toxic nature causes fewer allergies.

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