# filtering beeswax with activated carbon?



## danno (Dec 17, 2007)

I was in the carbon business for 14 years. It wont work on wax. All that will happen is you will plug the pours in the carbon, dust will get in your wax that you will never be able to remove. The reason you candles aren't burning right is most likely honey in the wax. Try a small batch heated in a pot of water. watch for boil overs. Let it cool and remove the floating wax cake


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## Kat (Sep 16, 2010)

Wow, that shocks me to hear that carbon won't work. Most of the people who sell white wax online specifically say that they use it to filter their wax.

The honey was already extracted from this wax, but I'll go through the process again, just in case.

thanks for your help!


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## lisascenic (Mar 11, 2010)

How *would* carbon be used? I can't picture this.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

I have also read that people use "crushed" activated carbon/aquarium charcoal? to whiten their wax. Since I know this can be dusty dirty, I also wonder how it is used and then removed from wax. What is pressure filtered?

My understanding is that when wax is whitened, it is because the pollen is being removed. White wax also tends not to smell as nice as the yellow wax. Bleaching beeswax is not good. And, then there is the solarizing (sun bleached) method to whiten wax.


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

According to Roger Morse and William Coggshall, in "Beeswax, Production, Harvesting, Processing, and Products" Activated carbon and Fullers earth are both used. I have tried both on a small scale and have concluded that they are unlikely to work without the industrial equipment used to remove them. Wax processing plants have heated filtering units that can remove the carbon and clay. I am not sure if the carbon or clay would eventually settle by gravity in hot wax or if activated carbon and fullers earth can be purchased in a particle size that would settle. If anyone has ever successfully used these particles with gravity separation please comment.


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