what gives a black flame.
My response there was as follows...
Ahhh... Alchemy. *GRINS*
To begin -
Colors in general result from either emission of light of specific wavelengths, or absorption of light of specific wavelengths from a mix of photons. At the root of both emission and absorption is the excitement of electrons.
Electrons on atoms have different amounts of energy proportional to the distance of their orbital from the nucleus. Electrons (which are negative) close to the positive nucleus have lower potential energy; those in "higher" energy levels farther away have more energy. In order for an e- to "jump" from a lower level to a higher one it must absorb energy, often in the form of light. Conversely when an e- "falls" from a higher level to a lower one, it gives off energy, again in the form of a photon of light.
The amount of energy either absorbed logically depends on the distance the electron "jumps" or "falls". But the e- always absorbs or releases exactly one photon of light, not lots of photons for a big change in energy but a few photons for a small change in energy. How can this be? This is where the color comes in: photons with a high frequency have lots of energy, photons with low frequency have little energy, and we perceive photons with high frequency as bluer and those with lower frequencies as redder ( with all the colors of the rainbow in between as in ROY G BIV ).
OK. So in the flame, electrons get excited and pushed to higher energy levels by the heat energy. When they fall back down, they give off photons of light of different colors, based upon how far they fall. Different temperatures cause electrons to jump to different levels, but different types of atoms also have energy levels that are different distances apart. Thus putting copper into a flame causes a green glow because electrons on the copper atoms are falling and jumping exactly the right distance to emit or absorb photons of the frequency we see as green (you can try this with a penny)
The chemical compounds that cause variations in colours:
.. Platinum gives a red glow
.. Sodium chloride gives a blue glow
.. Barium sulphate gives a white glow
.. Salt peter gives a blue-purple glow
.. Sulphur gives a green glow
.. Potassium chloride gives a pink-purple glow
.. Azurite and malachite gives a dark blue-black glow
.. Plain sodium gives a bright yellow glow
.. Copper gives a bright green glow
.. Strontium gives a bright orange glow
.. Carbon gives a pure black glow
Here's two variants of a black flame. One used solely with carbon, while the other mixed with Potassium.
AND...
Make your own black flame wick for candles.
Dissolve 2 tbsp. table salt and 4 tbsp. borax in 1 1/2 c. warm water and add one tea spoon of carbon for a black flame.
Step 2Soak a 1-foot length of regular cotton kite string or twine in the solution for 15 minutes.
Step 3Hang the string with a clothespin for five days to be sure it is completely dry.
Step 4Use a paper clip to dip the string in melted wax three or four times, coating it completely. Hang it up to dry as before.
Step 5Store wicks rolled up in a newspaper.
To make a candle see below
Purchase an inexpensive candle making kit with most of the materials included at any craft store. If you can't find a kit, then you can still purchase the materials individually. Don't go overboard if this is your first time, just get a few basics so you can decide if you really enjoy making candles. If you know you are only making votive candles you can by wicks that are already cut and waxed. If you are going to make candles of different heights then you want a rope wick that you can cut.
Step 2Prepare the mold by wiping some olive oil on the inside with a paper towel. Use the carving knife to break a couple chunks of wax and put them in the pour pot or double boiler, or pour in some of the powdered wax. Slowly bring the water to a boil so that it melts the wax. Stir the or slosh the wax gently occasionally. The wax will be ready at about 150 degrees F.
Step 3Add some of the scent to the wax. If it is a solid scent add 1 block at a time until the fragrance is as as strong as you like. If you are using a liquid scent add one drip at a time. Your scent may include color or you can add color blocks as needed. You can also use crayons for color.
Step 4Attach the wick tab to the wick if needed. Set the tab in the bottom of the mold. If you are cutting the wick make it about an inch longer than the mold. Pour some wax in to the bottom of the mold and let it harden a little to anchor the wick tab. When it has hardened a little fill the Mold most of the way.
Step 5Gently pull the wick straight and then curl it around a pencil or spoon handle and lay the pencil or spoon on top of the mold to hold the wick straight.
Let the wax cool for 24 hours. The wax will shrink so there will be a small dip around the wick. Melt some more wax and fill in the dip to level the candle.
Step 6 When the candle is finished turn the mold upside down and shake it to remove the candle.
Trim the wick to about ¼ inch and the candle is ready to burn
****To make the candle black or any other colour you want add dye to the wax once its melted*****
If you want to make your own black candle, complete with black flame results, see recipe above but where the wick is concerned, all you need is some cotton thread (no lead in it as with normal candle wicks available at any craft store), and then with some finely ground coal/carbon and a little water mixture, soak the thread into the mixture and then hand to dry naturally before using it as the candle wick. EASY PEEZY.. *GRINS*
This is the method that I personally use to get the result as seen in one of my black candles below...
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