UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST

CALOOCAN

COLLEGE ENGINEERING
Experiment No. 6:

Flash Point and Fire Point of Oil

Name of Student:
Francisco, Rome John S.
Name of Professor:
Engr. Edwin Bautista

Date of Performance:
September 2, 2014
Date of Submission:
September 8, 2014

EXPERIMENT NO. 6: FLASH POINT AND FIRE POINT OF OIL

OBJECTIVES:
1. To be able to determine the flash and fire points of lubricating oils by open
cup method.
2. To be able to determine the significance of finding the flash and fire points of
lubricating oil.
3. To study their effects.
THEORY:
Flash point is defined as the lowest temperature at which an oil gives off vapor to
form an ignitable condition. Flash point can be determined by passing a flame or a
quantity of oil. It is observable due to the ignition of the gas. A knowledge of the flash
point of lubricating oils, especially when used in an enclosed surface is considered to be
important. It is only necessary to consider the flash point of lubricating oils when the
temperature of the surface to be lubricated is to enclose to the flash point of the
lubricating oils. If a flash occurs in the vessel, it indicates that the temperature of the
tested liquid has reached (or exceeded) the flash point. The test vessel can be open or
close. The flash point is then measured respectively in "open-cup" or in "closed-cup"
Fire point is the temperature at which the oil ignites and continues to burn. The
fire point is usually from 5 to 20 oF higher than the flash point. There are two kinds of
apparatus used in determining flash and fire point of fuels, the open type and the closed
type but it is the open type that is commonly used (Ambasta, 2006).
APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT:
Cleveland open cup tester, electric heater, high range thermometer, thermometer
stand, gas tube and gas tank.
MATERIALS:
Lubricating oil SAE 30 and SAE 40

PROCEDURES:
Clean the oil cup thoroughly and fill the cup with sample to be tested up to a
definite mark indicated inside the cup at the rate of 10F per minute. Dip the
thermometer midway .between the center and the rim of the cup with bulb not to touch
the bottom of the cup. When the temperature of the oil is about 30F below the
expected flash point, light nozzle of the gas tube and red the flame to about 1/8 and
pass it over the surface for every 2F rise in temperature reading until a distinct flash in
the interior of the cup is noticed take note of the thermometer reading and record it as
the flashpoint of the oil sample. Continue heating the oil filter after 20F to 30F increase
in temperature from the flash point, pass the test flame above the surface of the oil until
the oil burns spontaneously for about 5 seconds. Take the thermometer reading and
record it as the fire point of the oil. Repeat the same procedure for the other oil sample.
TABULATED DATA:
Oil
Sample

Flash Point
o

Fire Point
o

SAE 30

220

428

260

500

SAE 40

230

446

265

509

Table 1.1: Data from the experiment

SKETCHES AND DRAWINGS:

Figure 1.1: SAE 30 and SAE 40

Oil can be defined as a chemical compound that will not mix with water and is in
a liquid state at ambient temperatures. Motor oils are derived from crude oil (petroleum
is literally "oil from stone"), with additives blended in to improve their properties, the
most important of which is viscosity (Ahmed & Nassar, 1995). It is used for lubrication of
various internal combustion engines. The main function is to reduce wear on moving
parts; it also cleans, inhibits corrosion, improves sealing, and cools the engine by
carrying heat away from moving parts.

Figure 1.2: Electric heater

An electric heater is an electrical appliance that converts electrical energy into

heat. Inside every electric heater is simply an electrical resistor, and an electric current
through a resistor converts electrical energy into heat energy.

Figure 1.3: High range thermometer and thermometer stand

Mercury thermometer consists of a bulb containing mercury attached to a glass

tube of narrow diameter; the volume of mercury in the tube is much less than the
volume in the bulb. The volume of mercury changes slightly with temperature; the small
change in volume drives the narrow mercury column a relatively long way up the tube.

Figure 1.4: Gas tank

Liquefied petroleum gas also referred to as simply propane or butane, is a

flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases used as a fuel in heating appliances, cooking
equipment, and vehicles. It is increasingly used as an aerosol propellant and a
refrigerant, replacing chlorofluorocarbons in an effort to reduce damage to the ozone
layer. When specifically used as a vehicle fuel it is often referred to as autogas.

Figure 1.5: Cleveland open cup tester

This flash point and fire point test method is a dynamic method and depends on
definite rates of temperature increases to control the precision of the test method. Its
primary use is for viscous materials having flash point of 79C (175F) and above. It is
also used to determine fire point, which is a temperature above the flash point, at which
the test specimen will support combustion (American Society of Testing Materials).
REPORT:
1. Why must the size of the test flame be kept very small?
2. Distinguish between the flashpoint and fire point of a lubricating oil.
3. Discuss the significance of knowing the flashpoint and the fire point of a
lubricating oil.

ANSWERS TO REPORT:
1.
A small test flame is passed at a uniform rate across the cup at specified
intervals. The size of the test flame must be very small because it almost has a
direct contact with the lubricating oil. It must be kept small to prevent unexpected
accidents like having a huge flame and worst an explosion.
2.
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.
The fire point is the temperature at which lubricant combustion will be sustained.
The flash and fire points are useful in determining a lubricants volatility and fire
resistance. The flash point can be used to determine the transportation and
storage temperature requirements for lubricants.
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.
The fire point for a lubricant is usually 8 to 10 percent 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 (Wray, 1992).
3.
To appreciate the significance of flash point and fire point test results, one
must realize what the tests measures. The flashpoint test gives an indication of
the presence pf volatile components in an oil, and its temperature to which the oil
must be heated under specified test conditions to give off sufficient vapor to form
a mixture that will ignite in the presence of an open flame. The fire point is the
temperature to which the product must be heated under similar test conditions to
cause vapor/air mixture to burn continuously on ignition (ASTM Committee D-2
on Petroleum Products and Lubricants, 1949).
Fire and flash points are perhaps of greater significance in the evaluation
of used oils. Not only for the hazard of fire, if an oil undergoes a rise in flash or
fire point in service/operation, loss of evaporation is indicated. The more volatile
components have been vaporized, leaving the less volatile ones behind; so an
increase in viscosity is apparent, an excessive increase on it may so alter
lubricating properties that the oil is no longer suitable for its intended application
(Bloch, 2009).

DISCUSSION:
The flash point of an oil is an indication of the temperature at which it may
present a fire or explosion hazard. At the flash point, the vapor may cease to burn when
the source of ignition is removed. The fire point, a higher temperature, is defined as the
temperature at which the vapor continues to burn after being ignited. Neither the flash
point nor the fire point is related to the temperature of the ignition source or of the
burning liquid, which are much higher. The flash point is often used as a descriptive
characteristic of liquid fuel, and it is also used to help characterize the fire hazards of
liquids.
Every liquid has a vapor pressure, which is a function of that liquid's temperature.
As the temperature increases, the vapor pressure increases. As the vapor pressure
increases, the concentration of evaporated flammable liquid in the air increases. Hence,
temperature determines the concentration of evaporated flammable liquid in the air.
Each flammable liquid requires a different concentration of its vapor in air to sustain
combustion. The flash point of a flammable liquid is the lowest temperature at which
there will be enough flammable vapor to ignite when an ignition source is applied.
There are two basic types of flash point measurement: open cup and closed cup.
In open cup devices the sample is contained in an open cup which is heated, and at
intervals a flame is brought over the surface. The measured flash point will actually vary
with the height of the flame above the liquid surface, and at sufficient height the
measured flash point temperature will coincide with the fire point. The best known
example is the Cleveland open cup.
The experiments objective is to determine the fire and flash point of the samples
(SAE 30 and SAE 40). In this experiment, we are only capable of observing because it
is dangerous for us to handle it. SAE 30 is poured in the cup, it is heated at a slow,
constant rate. A small flame is directed into the cup. As we observed the experiment the
oil starts to boil at 150 oC until flashes starts to appear. At its peak the oil starts to ignite
and we recorded the reading in the thermometer. Same procedure is applied in SAE 40,
we notice that this sample takes a long time before flashes starts to appear and also
takes longer to ignite. When the two samples are finished in the test the data obtained
are tabulated.

CONCLUSION:
In this experiment the sample is heated at a slow, constant rate. A small flame is
directed into the cup. The flash point has endured the test of time. In many applications
of used oil analysis the flash point test remains the method of choice in detecting certain
contaminants and non-conforming lubricant conditions. In other cases the flash point
serves as a tool or a test to be taken when choosing an appropriate oil to be applied in a
mechanisms.
In this experiment we are able to know what the flash and fire point of the
samples. These also includes the significance why is it importance to know these
characteristics of an oil. We are able to identify between the two who needs higher
temperature in able for it to boil and produce flashes and ignite, based on the data it is
SAE 40. We are able to accomplished the objectives of this experiment and we are fully
known about its importance.
REFERENCES:
Ahmed, N., & Nassar, A. (1995). Lubricating Oil Additives. Egypt: Egyptian Petroleum Research
Institute.
Ambasta, B. (2006). Chemistry for Engineers. New Delhi: Laxmi Publications.
American Society of Testing Materials. (n.d.). Standard Test Method for Flash and Fire Points
by Cleveland Open Cup Tester. United States: ASTM Internationa.
ASTM Committee D-2 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants. (1949). The Significance of Tests
of Petroleum Products. United States: ASTM International.
Bloch, H. (2009). Practical Lubrication for Industrial Facilities. New York: The Fairmont Press.
Wray, H. (1992). Manual on Flash Point Standards and Their Use: Methods and Regulations.
United States: ASTM International.