# Changing the color of a candle flame? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627 "2006-12-02T22:40:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrDantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MrDantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDantastic)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/1 "2006-12-02T22:40:52Z")
What do people put in with their candles to make the flame burn a different color? [Example Candle Flame](http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/10405654/Liquid_Colored_Flame_Candle.html) Has anyone ever seen anything you can add to the wax to get this effect? Thinking back to high school chemistry, my first thought was that some sort of metal was being added to the wax that would burn to create a different color. Looking into this a little further it seems in most cases this would create a toxic byproduct. Now my second guess would be some sort of oil, that would burn more evenly, but I don’t even know where to start. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/2 "2006-12-03T00:02:20Z")
My guess is that it’s some sort of metal salt. [Strontium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strontium), for example, has several volatile salts that give a bright red colour to a flame. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/3 "2006-12-03T00:08:24Z")
Fight my ignorance, what hazardous chemicals do you get from burning small amounts of metal? I thought burning copper got you a green flame and cupr(ic? ous?) oxide. Considering that fireworks do get their colors from metals, I can’t see why candles can’t be colored the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/4 "2006-12-03T00:34:46Z")
[Colored flame candle and manufacture thereof](http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6712865.PN.&OS=PN/6712865&RS=PN/6712865) > [@](#): > > The formulation for the candle body of a candle with a red flame is as follows: > > Trimethyl citrate 95% Stearamide 1.5% Stearin 1.5% Lithium Propanoate 2% Clove oil (Perfume) 0.01% Oil Red (Pigment) 0.02% > > The above components are melt in a vessel heated at 90 to 95.degree. C. to form a uniform melt mixture, which is then cast into a mould containing a cotton combustion wick which has been previously pretreated by immersing with a 20% aqueous solution of semicarbazide for 10 minutes and then air-drying. After cooling, the candle is demoulded to obtain a finished colored flame candle. **Other Color Additives:** Yellow; Sodium citrate Blue; Potassium aluminum sulfate Green; Boric acid White; Vanadium chloride/Antimony oxychloride Magenta; Strontium nitrate ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/5 "2006-12-03T00:39:49Z")
[This page](http://www.sciencecompany.com/sci-exper/flamecolors.htm) has a chart that will tell you which metal salt will produce what color, as well as a cautionary against using certain compounds because of harmful byproducts. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/6 "2006-12-03T00:44:05Z")
What will burning lithuium carbonate get me? I’ve got a lighter and a few expendable 200 mg piles of the stuff. I never did get around to trying to burn the mysterious green substance produced when electrolyzing my tap water. I fear it’s an oxide and won’t burn. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/7 "2006-12-03T00:47:33Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] What will burning lithuium carbonate get me? I’ve got a lighter and a few expendable 200 mg piles of the stuff. [/QUOTE] Lithium produces a [red](http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/blfireli.htm) color. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/8 "2006-12-03T00:58:54Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Lithium produces a [red](http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/blfireli.htm) color. [/QUOTE] I noted lithium _chloride_ in your first link and was curious as to whether lithium carbonate would behave differently. Empirical studies have shown that lithium carbonate also burns red, but that I need a bigger flame source. Question- You’ve given cites for the visible spectrum. Is there a compound I can burn to get a ‘black light’ flame, something in the near UV like the lamps sold at Spencer’s Gifts? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/9 "2006-12-03T01:02:37Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] Question- You’ve given cites for the visible spectrum. Is there a compound I can burn to get a ‘black light’ flame, something in the near UV like the lamps sold at Spencer’s Gifts? [/QUOTE] No idea. I’m no expert…I’m just a pretty decent Googler. ---
**Author:** ![MrDantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MrDantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDantastic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/10 "2006-12-03T01:30:18Z")
Thanks for the help and links. If I successfully make any of these, I will definitely post pictures. **DocCathode** , you may very well be correct. I don’t know if burning a smell amount would actually be harmful or not, but I would hate to accidently poison someone with a candle while they were watching TV. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MrDantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MrDantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDantastic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/11 "2006-12-03T01:31:22Z")
burning a **small** amount that is… ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/12 "2006-12-03T01:34:27Z")
To clarify, my “what the hell” was not meant as any kind of challenge. I couldn’t think of any toxic products and figured, ‘what the hell, I shall risk exposing my ignorance on this matter.’ ---
**Author:** ![MrDantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MrDantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDantastic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/13 "2006-12-03T02:30:39Z")
Makes sense now. At first I was a little confused, but now I understand. Thanks for clarifying. I also found out I have that I just happen to have some sodium borate, which will hopefully create a green colored flame. I’m going to try tomorrow afternoon. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/14 "2006-12-03T03:06:33Z")
[QUOTE=MrDantastic] sodium borate [/QUOTE] You’ll get some yellow in there from the sodium. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/15 "2006-12-03T15:39:36Z")
This has got to be the best part of my job (pharmaceutical chemist)… identity tests! I tested a potassium phosphate solution last week, and sodium chloride this week. Light up the bunsen burner and spend the next 20 minutes looking at the pretty coloured flame you get when you burn the solutions. Of course, I could do the test in about 30 seconds, but it is just so much fun to do! ---
**Author:** ![PuddingCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@PuddingCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuddingCat)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-color-of-a-candle-flame/382627/16 "2006-12-03T17:07:06Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] Question- You’ve given cites for the visible spectrum. Is there a compound I can burn to get a ‘black light’ flame, something in the near UV like the lamps sold at Spencer’s Gifts? [/QUOTE] This is a bit of a WAG, because my brain long ago forgot most of this stuff. I recall that light is emitted when an electron jumps between different orbits around an atom. The wavelength of light is proportional to the energy delta. Wouldn’t creating UV or near UV require a **very** energetic jump. Perhaps why welding creates UV due to the very energetic changes in structure in the rigid crystalline metal? Again, please note the WAG disclaimer. I’m only adding this in the hope that somebody much more knowledgable than me picks up and fills in my dumb-gaps. Tim ps dumb-gaps. I like the sound of that.