stop the flash!!!

[carebear]

c'mon folks. flash point is for shipping and not for soaping.

citrus EOs are not stable in soap because of the pH, and the fact that they are not stable anyway. the flash point is irrelevant.

I could go on and on.

 

[honor435]

I agree ive never payed any attn to it, just add fo to oils!

 

[soap_rat]

This is the first I've heard if it, none of the soap books I've read bothered to mention that...

Maybe there could be a sticky of great-but-secret bits of info like this? "Things that should be in the soap books, but aren't"

So the pH destroys the scent of citrus, but for other scents that are stable at that pH, wouldn't the flashpoint be important for not "burning off" your EO? Kind of like how alcohol is cooked out of baked things?

Is there somewhere one can find which EOs are stable at pH 9.5ish?

I'm glad this site is around, I need this information!

 

[jarvan]

I am always willing to learn, but I always thought that the flashpoint was the temperature at which the scent would go poof! Just kidding!!!!!

I don't care what temp I soap mine at. They will be what they will be, except the citrus EOs which are pretty much a waste of money and time in soap.

 

[Maria]

I stick to scents with a flash point greater than 200. When one with a lower flash point hits 200 degree soap it smokes. I know the liklihood of a fire is low due to the tiny amount of fragrance compared to the amount of soap. Still, the heat burns off some of the fragrance and I need consistant results.
Maybe it is less important for those making CP.

 

[carebear]

I'm talking about the definition of the word, Maria. The definition of flash point is the temp at which the fumes can be ignited with an open flame.

Plenty of stuff evaporates even if the fumes aren't flammable - water evaporates tho you cannot set the steam on fire (or I cannot, t least) so it's really NOT a good indicator of whether or not something is going to "burn off".

 

[Maria]

I'm not worried about a fire. I have noticed the only times I get the scary poof of smoke is in the scents with lower flash points. It probably doesn't help that I cook the soap quickly at higher temps. I notice some people cook longer at lower temps.

 

[carebear]

when I HP I don't cook the FO - I add it after I've removed from the heat.

 

[Maria]

I do too but I add immediately after I stop cooking and the soap is 190F or higher.

 

[carebear]

ah, well I wouldn't do that, myself, regardless of the flash point - because as I've mentioned things evaporate even if they are not flammable.

 

[Maria]

I solved the evaporation problem by buying scents with flash points higher than 200. I have a limited window of time to add the scent and other final ingredients. If I waited, I would have an awful lot of unscented soap which doesn't seeem to be popular in my area.

 

[carebear]

sigh.

 

[Healinya]

So if you heat a 180 degree flash point oil to 185 degrees, then take a match to it - it will ignite? I love little science experiments, but I'd rather just ask on this one.

 

[carebear]

at that temp it will form ignitable fumes - so if you heat it to that temp and expose the fumes to an open flame = yep

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point
(no, wikipedia isn't a definitive source but it is a nice summary all the same)

 

[Healinya]

So - while understanding that the flash point on the bottle is irrelevent... is there any way that high temperatures and sodium hydroxide can cause a chemical change to your fragrance oil effecting the quality and strength of the scent?

And when you say it releases ignitable fumes - does it release any other undesirable things (like in the way formaldehyde is created in a lot of products)?

 

[Maria]

I don't know what other things are created but it will definitely affect the fragrance in some way. The burn off can mean the fragrance is not as strong or it may change it slightly. It may not be a problem if you are making soap just for yourself but if you are selling it and don't get consistant results, it is not good.

 

[carebear]

many FOs evaporate at high temp (or even low temps) even if the fumes are not flammable. water, even.