Experiment 3

Flash Point-fire Point

What?
At Work Or At Home
Everyday We Use Chemicals
Whether At Work Or In The
Home
Proper Storage & Understanding
How Dangerous Chemicals Can
Become If Subjected To Heat Is
Using Just Using Good Safety
Common Sense.
 Flammable Liquids
Properties of Flammable Liquids
•The vapor of a flammable liquid ignites and
causes fire or explosion – not the liquid itself.

•The flammability of a liquid depends on its

physical properties:

•Vapor Pressure

•Flash Point

•Limits of Flammability

•Vapor Density
 Flammable Liquids
Vapor Pressure

• Vapor pressure is a measure of how fast

a liquid evaporates.

• The higher the vapor pressure the more

rapidly the liquid will evaporate.

• Vapor pressure goes up and down with

the temperature of the liquid
 What is Flash Point?

► Flash point is the lowest temperature at which a

liquid can form an ignitable mixture in air near the
surface of the liquid.
► The lower the flash point, the easier it is to ignite
the material. For example, gasoline has a flash
point of -40 degrees C (-40 F) and is more
flammable than ethylene glycol (antifreeze) which
has a flash point of 111 degrees C (232 F).
 What Is Ignition Point
► Ignition point (fire point)

 The minimum temperature at which a substance

will continue to burn without additional
application of external heat. Also called kindling
point.
 Flammable Liquids
Limits of Flammability

• The limits of flammability is the range that

a mixture of air and vapor is flammable.

• Mixtures can be too lean (not enough

vapor) or too rich (too much vapor) to ignite
and burn.
 Flammable Liquids
Flammable Limits Example

LEL – “lower explosive limit”

UEL – “upper explosive limit”
What Makes Flash & Ignitions Points
Dangerous.

 Any combustible material such as: solid,

liquid, or gas. Most solids and liquids must
vaporize before they will burn.

 Sufficient oxygen must be present in the

atmosphere surrounding the fuel for fire to
burn.
Flash & Ignition Points
Sufficient heat energy must be
applied to raise the fuel to it’s
ignition temperature.
Open flame Hot surfaces
Sparks and arcs Friction

This reaction can occur when

all three of the above elements
are present in the proper
conditions & proportions.
 Do You Know Your Flashpoints?
► The following is a list of chemicals used on
this site, some of these you may even use
at home.

► See if you know which chemical is which.

 Try & Match Flashpoints With The
Chemical Home work

► 247°f/119°c ► Acetylene
► 145°f/78°c ► Gasoline
► 160°f ► Diesel Fuel
► 320°f/160°c ► Hydraulic 40-wt oil
► 356°f/180°c ► Propane
► <-49°f/<-45°c ► Butane
► 0°f/-18°c ► Citrol
► -101°f/-75.9°c ► CRC Contact Cleaner
► None ► Form Oil
► -156°f/-104°c ► Averoe Tree Paint
► -43.7°f/-42°c ► Ethylene Glycol (Antifreeze)
► 79°f ► Carburetor Cleaner
► 73°f/23°c ► Form Oil
► 175°f ► CRC Power lube