A fragrance lamp, also known as a perfume lamp, effusion lamp or catalytic lamp is a lamp that disperses scented oil using a heated stone attached to a cotton wick. The catalytic combustion wick was originally developed in the 19th century for use in hospitals and mortuaries. A Frenchman named Maurice Berger was the first to receive a patent, (in 1897) and the company he founded, Lampe Berger, is the oldest worldwide manufacturer of the device though there are a growing number of companies making such lamps. The lamps are sold on the premise that molecules that cause bad smells are inherently unstable and the fragrance lamp's flameless, low-temperature catalytic combustion speeds up the decomposition process, converting odor molecules into harmless substances (such as carbon dioxide and water). While the lamps are no longer considered effective for use in hospitals, they have remained popular as air fresheners.
The fragrance lamp's process is initiated by lighting the stone burner seated at the mouth of the lamp. After a few minutes the flame is extinguished by blowing it out, but the heated burner remains active as the flameless, low-temperature catalytic combustion process and diffused aromatics. The lamp does not operate with an open flame, making the fragrance lamp much safer to operate than scented candles. Its lower operating temperature also means that, unlike scented candles, the aromatics are diffused very efficiently into the ambient air without being burned. One of the by-products of these fragrance lamps is low-level ozone, which has been attributed to the "purification process" of the lamps in eliminating odor. In the last year a newer kind of catalytic burner was introduced called the Platinum Wick. This wick is all metal and produces the same diffusion effect with a catalytic screen that encircles the top of the wick.
It is difficult to verify the claim that scientific evidence supports the use of these lamps as it is difficult, if not impossible, to find the relevant research.
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The lamp fuel contains 90% isopropyl alcohol and should be regarded as a highly flammable liquid. Furthermore, to start the catalytic wick according to the instruction it is necessary to light the catalytic burner with a flame and let it burn for approximately three minutes until it reaches the correct operating temperature. At this point the flame should be extinguished in order for the oil to be diffused. Precautions should be taken to avoid any possible hazards: