- Myth of "Gasoline Flash Point is - 43 deg C"
- Myth of "Gasoline Flash Point is - 43 deg C"
Many time a question is asked - what is flash point of Gasoline ? Couple of answers recently got a) -40 deg C, b) -43 deg C.
The above answers are similar to question - What is height of a European Male ?. Consider the answer a) 175 cm or b) 180 cm.
Now you got something is wrong in Flash point answer of -40 deg C.
Just Google same question, one gets answer : what is flash point of Gasoline ? Answer = - 43 C.
at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point
and What is height of a European Male ? We get answer = Average height of an European Male is 177.6 cm.
There lies the point. It is not the desired answer that flash point of gasoline is -43 deg C, unless you are a layman.
The correct answer is - Flash point of Motor Gasoline is around - 43 deg C or about -35 to -45 deg C.
Incidentally Flash Point of one typically Petrol Sample having Initial Boiling Point 43 deg C, 10% ASTM D86 Recovery temperature 68 deg C, by my formula predicts Flash point value of - 44 C. https://rjpatelioc-petroleum.blogspot.com/2015/03/relationship-between-flash-point-and.html
The same is true for Flash point and other physio-chemical properties of petroleum fuels. There is no fixed density, freezing point, boiling point, viscosity, auto ignition point etc. This is because unlike pure chemicals, these fuels are mixture of hundreds of individual compounds each having different properties.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point
Similarly Kerosene Flash Point stated in above table as > 38 deg C - 72 Deg C is generally true, however you know Kerosene can have flash point below 38 deg if contaminated with more volatile fuel like Gasoline, Naphtha etc.
Number of fetal explosion taken place during last couple of decades in developing countries where Kerosene is used as cooking and lighting fuel have flash point of as low as 5 deg C for contaminated fuel cases. This is also true in advance countries like USA, where several incidents of kerosene gasoline contaminated incidents have been reported recently. Readers are aware Kerosene is sold in advance countries for space heating, water heating etc.
Number of fetal explosion taken place during last couple of decades in developing countries where Kerosene is used as cooking and lighting fuel have flash point of as low as 5 deg C for contaminated fuel cases. This is also true in advance countries like USA, where several incidents of kerosene gasoline contaminated incidents have been reported recently. Readers are aware Kerosene is sold in advance countries for space heating, water heating etc.
I leave today with following questions - readers may comment please.
a) What are
reasons of kerosene contamination with Gasoline happening frequently in developing countries like India, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Papua New Guinea etc, despite
learning lessons from first Kerosene use deaths recorded in 1880s in UK street
light lamps explosions due to presence of more volatile hydrocarbons in fuel?
b) Do you think,
Wikipedia table given above needs correction?
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Comments
2.Wikipedia datas needs no change
TAMILMARAN