Matt_BdcConcepts
05-19-2004, 09:44 PM
As promised
in the large news thread, here is our write up on pheromone candles:
No pheromone candles you say? We beg to
differ. It has been asserted by other organizations that pheromone candles will not be successful based on an
arbitrary number that somehow the structural integrity of the molecule will somehow be sacrificed around 155 degrees
Fahrenheit. In order to show this assertion is not accurate, it is necessary to have an understanding of how candles
function, the molecular structure of hormones, and diffusion.
Candles:
First, lets explain how a candle
works. \"Candles really are an amazing lighting system -- the fuel itself is the package. There are two parts that
work together in a candle:
The fuel, made of some sort of wax
The wick, made of some sort of absorbent twine
The wick needs to be naturally absorbent, like a towel, or it needs to have a strong capillary action (as in
glass fiber wicks used in oil lamps). If you buy a length of un-waxed wick at a craft store and play with it, you
will find that it feels like soft string and absorbs water very well. This absorbency is important in a candle
because the wick needs to absorb liquid wax and move it upward while the candle is burning. When you light a candle,
you melt the wax in and near the wick. The wick absorbs the liquid wax and pulls it upward. The heat of the flame
vaporizes the wax, and it is the wax vapor that burns. You can prove that it is wax vapor, rather than liquid wax,
that is burning with two experiments:
1. If you place one end of a metal or glass tube (shaped like a thin
straw, 4 to 6 inches / 10 to 15 cm long) into a candle\'s flame at a 45-degree angle, you can then light the upper
end of the tube. The paraffin vapor flows up the tube and is the fuel for this second flame.
2. When you blow
out a candle, you notice a stream of white smoke leaving the wick. This stream is paraffin vapor that has condensed
into a visible form. It continues to form as long as the wick is hot enough to vaporize paraffin. If you touch a lit
match to the stream, a flame will run down it and re-light the wick.
The reason the wick does not burn is
because the vaporizing wax cools the exposed wick and protects it. You may have seen the camping trick of boiling
water in a paper cup. The cup does not burn because the water inside cools it. The liquid wax does the same thing
for the wick.\"
Aromatic Candles:
In aromatic candles, scented oils or other ingredients are added while the
wax is in liquid state before it\'s poured or shaped into its mold (glass jar, etc). When the candle is lit, heats
up, and wax melts, a liquid pool is formed around the wick. Nearly all of the scent released from an aromatic candle
is from this liquid pool through diffusion. Diffusion works through the intermingling of molecules in gases and
liquids as a result of random thermal agitation. In other words, the wax changing states from a solid to a liquid
through heat releases the aromatic scent into the air. It is not the burning of the candle that releases the aroma
into the air, rather, its just the opposite and little of the aroma is destroyed through burning.
Hormones and
Heat:
In the simplest sense, pheromones are simply hormones secreted by the body through various glands in the
form of sweat mostly. In fact, most human pheromones detected have common molecular structures to those of
androgenic hormones. Sparing the complexities of this, if you examine androstenone, androstenol, and androsterone,
you find that their melting points are well above 100 degrees Celsius. In fact, for hormones used in human beings,
it is common sterilization practice to heat a preparation to over 300 degrees. Pheromones can endure quite a bit of
heat without loss of molecular integrity.
The Point:
We have established how candles function and the
importance of diffusion for aroma. Clearly, pheromones are not broken down when the wax changes from a solid to a
liquid. Ever dip your finger in hot wax...exactly. Because pheromones will diffuse with the aroma of your candle,
little is sacrificed through the actual combustion process.
Want to make a pheromone candle?
Easy enough.
Take any candle you have. Dump or scrape the wax out into a pot and apply heat from a stove. When the wax melts,
simply add your pheromones (usually in an oil based product) to the pot. Mix thoroughly and pour the liquid wax into
whatever container you would like making sure push a wick through before the wax solidifies.
There is a bit more
to this than what is stated and will be explained further, but for the majority this is the basics. Thanks to
howstuffworks.com for helping me not to spend the time to explain how candles work. We will elaborate further but
wanted to offer this up for discussion first.
Thanks all,
Matt
in the large news thread, here is our write up on pheromone candles:
No pheromone candles you say? We beg to
differ. It has been asserted by other organizations that pheromone candles will not be successful based on an
arbitrary number that somehow the structural integrity of the molecule will somehow be sacrificed around 155 degrees
Fahrenheit. In order to show this assertion is not accurate, it is necessary to have an understanding of how candles
function, the molecular structure of hormones, and diffusion.
Candles:
First, lets explain how a candle
works. \"Candles really are an amazing lighting system -- the fuel itself is the package. There are two parts that
work together in a candle:
The fuel, made of some sort of wax
The wick, made of some sort of absorbent twine
The wick needs to be naturally absorbent, like a towel, or it needs to have a strong capillary action (as in
glass fiber wicks used in oil lamps). If you buy a length of un-waxed wick at a craft store and play with it, you
will find that it feels like soft string and absorbs water very well. This absorbency is important in a candle
because the wick needs to absorb liquid wax and move it upward while the candle is burning. When you light a candle,
you melt the wax in and near the wick. The wick absorbs the liquid wax and pulls it upward. The heat of the flame
vaporizes the wax, and it is the wax vapor that burns. You can prove that it is wax vapor, rather than liquid wax,
that is burning with two experiments:
1. If you place one end of a metal or glass tube (shaped like a thin
straw, 4 to 6 inches / 10 to 15 cm long) into a candle\'s flame at a 45-degree angle, you can then light the upper
end of the tube. The paraffin vapor flows up the tube and is the fuel for this second flame.
2. When you blow
out a candle, you notice a stream of white smoke leaving the wick. This stream is paraffin vapor that has condensed
into a visible form. It continues to form as long as the wick is hot enough to vaporize paraffin. If you touch a lit
match to the stream, a flame will run down it and re-light the wick.
The reason the wick does not burn is
because the vaporizing wax cools the exposed wick and protects it. You may have seen the camping trick of boiling
water in a paper cup. The cup does not burn because the water inside cools it. The liquid wax does the same thing
for the wick.\"
Aromatic Candles:
In aromatic candles, scented oils or other ingredients are added while the
wax is in liquid state before it\'s poured or shaped into its mold (glass jar, etc). When the candle is lit, heats
up, and wax melts, a liquid pool is formed around the wick. Nearly all of the scent released from an aromatic candle
is from this liquid pool through diffusion. Diffusion works through the intermingling of molecules in gases and
liquids as a result of random thermal agitation. In other words, the wax changing states from a solid to a liquid
through heat releases the aromatic scent into the air. It is not the burning of the candle that releases the aroma
into the air, rather, its just the opposite and little of the aroma is destroyed through burning.
Hormones and
Heat:
In the simplest sense, pheromones are simply hormones secreted by the body through various glands in the
form of sweat mostly. In fact, most human pheromones detected have common molecular structures to those of
androgenic hormones. Sparing the complexities of this, if you examine androstenone, androstenol, and androsterone,
you find that their melting points are well above 100 degrees Celsius. In fact, for hormones used in human beings,
it is common sterilization practice to heat a preparation to over 300 degrees. Pheromones can endure quite a bit of
heat without loss of molecular integrity.
The Point:
We have established how candles function and the
importance of diffusion for aroma. Clearly, pheromones are not broken down when the wax changes from a solid to a
liquid. Ever dip your finger in hot wax...exactly. Because pheromones will diffuse with the aroma of your candle,
little is sacrificed through the actual combustion process.
Want to make a pheromone candle?
Easy enough.
Take any candle you have. Dump or scrape the wax out into a pot and apply heat from a stove. When the wax melts,
simply add your pheromones (usually in an oil based product) to the pot. Mix thoroughly and pour the liquid wax into
whatever container you would like making sure push a wick through before the wax solidifies.
There is a bit more
to this than what is stated and will be explained further, but for the majority this is the basics. Thanks to
howstuffworks.com for helping me not to spend the time to explain how candles work. We will elaborate further but
wanted to offer this up for discussion first.
Thanks all,
Matt