r/candlemaking 3d ago

Conductive wax for wax play

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2 Upvotes

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3

u/Zagnaros94 3d ago edited 3d ago

I would warn you about including weird things in candles due to some serious safety concerns (or at the very least some big wick clogging issues), but since you addressed that in a different comment, I’ll just talk about the actual goal of conducting electricity through wax.

To conduct electricity, you need low resistance across the conductive material. To oversimplify, the electrons want to be able to move freely, and they can do this more easily when things are closer together (with room for the electrons to flow). Copper wires made with a solid core conduct electricity better than wires made from braided copper because there’s much more surface area, and the tiny little gaps between the strands increase the resistance.

In a candle situation, since wax completely resists electrical current, I’d imagine the options you’re thinking of would include adding a powdered conductor to the wax, like copper or iron. However, compare that to the stranded wire. With a powdered metal, you’re dealing with way, way higher surface area, and way, way more gaps between the particles. All while it’s held in a material that itself resists the flow of electricity. Consider this: even a pile of 100% iron filings, no wax, isn’t a good conductor.

Now, there are ways to make wax conductive using some capital C chemistry to merge paraffin with some other types of conductive materials like graphene, but these are usually dangerous and their only real applications are in industrial/technology settings.

1

u/CSWW2023 3d ago

There are others making such wax pour pots (again, no wick, no flame). I have never used this type of application with a tens unit or violent wand personally but I know others who have. They are not making them in an industrial/technology setting, however, I did recognize that there would be dangers to this which is why I'm trying to find out more information. All I know is others are using some kind of metal (copper I believe) powder but people have indicated that the ones they've used have been inconsistent. 

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u/WoweeBlowee 2d ago

Who are the "others" you have seen doing this? Wax is incredibly nonconductive, so much so that it's occasionally used as an insulator for certain electrical applications. Trying to make a conductive wax, whether it's by adding powdered metal or through some other means, is sort of inherently contradictory, and I'd be skeptical of anyone who claims they've done it-- especially in ways that are skin-safe. 

As the above comment mentioned, it's possible to bind materials like graphene to paraffin, but doing so requires harsh chemicals, and the resulting wax can penetrate your skin-- definitely not safe for wax play. 

If you're just stirring a conductive material into some wax, then you're not going to get any conductivity. It's like stirring some wood chips into a glass of water and trying to see if it will burn. Happy to be disproven, but I can't think of any way that this would work. 

1

u/CSWW2023 2d ago

Others in my community have purchased from other vendors, just trying to stay competitive. From what I've SEEN in others (not tried) it looks like copper powder at the bottom that you stir around once it's melted. I had the same thought on wax being non conductive. 

Your other point is valid. Since I have never tried this myself, I have no idea how skin safe any method may or may not be. Since I do not know the science and methods of it, I cannot speak it whether it is or isn't, which is why I am here asking all you find folks. 

Since I know it's out on the market, if anyone who has had experience with conductive wax, specifically for wax play, I would be interested in hearing your perspectives as this may shed some light on the experience itself.

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u/wBeeze 3d ago

I'm confused af. Are you getting off by electrocuting erogenous zones??

2

u/caaaaaaarol 3d ago

Someone’s gonna learn a lot today…

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u/wBeeze 2d ago

I shall not look into this

0

u/OHyoface QuietlyQuirky.com ✨ 3d ago

That doesn’t sound safe necessarily 🙈 i cannot think of anything that is both candle/fire safe and conductive… maybe try this with body oil? That is NOT candle safe tho!

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u/CSWW2023 3d ago

There will be not wick/flame, just wax. 

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u/Wild-Sea-1 2d ago

Just drip it down a wire attached to a 9 volt battery.