Soy Candle Making Kits

Much ado has been made concerning the use of soy wax in the last few years.  Many candle makers have chosen to make all their candles with soy wax.  The internet has a number of places to get soy wax, additives, and soy candle making kits.  If this is such a great product, where was it until the 1990's?

No one seemed to think much of the soybean.  For 5,000 years, the Chinese had used the lowly legume to add nitrogen to the ground during crop rotations.  In more recent times, soybeans have been used as a protein source in animal feeds.  TVP, textured vegetable protein, is an important ingredient in the dairy and meat industry as an additive.

Soybeans are used in the making of soy sauce, and there are countless industrial applications for the soybean oil.  Currently, the United States is the largest producer of soybeans, followed by Brazil, Argentina, China, and India.  Soybeans have become a multi-million dollar industry.  That's not too bad for a small legume plant.

The makeup of soybeans is 40% protein, 18% oil, and 35% carbohydrates.  It is not only a food in its own right, but is an ingredient in many more.  A partial list of the foods and products that soybeans contribute to are:  meat replacement as in Tofu, dairy replacement as in soy milk and cheese, cooking oil, flour, butter, ice cream, chips, and vodka.

Industrial uses for soybeans and their by-products include:  bio fuel as a replacement for crude oil, soaps, cosmetics, resins, plastics, inks, clothing, paints, and candles.  Only the peanut, another legume, can boast of so many uses.

No wonder the guy came up with soy wax back in 1992.  Soybeans are so economical and plentiful that it was almost a no brainer to make a wax from them.

Soybean oil is separated from the solids of the soybean by solvent extraction, or it may be squeezed out by use of a press.  Sixty pounds of soybeans yields about ten pounds of oil.  The solids that are left are used as well as the oil.  To get from oil to wax requires hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation is the process where the oil is solidified to increase the viscosity.  The oil reacts with hydrogen at temperatures of 140 to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, in the presence of a nickel catalyst.  Hydrogenation produces saturated fats which contain trans-fats.  This isn't healthy for consumption, but hopefully most people don't eat their candles.

The wax produced by hydrogenation has a low melting point that is only good for container candles.  To make the wax hard enough to be used for pillar candles, other waxes have to be blended with the soy.  Paraffin and stearic acid are common additives.

Soy candle making kits may be for either type of candle, depending on their content and design.  There are few controls on the production of soy waxes, and the wax that you purchase may not be clearly labeled as to its melting point or its purity.  Many times, the wax will be marked as "blended" and just mention that it contains soy.  It is important to know if your soy wax is pure or modified before you attempt to use it for candle making.  Be sure to inquire before purchasing supplies to obtain all necessary information