‫‪The Republic of Iraq‬‬
‫‪Ministry of Higher Education‬‬
‫‪and Scientific Research‬‬
‫‪Al-Amara University College‬‬
‫‪Petroleum Engineering‬‬
‫‪Department‬‬
‫‪Flash Point‬‬
‫اعداد الطلبة‪:‬‬
‫علي محمد عيسى‬
‫علي محسن بريو‬
‫صادق حسين عالوي‬
‫محمد طالب حنون‬
‫رسول سمير صبيح‬
‫محمد ستار جبار‬
‫احمد كاطع هاشم‬
‫رسول هيثم حسن‬
‫علي محسن خلف‬
‫محمد كاظم حسين‬
‫اشراف االستاذ‪:‬‬
‫علي نور الدين‬
‫‪2021/11‬‬
‫‪1|Page‬‬
Index:
Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------------------------3
Mechanism---------------------------------------------------------------------------------3
Flash point measurement----------------------------------------------------------------3
Flash point examples---------------------------------------------------------------------4
Aim of experiment------------------------------------------------------------------------6
Penske-Martens method for determining the degree of flash----------------------6
The method of work---------------------------------------------------------------------6
Results and discussion-----------------------------------------------------------------7
Semantics--------------------------------------------------------------------------------7
Recommendations----------------------------------------------------------------------7
Sources----------------------------------------------------------------------------------8
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Introduction
The flash point: of a flammable liquid is the lowest temperature at which a mixture with air
can form flammable. At this temperature the vapor ignition can be stopped when the ignition
source is removed. At a slightly higher temperature, the ignition point is defined as the
temperature at which steam continues to burn after being ignited. None of these criteria relate
to ignition source or burning fluid temperatures, which are much higher. Flash point is
frequently used as a characterization feature for liquid fuels, but is also used to describe liquids
that are not used for fuel purpose.
mechanism
Each flammable liquid has a vapor pressure, which is a function of the liquid's temperature. As
the temperature rises, the vapor pressure increases, so the concentration of the evaporating
flammable liquid in the air increases. Therefore, the temperature determines the concentration
of liquid vaporized in the air under equilibrium conditions. Different flammable liquids
require different concentrations of air to support combustion. The flash point is the lowest
temperature at which there is a sufficient concentration of vaporized fuel in the air for
combustion to spread after being ignited by the ignition source.
Flash point measurement
There are two basic types of flash point measurement: the open cup method and the closed cup
method.
In open cup devices, the sample is contained in an open cup (hence the name) which is heated,
and at intervals a flame is passed over the surface. The measured flash point will actually vary
with the height of the flame above the surface of the liquid, and at a sufficient height the
temperature of the flash point will coincide with the degree of the flash point. Examples of this
method are the Cleveland Open Cup (COC) method and the Penske-Martens open cup method.
The main difference is that the cup is heated from the bottom in the first method, while the cup
is heated from the sides and bottom in the second method. losed cup testers, an example of the
Pensky-Martens closed cup method, are sealed with a cap through which the ignition source is
periodically inserted. The vapor above the liquid is assumed to be in reasonable equilibrium
with the liquid. Closed cup method devices give lower values of flash point (usually 5-10 K)
and they give a better estimate of the temperature at which vapor pressure reaches the lower
flaming pressure (LFL). The flash point is an empirical measurement rather than the basic
physical variables. The measured value will vary with different equipment and test method,
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including the rate of temperature increase (in automated test machines), the time the sample is
left to equilibrate, the sample size and if the sample is agitated.
Methods for determining the flash point of a liquid are detailed in several standards. For
example, the Pensky-Martens closed cup method is detailed in ASTM D93, IP34, ISO 2719,
DIN 51758, JIS K2265 and AFNOR M07-019. The balanced closed cup method is detailed in
ISO 1523:2002.
Flash Point Examples
Gasoline (gasoline) is used in a spark-fired engine. The fuel should be pre-mixed with air
within the flammable minimum and heated above the flash point, then ignited by a spark plug.
The fuel should not pre-ignite in a hot engine. Therefore, gasoline is required to have a low
flash point and a high self-ignition temperature.
Diesel is used in high compression engines. compresses air until it is heated above the autoignition temperature of diesel; The fuel is then injected as a high-pressure atomizer, keeping
the air-fuel mixture within the ignition limits of diesel fuel. There is no source of ignition.
Therefore, diesel must have a high flash point and a low auto-ignition temperature.
Fuel
Ethanol
Gasoline
Diesel
Jet fuel
Kerosene
vegetable
oil
biodiesel
flash
Temperature
point °C Auto ignition
°C
12.8
365
<-40
246
>62
210
>38
210
>38-72 220
327
>130
A table showing the flash point of
some petroleum derivatives
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There are three standard methods for determining the degree of flashing of petroleum products
according to the degree of volatilize:
Test Abel : It is used to determine the flash point of different types
Relatively light oil derivatives, whose flash degree ranges (18-71 °C) such as:
Kerosene and other solvents are used in this method coated.
Pensky Martens Test: It is used to determine the degree of flash of derivatives
More than 71 m such as fuel oil and derivatives.
Cleveland Test: It is used to set the degree of flash of heavy derivatives such as lubricating
oils and similar derivatives that have Flashing degree above 85°C.
Some pictures of the devices used above
Abel method (1)
Cleveland method (3)
Pensky-Martens method (2)
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Aim of the experiment: They are for safety measures or the safety of workers in this field.
Determining the temperature at which the gases emitted from the material flash and ignite. On
the basis of the flash point, the materials are classified if they are highly flammable, medium
flammable or weakly flammable.
Penske-Martens method for determining the degree of flash:
In this experiment, the Penske-Martens method is used to determine the degree of flash For
some oil derivatives, this method depends on the use of cup devices CSS.
For a device: The device consists of a cup with a copper alloy placed in a bath
Air and heated using an electric heater, and there are four outlets on the cover
For thermometer, motor and ventilation as well as a sliding seal to supply the test flame when
performing the experiment.
The method of work:
1. Clean the cup and its accessories well before starting to fill the cup with the model
Be sure to remove any solvent used to clean the device.
2. The cup is filled with the oil derivative model to the indicated level at a degree of normal
temperature.
3. The lid is placed over the cup.
4. The thermometer is placed, the test torch is lit and the heating is done (initially).
5. Heating is carried out using an electric heater and in the presence of stirring.
6. When the model temperature reaches 17°C less than the expected flash point
Begins by rounding the test flame for a period of 1 second for each rise in temperature by
degree one percentage point.
Note: When the temperature is more than 104°C, the flame is approached every 3°C until
flashing.
The device used in the experiment
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Results and discussion: When doing the experiment for the first time, we will get a flash
point for 1 second, and this means the success of the experiment. Because of the increased
heating of the cup, which led to an increase in the temperature above 17 degrees Celsius,
which led to the ignition of the substance. Note that the material used above is fuel and
flammable fuel, which led to the failure of the experiment the third time due to the increase in
temperature in the cup. This means that other materials can be used. It is not as flammable as
asphalt. It is concluded that materials that are highly flammable are more dangerous than
materials that can withstand some temperatures, so they are less dangerous through the
experiment that we have done.
Semantics: The results indicate that there are highly flammable materials and other nonflammable materials due to the different types of materials. Also, there are different methods
and devices through which some materials can be determined and the extent of their danger.
But we point out that some methods and devices are not accurate in use, which leads to giving
wrong results and some of them give correct results. Through our observation of the above
experiment, the experiment in the first two times went positively, but the third time did not
lead to the desired result because the fuel is highly flammable, so we point out the importance
of using some materials that can be repeated more than once.
Recommendations: I recommend that you repeat the experiment again, but in a different
way and different materials, which makes there is more information and a greater research
history on the topic (flash point). It was pointed out to the use of materials with less impact at
temperature so that the experiment can be repeated more than once to obtain more accurate
results and for the reason that flammable materials are more dangerous and the same results
cannot be obtained in some devices that are rather simple and primitive.
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Sources:
1- Sicherheitstechnische Kenngrößen. Band 1: Brennbare Flüssigkeiten und Gase. Elisabeth
Brandes and Wolfgang Möller, Wirtschaftsverlag NW (2003), ISBN 3-89701-745-8
2- NFPA 325, Fire Hazard Properties of Flammable Liquids, Gases and volatile solids, 1994;
contained within NFPA Guide to Hazardous Materials (13th Ed), ISBN 0-87765-473-5
3-L. Catoire et al., Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, Vol. 33, N°4, pp. 1083–
1111 (2004)
4-L. Catoire et al., Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, Vol. 35, N°1, pp. 9–14
(2006)
5- https://uomustansiriyah.edu.iq
6-http://www.concawe.be
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