Candle Wick Types |
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| Cored Wick | This wick is used in candles requiring a self supporting wick, such as a container, votives, pillars and novelties. Pre-waxing of these candle wicks in recommended for increased rigidity. There are three types of cored candle wicks, cotton, paper & zinc. Zinc is the most rigid followed by paper and cotton. |
| Flat Braid Wick | This candle wick is used in molded free standing candles such as pillars and tapers. It is designed to bend slightly when burned allowing for an even burn and a reduction of carbon (mushrooming) at the tip. |
| Square Braid Wick | This wick is used in the majority of beeswax candles, tapers and pillars. It is designed to give a slight bend at its tip when burning. |
| HTP Wick | This is a line of candle wick that combines the benefits of a self-trimming wick with the rigidity found in core candle wicks. The increased rigidity of these candle wicks provide improved wax pool symmetry and less carbon heading (mushrooming) than the traditional cored candle wicks. This multifunctional wick performs well in paraffin wax, soy wax, vegetable waxes, and Penreco gel wax. |
| Performa Coreless Wicks | These special all cotton flat braid candle wicks are engineered with a stiffening warp so they stand straight and resist bending while burning.These candle wicks produce a more robust flame in more difficult, more viscous applications. |
| LX Wicks | LX wicking is a uniquely braided, coreless, flat candle wick manufactured with stabilizing threads that ensure an optimum burn profile.The stabilizing thread maintains a slight curl when burning.This allows for a very stable and consistent flame which minimizes carbon buildup (mushrooming) while reducing afterglow, smoke, and soot.This candle wick is an excellent choice for containers and pillars because it is designed to improve the burning of paraffin wax, soy wax, and vegetable waxes. |
| RRD Series Wicks | From the makers of the LX series, these are a round braided cotton cored candle wick which provides increased flow of fuel (wax and fragrance) to the flame.These candle wicks are able to consume viscous materials without clogging or drowning which is especially helpful in containers and votives with high fragrance loads.They are known for having a consistent quality and maintaining a stable and consistent flame on the wick which burns with a slight curl. |
| CD Series Wicks | The CD candle wick is a coreless, non-directional, flat braid style wick with a special paper filament woven around it.It is designed to promote a maximum and consistent burn.This candle wick series is versatile, but works especially well with harder to melt waxes of both paraffin waxes, soy waxes, and vegetable based candle waxes. |
BURN RATE
The Burn Rate is the amount of wax consumed in grams per hour by the candle wick. The higher the burn rate number the more wax will be consumed. We provide the manufacturer’s suggested burn rate. The burn rate we provide is only offered as a basic guide and starting point. Test burning is the recommended and best way to obtain the most accurate results for your specific project.
WICK SELECTION
These factors determine proper wick size:
Once you have determined all the above factors, you are ready to select the proper wick for your candle. There are many different types of candle wicks available and each has a specific application and a specific amount of fuel it will be capable of consuming. Duplicating the formula you use for your candles is very important for getting consistent results. Any time that anything is changed in the formula, no matter what it is, you must test again in order to achieve accurate results. The candle wick will be the most consistent part of the formula.
WAX CONSUMPTION
The rate of candle wax consumption is greatly influenced by the size and construction of the candle wick. A tighter braid will consume less fuel than a loose braid even if they are of the same construction. Some candle wicks of the same cotton content will burn differently because they are braided differently.
SMOKING WICK
In most cases a smoking candle wick is a sign that the wick chosen for the candle was too large. When a candle wick is too large, it will try to consume more melted wax than the flame can efficiently burn. The unburned material escapes the flame as soot or smoke. If there is more fuel flowing up the wick than can be fully combusted with the available oxygen, smoke is generated which is the visible remnant of the unburned fuel.
MUSHROOMING
There are many reasons for carbon head mushrooming on candle wicks. Cored candle wicks are usually the most prone to carbon formation. By their design, cored candle wicks are made to be rigid. This is accomplished by a) a stiff core material and b) a tight braid. Because of the tight braid, cored candle wicks are more prone to becoming clogged with things from the wax formulation. Cored candle wicks also tend to burn in a cooler area of the candle flame, so the impurities that have built up can not be combusted in this part of the flame. As a result a carbon head forms. The best cure for this problem is testing of the wax formulation and candle wick combination.