Today's candle market is experiencing a tremendous growth due to the increased popularity of and uses for candles. One of the most unique, versatile and attractive candles available is the "clear gel candle" Clear gel candles are available in a combination of sizes and shapes, and may include fragrances and colors, as well as unique design elements. Clear gel candles may also be formulated for a variety of consumer purposes.

Similar to traditional wax candles, clear gel candles are commonly produced from a hydrocarbon base stock. The use of a gelled hydrocarbon base stock provides the additional advantage of transparency. Penreco produces and markets a series of patented gels (US Patent 5,879,694) for use in the manufacture of clear gel candles under the Versagel™ brand name. These gels may be custom formulated to incorporate fragrances, finely dispersed decorations, and other active and/or inert components.

While Penreco does not manufacture candles and is not an expert in the field of candle manufacturing, it has, as a service to its customers, prepared a list of factors which should be considered by a candle manufacturer before formulating a clear gel candle. Penreco has compiled this list of criteria, which are identified as "Safety Factors," from candle industry data and resourses, and internal evaluations of clear gel candle formulations.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of factors to be taken into consideration when formulating a clear gel candle. It also does no eliminate the need for the candle manufacturer to perform strict safety tests concerning the burning and flaming characteristics of any candle.
 
 

1. Formulation Ingredient - Gel

Penreco sells a series of candle gels under the Versagel™ brand name. They are formulated with a narrow cut hydrocarbon oil of exceptional safety relative to the flash point. Via the with a narrow cut hydrocarbon oil of exceptional safety relative to the flash point. Via the COC method, flash points of 430ºF and sustained burn (Fire Point) of 500ºF are typical. Penreco also has optimized polymer type and concentration to produce a gel of exceptional clarity and maximized viscosity to resist cold flow of the gel in the container of choice. Each Versagel™ grade is designed for different fragrance capacity with Versagel™ CLP designed for fragrance loads of 0-3%, Versagel™ CMP designed for fragrance loads of 3-5%, and Versagel™ CHP grade designed for suspension of ingredients such as glitter, and specialty pigments along with up to 6% fragrance.
 
2. Formulation Ingredient - Fragrance

Penreco does not sell fragrances but has developed excellent relationships with several of the leading fragrance companies. Fragrance selection becomes critical as it relates to compatibility or solubility in the gel. Each fragrance is a complex mixture of many aroma chemicals, perhaps 30-50 different chemical ingredients, combined to produce a fragrance in which the polarity of the mixture needs careful consideration.

A fragrance with a non-polar (hydrocarbon compatible) character is most preferred. This non-polar character does not deteriorate the gel strength and has excellent solubility. The second variable in fragrance selection is the fragrance's flash point. Most fragrances have flash point of 140ºF and higher. A most preferred fragrance flash point would be 170ºF or higher. In summary, the fragrance types to most avoid would be polar fragrances with flash points below 170ºF. A quick check for fragrance polarity can be done with mineral oil. A non-polar fragrance should be 100% soluble (with no separation) in mineral oil at the following ratios:

25% fragrance / 75% Mineral oil
75% fragrance / 25% Mineral oil
 

3. Formulation Ingredient - Dyes

No information has been found which shows that the dye influences candle safety.
 
4. Formulation Processing or Mixing

When processing the Versagel™ candle gel series, Penreco has insure that the polymer concentration is uniform throughout the gel. Care must be taken in not only selecting the correct fragrance but also in completely and uniformly mixing the fragrance into the gel before packaging the gel into the container. Incomplete mixing of the fragrance can cause an irregularly burning flame.
 
5. Gel Candle Wicks

Penreco does not sell wicks or make wick recommendations for final consumer packages. We believe the slower burn rate of gelled candle technology (perhaps 40-50% slower than wax) may, unfortunately, encourage manufacturers to use "oversized" wicks.

Prewicked wick systems are available with the wick attached to a 20mm metal clip. Wick sizes are diverse and must be test burned by the manufacturer to make sure they work with the gel and additive combination. Different sized containers and additive combinations (colors, specialty pigments, fragrance load, etc.) can effect how the candle will burn. These wicks and tabs can be manufactured to any length and wick size up to 2mm in thickness including the wax coating.  Wick length and placement are important details that can contribute to candle safety. Wicks not trimmed to less than ¼ inch creates a potential for a very large flame with non-uniform combustion, which, when no centered properly, can create localized overheating of the container and "pool". Such conditions can cause uneven temperature dissipation, a potentially unsafe condition.
 

6. Gel Candle Containers

Penreco has studied and burned countless experimental candles in containers, jars, glasses, and mugs of different sizes and shapes. As mentioned in the wick choice, the characteristics of the "pool viscosity" and pool temperature are influenced by the wick size and container selection. Container diameter will influence "pol temperature" and can hinder the safe dissipation of generated heat. The container also becomes important at the end of the burn cycle during the burning of the last few grams of candle gel. Therefore container composition (glass, tempered glass, clay, etc.), container center of gravity and base stability, and container diameter are all factors to be considered.
 
7. Gel Candle Consumer Use Instructions

Penreco feels proper consumer education to also be an important aspect of gel candle safety. Points are as follows.
1. Never burn a candle unattended
2. Never burn for more that four hours
3. Always trim wick to ¼" above the gel surface before use.
4. Never burn the last inch of a candle.

In summary, we have attempted to identify key safety factors. However, this report should not be construed by the manufacturer as license to bypass clear and decisive safety testing of all variables before launch.
 
 

Guidelines to assist in the handling of Versagel™ C   Physical Process Temp °F Temp °C Mixing and blending other ingredients into the gel 203-221 95-105 Pouring the candle gel from one container into another 185-203 85-95 Loss of air bubbles 167-185 75-85 Stiffening of the liquid product into a gel structure 140-167 60-75 Oven temperature for the removal of air bubbles from the gel 131-158 55-70 Please note that these temperatures are estimates only, and may need to be adjusted by as much as ± 10 °C (20°F).  The inclusion of fragrance or other materials will affect the properties listed above.  These temperatures may need to be modified depending on the flash points of the added ingredients.  When adding fragrances or other soluble ingredients to the gels, the blend should be thoroughly mixed to ensure that the resulting gel is completely uniform and homogeneous.  These temperature ranges have been developed from our experience in the lab while working with the candle gels and should not be considered recommendations for manufacturing conditions. In a manufacturing environment, other factors may be important which cannot be predicted or simulated in a laboratory.

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