The fire point of a substance is a critical safety consideration for any flammable liquid. It is the lowest temperature at which the vapour from a fuel will burn for at least five seconds. For example, an open flame of standard dimensions would have a fire-point of around 750 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the actual temperature at which this ignition occurs is usually not known. Therefore, it is best to contact a materials testing company and have a separate test performed to determine the exact fire-point of a specific material.
The fire point of a fluid is the temperature at which it produces enough vapor to sustain combustion. A flammable liquid must reach this temperature for at least five seconds to be a fire risk. To measure the fire point of a substance, an open cup apparatus can be used. While this method is not as accurate as a closed cup test, it is still more efficient than a conventional combustion test. The only drawback of an open-cup test is that the vapors produced by heating the test specimen can escape into the air.
Flash and Fire Point are important terms to know about flammable and combustible substances. The fire point is the lowest temperature at which a liquid initiates combustion. Once ignited, the fuel must continue to burn for at least five seconds. In contrast, the flash point is a much lower temperature at which a substance can ignite but fail to continue burning. As a result, it's important to understand that the fire point of a particular fuel isn't listed in a table. The value of a fire-point for a specific substance is generally 10 degrees higher than the flash point. Unless you're a professional in the field of chemistry, you should be able to find the exact value for a specific fuel.
