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DISCUSSION

Flash point

The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which it can vaporize to form
an ignitable mixture in air. Measuring a flash point requires an ignition source. At the flash
point, the vapor may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed.

Fire point

The fire point of a fuel is the temperature at which the vapour produced by that given fuel will
continue to burn for at least 5 seconds after ignition by an open flame. At the flash point, a
lower temperature, a substance will ignite briefly, but vapor might not be produced at a rate to
sustain the fire.

Summary of Flash Point and Fire Point

• Every flammable liquid has a vapor pressure that increases with an increase in temperature.

• The lowest temperature at which there is enough concentration of vapors in air to ignite the
liquid is called its flash point. However, vapors cease to burn if the source of ignition is
removed.

• Fire point is slightly higher temperature at which these vapors continue to propagate and burn
after removal of source of ignition

• In general fire point is taken to be 10 degrees higher than flash point of flammable liquids.

Importance of flash point and fire point

The value of flash temperature at which fuel catches fire is very useful for store the fuel and
transport it accordingly. This is why knowing the petrol and diesel's flash point and fire point,
every petrol pump wants the petrol and diesel to be stored at underground. Thus, flash point
and fire point help in determining the nature of fuel's Flammability. Lower value of flash point
means fuel is highly flammable.
Important of flashpoint in lubricant

Fuel oil flash point is to be high because if it is low, there would be a possibility of fire in
storage. Engine crankcase lubricating oil flash point should be as high as possible to prevent
crankcase explosion. For safe storage, oil storage tank heating temperature to be limited to at
least 14°C lower than flash point to prevent fire. The flash point is the lowest temperature, to
which a lubricant must be heated before its vapour, when mixed with air, will ignite but not
continue to burn. It remains constant for oil irrespective of the operating temperature. This
property reveals the extent of fire risk to which the lubricant could be subjected. A good
lubricant should have a high flash point hence lower fire risk.

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. 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. The fire point for a lubricant is usually 8 to 10 percent above the flash point.
Coconut oil as engine lubricant

Lubricant oil Flash point


PAO 220oC
PAG 218 oC
Alkylated 222 oC
Naphthalene
Diester 231 oC
Polyol ester 257 oC
Vegetable oil 327 oC

Coconut oil has a high flash point than other available hydrocarbon based lubricants. From our
experiment the value is 225oF So in case of the flash point, coconut oil is higher. Coconut oil
has low oxidization. So, coconut oil is using as an engine lubricant. But one of the main causes
of bad emissions of an engine is carbon deposits in the engine. Unlike traditional lubricants,
coconut oil dissolves this carbon deposits in the engine reducing emission levels of the engine.

Coconut oil is very stable over a high temperature range. This is another reason that coconut oil
is able to be used as lubricant. We see that coconut oil gets solidify when it is cool. Below
temperatures about 20 Celsius, this happens. This may be a problem to coconut oil to be used
as a engine lubricant, specially in cool areas. But this happens only for non pure coconut oil.
Pure coconut oil can withstands much lower temperatures then it's non pure counterpart.

Minimize the errors of the experiment

We take the temperature in 10oF, It is very large difference to find the flash point. It makes
large deviation from the actual value. So minimize the difference for accurate value. And
observe the flash point is also make error because the time period of the flame is very small so
over observation also make errors. The atmospheric condition also effect the experiment. If
humidity in the air also effect this practical.
APPARATUS

1. Oil cup – It consists of a cup of brass. The lid of cup is provided with four opening of
standard size. One of which is used for thermometer, second for a stirrer having
two blades, third is for introducing test flame and fourth is for admission of air.
The level to which oil is to be filled is marked inside the cup.

2. Shutter – It is provided at the top of cup. By moving the shutter, opening in the lid opens
and flame is dripped into this opening, thereby bringing the flame over the oil
surface.

3.Flame Exposure Device- it is a small flame connected to the shutters by a lever mechanism.

4.Air Bath- oil cup is supported by its flange over an air bath, which is heated electrically or a
gas burner.

5. Pilot Burner – when test flame is introduced in the opening , it gets extinguished, but when
the flame is returned to its original position , it is automatically lighted by the
pilot burner.
PROCEDURE

1. Oil cup and other parts of the apparatus re cleaned thoroughly.

2. Then the oil sample is filled up to mark in the oil cup. it then covered and positioned
properly in the stove.

3. The thermometer is inserted in the sample.

4. Connect the Bunsen burner and gas jets to the gas supply and ignite the Bunsen burner and
place it under the iron casting of tester.

5. Stirrer is rotated by hand with the constant rate of revolution per seconds.

6. Heating is regulated so as to increase the oil temperature.

7. At every 10ºF rise of temperature, test flame is introduced for a moment by the help of
shutter. When a distinct flash appears inside the cup, the temperature reading on the
thermometer is the flash point.

8. The procedure is continued as before until the oil vapour catches fire, which stays at least for
5 seconds. This is the fire point of the oil sample.
INTRODUCTION

Fire point can vary for a sample based on factors including pressure, the quantity of the
chemical, and the location of the ignition source in relation to the sample. The flash point for a
particular sample is, therefore, somewhat unreliable and should be used as a general guideline,
rather than an absolute value.

There are two basic ways in which the fire point for a particular chemical can be determined
open cup or closed cup experiments. Both types of experiments are based on the fact that a
liquid that is combustible, such as coconut oil and diesel, release vapors that are potentially
ignitable. As the temperature of the liquid increases, the amount of these vapors also increases.
This means that at a certain temperature, the vapor concentration is high enough that it becomes
ignitable. Samples with a fairly low flash point are referred to as flammable, while chemicals
with higher flash points are usually referred to as combustible.

An open cup experiment involves a quantity of a particular sample placed in a container that is
open. The sample is slowly heated and an ignition source, such as a small flame (spark), is
introduced above the sample at various intervals. This process continues until a temperature is
reached at which the vapors from the sample ignite, which establishes the flash point for that
sample. Once ignition occurs, the ignition source is removed and the vapors should then stop
burning, if they continue to burn without the source, however, then the fire point for a sample
has been reached.

In a closed cup experiment, the process is similar but the container for the sample is lidded and
the ignition source is introduced through the lid. A closed cup experiment allows for the fire
point of a particular sample to be determined when that sample is under increased pressure due
to a closed system.
CALCULATIONS

Flash point of diesel

Flash point,

At heating = 180°F

At cooling = 190°F

180+190
Average = = 185°F = 85°C
2

Flash point of Coconut Oil

Flash point,

At heating = 220°F

At cooling = 230°F

220+230
Average = = 225°F = 107.22°C
2

RESULT

Oil Flash point

Diesel 185oF

Coconut 225oF
CONCLUTION

The flash point temperature and fire point temperature are take an important role in lubrication
manufacturing and fuel containing and transport the fuel. That’s why the fuels are kept in
underground in power station. In the internal ignition combustion engine lubricants are used in
engine to reduce friction in engine. But some time if the lubricant reach high temperature it will
burn. So in lubricant manufacturing they consider the fire point and flash point, that does not
reachable by the engine. It is also used to classify the lubricant rating.
APPARATUS

In the Pensky-Marten’s closed cup flash point test, a brass test cup is filled with a test specimen
and fitted with a cover. The sample is heated and stirred at specified rates depending on what it
is that's being tested. An ignition source is directed into the cup at regular intervals with
simultaneous interruption of stirring until a flash that spreads throughout the inside of the cup is
seen. The corresponding temperature is its flash point. Pensky-Martens closed cup is sealed
with a lid through which the ignition source can be introduced periodically. The vapour above
the liquid is assumed to be in reasonable equilibrium with the liquid. Closed cup testers give
lower values for the flash point.

The flash point 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. 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.
REFERENCE

“Flash point,” Wikipedia, 14-Dec-2017. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point.


[Accessed: 30-Nov-2017].

“Fire point,” Wikipedia, 10-Nov-2017. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_point.


[Accessed: 30-Nov-2017].

YouTube, 29-May-2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixK0N3gaHoQ.


[Accessed: 30-Nov-2017].

YouTube, 31-Oct-2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLtuDv3GzWo.


[Accessed: 30-Nov-2017].

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