Evaluation of DSC, TGA, and Flash Point for Candle Failure Analysis

How can one forensically evaluate an object that continues to damage itself as failure occurs? Similar to a tire blowout, where the initial failure can cause additional damage, the failure of a candle, referred to as a flashover, often results in further degradation of the candle itself. In some cases, this secondary damage can make it difficult to examine a failed candle and determine its cause or contributing factors. This study examines techniques that can be used to forensically evaluate candles by analyzing known inputs and assessing the sensitivity and reliability of those techniques.