Every combustible substance, including diesel, one of the most widely used petroleum product has flashpoints. Diesel fuel is one of the prominent drivers of the global economy thanks to its usefulness in powering semi-trucks, trains, and other overland carriers. If you have been asking to know the flashpoints of diesel oil, keep reading.
What Is Flashpoint?
The flashpoints of any combustible substance are the lowest temperature at which it will produce sufficient vapor to produce a flammable mixture in the air. The lower the flashpoint temperature, the easier it is to ignite the air if an ignition source is present. The higher the flashpoints, the safer the material is to handle.
Flashpoint is a reliable way of classifying the flammability of combustible substances. It has three main categories, and these include extremely flammability, highly flammable, and flammable.
A flashpoint below 0oC is classified to be extremely flammable, while a flashpoint below 21oC is highly inflammable.
What are The Flashpoints of Diesel Fuel
Diesel oil is of different types, so also are their flashpoints ranging from 100 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- FirstL; Diesel Fuel (1-D) 100°F 37.8 °C
- Second; Diesel Fuel (2-D) 126°F 52.2°C
- Third; Diesel Fuel (4-D) 130°F 54.4°C
As mentioned above, the flashpoints of diesel fuel vary inversely with its volatility. It’s a fact that Its higher flash point makes it safer to handle and store than gasoline.
Why measure Flash Point?
There are several reasons why flashpoints for combustible substances are measured, and without further ado, let’s get started.
Quality Control: Do you know that Petroleum and Chemical Industries rely on flash point testing to curb contamination of the product? Of course, it’s one of the many ways they use in ensuring quality control.
Flashpoint is used to determine the level of impurities that usually occur as a result of using a conventional pipeline system. Improper cleaning of a pipeline system that serves different product lines will sure result in product contamination or impurities. For example, if you notice any change in the flashpoints of your engine oil, that’s a clear indication that there is probable contamination by other products.
Any form of contamination of any of your products such as fuel oil, lubrication oil, etc., by a lighter hydrocarbon, may create problems for your equipment. For instance, powering your power plants and oil tankers will sure affect their smooth operations and invariably cost you a substantial amount of money to fix.
Also, flashpoints can point out abnormally in your range of products. For instance, an increase in the volatility in substances such as hydraulics is an indication of a possible presence of highly volatile and flammable materials in the fluid.
Hazard Classification: Flashpoint helps a great deal in hazard classification. When you establish flashpoints for diesel, for instance, it’s easy for you to classify its true hazard nature accurately. Also, you will be able to advise your customers and employee on the best way to handle such a product
Waste Disposal Regulations: The Flashpoint of a substance is critical when determining its disposal. For example, you can discharge some wastewater into public water drainage without causing any havoc, but releasing a petroleum spirit into the same channel could be catastrophic.
Have you read my article on how to get rid of contaminated fuel? What about the my short article on injector cleaners?