COURSE UNIT

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
LABORATORY 1

COURSE MODULE COURSE UNIT WEEK

2 2
Flash and Fire Points of Liquid Fuels and Grease

CHECKLIST
 Read course and unit objectives
 Read study guide prior to class attendance
 Read required learning resources; refer to unit
terminologies for jargons
 Proactively participate in classroom discussions
 Participate in weekly discussion board (MS Teams)
 Answer and submit course unit tasks

UNIT EXPECTED OUTCOMES (UEOs)

At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:

Cognitive:
1. Use measuring instruments in the performance of laboratory exercises.
2. Analyze the significance of the quantities determined using engineering measuring devices.
3. Analyze the properties of fuels and lubricants using different methods.
4. Design an experiment involving measurement of properties.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

Affective:
1. Listen attentively during class discussions
2. Demonstrate tact and respect when challenging other people’s opinions and ideas
3. Accept comments and reactions of classmates on one’s opinions openly and graciously.

Psychomotor:
1. Participate actively during class discussions and group activities.
2. Express opinion and thoughts in front of the class.

STUDY GUIDE
Flash and Fire Points of Liquid Fuels and Grease

What is a flash point?

 The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which vapors of the
material will ignite, when given an ignition source.
 The flash point may sometimes be confused with the autoignition temperature, which is the
temperature at which the vapor ignites spontaneously without an ignition source.
 The flash point is the lowest temperature to which a lubricant must be heated before its
vapor, when mixed with air, will ignite but not continue to burn.
 It is useful in determining a lubricants volatility and fire resistance.
 It can be used to determine the transportation and storage temperature requirements for
lubricants.
 Lubricant producers can also use the flash point to detect potential product contamination.
 A lubricant exhibiting a flash point significantly lower than normal will be suspected of
contamination with a volatile product.
 Products with a flash point less than 38 C (100F) will usually require special precautions for
safe handling.

What is a fire point?

 The fire point is the lowest temperature at which the vapors of the material will keep burning
after being ignited and the ignition source removed.
 The fire point is higher than the flash point, because at the flash point more vapor may not
be produced rapidly enough to sustain combustion.
 Neither flash point or fire point depends directly on the ignition source temperature, but it
may be understood that ignition source temperature will be higher than either the flash or
fire point.
 The fire point is the temperature at which lubricant combustion will be sustained.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

  The fire point for a lubricant is usually 8 to 10% above the flash point.
 The flash point and fire point should not be confused with the auto-ignition temperature of a
lubricant, which is the temperature at which a lubricant will ignite spontaneously without an
external ignition source.

Fuels

 The flash point is a descriptive characteristic that is used to distinguish between flammable
fuels, such as petrol (gasoline in the US), and combustible fuels, such as diesel.
 It is also used to characterize the fire hazards of fuels.
 Fuels which have a flash point less than 37.8 oC (100.0 oF) are called flammable, whereas
fuels having a flash point above the temperature are called combustible.
Mechanism

 All liquids have a specific vapor pressure, which is a function of that liquid’s temperature
and is subject to Boyle’s law. As temperature increases, vapor pressure also increases. As
vapor pressure increases, the concentration of vapor of a flammable or combustible liquid in
the air increases. The temperature determines the concentration of vapor of the flammable
liquid in the air. A certain concentration of a flammable or combustible is necessary to
sustain combustion in the air, the lower flammable limit, and that concentration is different
and is specific to each flammable or combustible liquid. The flash point is the lowest
temperature at which there will be enough flammable vapor to induce ignition when an
ignition source is applied.

Measurement

 There are two basic types of measurement:

1. Open Cup – the sample is contained in an open cup which is heated, and, at intervals, a
flame brought over the surface. The measured flash point will vary with the height of the
flame above the liquid surface and, at a sufficient height, the measured flash point
temperature will coincide with the fire point. The best-known example is the Cleveland open
cup.
2. Closed Cup – there are two types of closed cup testers: non-equilibria, such as Pensky-
Martens, where the vapors above the liquid are not in temperature equilibrium with the
liquid, and equilibria, such as Small Scale (commonly known as Setaflash), where the
vapors are deemed to be in temperature equilibrium with the liquid. In both these types, the
cups are sealed with a lid through which the ignition source can be introduced. Closed cup
testers normally give lower values for the flash point than open cup and are better
approximation to the temperature at which the vapor pressure reaches the lower flammable
limit.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

Methods For Determining the Flash Point of a Liquid

 Testing by Pensky-Martens closed cup method is detailed in ASTM D93, IP34, ISO1719,
DIN 51758, JIS K2265 and AFNOR MO7-019.
 Small scale closed cup method is detailed in ASTM D3828 and D3278, EN ISO 3679 and
3680, and IP 523 and 524.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

 Some Fuels and their Flash Points at Atmospheric Pressure

Examples

 Gasoline (petrol) is a fuel used in a spark-ignition engine. The fuel is mixed with air within its
flammable limits and heated by compression and subject to Boyle’s law above its flash
point, then ignited by the spark plug. To ignite, the fuel must have a low flash point, but in
order to avoid the preignition caused by the residual heat in a hot combustion chamber, the
fuel must have a high autoignition temperature.
 Diesel fuel flash points vary between, 52 and 96 oC (126 and 205 oF). Diesel is suitable for
use in a compression-ignition engine. Air is compressed until it has been heated above the
autoignition temperature of the fuel, which is then injected as high-pressure spray, keeping
the fuel-air mix within the flammable limits. In a diesel-fueled engine, there is no ignition

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

 source (such as the spark plugs in a gasoline engine). Consequently, diesel fuel must have
a high flash point and a low autoignition temperature.
 Jet fuel flash points also vary with the composition of the fuel. Both Jet A and Jet A-1 have
flash points between 38 and 66 oC (100 and 151 oF), close to that of off-the-shelf kerosene.
Yet both Jet B and JP-4 have flash points between -23 and -1 oC (-9 and 30 oF)
REFERENCES

1. Power Plant Testing By Moyer

2. Figliola, R.S. & Beasley, D.E., Theory & Design for Mechanical Measurements, 5th edition,
2011, J. Wiley & Sons, Inc.
3. Halman, J.P., Experimental Methods for Engineers, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
4. Doebelin, E.O., Measurement System: Application & Design, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
5. Beckwith, T.G., Marangoni, R.D. & Lienhard, J.H., Mechanical Measurements, Addison
Wesley, Inc.
6. Robert B. Northrop, Introduction to Instrumentation and Measurements, Second Edition,
Jun 28, 2005.
7. Alan S. Morris, Reza Langari, Measurement and Instrumentation Theory and Application
8. Alan S. Morris, Measurement and Instrumentation Principles, 3rd edition.
9. Fuels & Lubricants laboratory manual (slideshare.net)

UNIT TASK
ABEL’S FLASH AND FIRE POINT TESTING (< 50°C)

I. AIM: To determine the flash and fire points of the given fuel oil using Abel’s flash and fire
point tester.
II. APPARATUS : Abel’s Flash and Fire point tester, thermometers of suitable range and
given oil to be tested.
III. THEORY : The fire hazards involved in the storage and handling of fuel oils are
indicated by the flash and fire points. However, there is no correlation between flash and
fire points of an oil and its ignition temperature.
IV. FLASH POINT: Flash point is minimum temperature at which an oil gives off sufficient
vapours to form inflammable mixture with air that ignite momentarily when exposed to a
flame or an electric spark. Presence of water and volatile organic substances modify the
flash point.
V. FIRE POINT: Fire point is the minimum temperature at which an oil produces a mixture
of its vapours and air that will burn continuously once ignited, even after the removal of
test flame. The fire point is 25 – 50°C above flash point.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE
PENSKY MARTEN'S FLASH AND FIRE POINT TESTING

I. AIM: To determine the flash and fire points of the given fuel oil using Pensky Marten's
flash and fire point tester.
II. APPARATUS: Pensky Marten's Flash and Fire point tester, thermometers of suitable
range and given oil to be tested.
III. THEORY: The fire hazards involved in the storage and handling of fuel oils are indicated
by the flash and fire points. However, there is no correlation between flash and fire
points of an oil and its ignition temperature.
IV. FLASH POINT: Flash point is minimum temperature at which an oil gives off sufficient
vapours to form inflammable mixture with air. V. FIRE POINT: Fire point is the minimum
temperature at which an oil produces a mixture of its vapours and air that will burn
continuously once ignited, even after the removal of test flame.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE