Combustibility and flammability

Flammable materials are those which ignite more easily than other materials,
whereas those which are less easily ignited or which burn less vigorously are
combustible.

The degree of flammability or combustibility depends largely upon the chemical

composition of the subject material, as well as the ratio of mass versus surface area.
As an example, paper is made from wood. A piece of paper catches on fire quite
easily, whereas a heavy oak desk is much harder to ignite, although the wood fibre is
the same in each substance, be it a piece of paper or a wooden board. Also, Antoine
DIN4102 Flammability Class B1
Lavoisier's law of conservation of mass, states that matter can be neither created nor Vertical Shaft Furnace atTechnische
destroyed, only altered. Therefore, the combustion or burning of a substance causes Universitt Braunschweig, Germany.
a chemical change, but does not decrease the mass of the original matter. The mass
of the remains (ash, water, carbon dioxide, and other gases) is the same as it was
prior to the burning of the matter. Whatever is not left behind in ashes and remains,
literally went up in smoke, but it all went somewhere and the atoms of which the
substance consisted before the fire still exist after the fire, even though they may be
present in other phases and molecules.

Contents Sample Holder for DIN4102

1 Definitions Flammability Class B1 Vertical Shaft
Furnace
2 Flammability
2.1 Testing
2.2 Furniture flammability
2.3 Examples of flammable substances
2.4 Examples of nonflammable liquids
2.5 Classification of flammability
2.6 Codes
2.6.1 Flammability

3 Combustibility
3.1 Code Definitions
3.2 Fire testing
3.3 Combustible dust
4 Categorization of building materials
5 Important characteristics
5.1 Flash point
5.2 Vapor pressure
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References 750 C Furnace to test A1 and A2
9 External links Class Combustibility per DIN4102
Part 1 at TU Braunschweig

Definitions
Historically, flammable, inflammable and combustible meant capable of burning.[1]
The word "inflammable" came through French from the Latin inflammre = "to set
fire to," where the Latin preposition "in-"[2] means "in" as in "indoctrinate", rather
than "not" as in "invisible" and "ineligible".

The word "inflammable" may be erroneously thought to mean "non-flammable".[3]

The erroneous usage of the word "inflammable" is a significant safety hazard.
Therefore, since the 1950s, efforts to put forward the use of "flammable" in place of
"inflammable" were accepted by linguists, and it is now the accepted standard in
American English and British English.[4][5] Antonyms of "flammable/inflammable"
include: non-flammable, non-inflammable, incombustible, non-combustible,
ininflammable, not flammable, and fireproof. The international pictogram for
flammable chemicals.
Flammable is used for materials which ignite more easily than other materials thus
are more dangerous and more highly regulated. Less easily ignited or which
burn less vigorously are combustible. For example, in the United States
flammable liquids by definition have a flash point below 100 F (38 C) where
combustible liquids have a flash point above 100 F (38 C). "Flammable
solids are solids that are readily combustible, or may cause or contribute to fire
through friction. Readily combustible solids are powdered, granular, or pasty
substances which are dangerous if they can be easily ignited by brief contact
with an ignition source, such as a burning match, and if the flame spreads
rapidly."[6] The technical definitions vary between countries so the United
Nations created the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and
Labelling of Chemicals which defines the flash point temperature of
flammable liquids to be between 0 and 140 F (60 C) and combustible liquids
between 140 F (60 C) and 200 F (93 C).[6]

Flammability
Flammability is the ability of a substance to burn or ignite, causing fire or
combustion. The degree of difficulty required to cause the combustion of a
substance is quantified through fire testing. Internationally, a variety of test
German test apparatus for determining
protocols exist to quantify flammability. The ratings achieved are used in
combustibility at Technische Universitt
building codes, insurance requirements, fire codes and other regulations Braunschweig.
governing the use of building materials as well as the storage and handling of
highly flammable substances inside and outside of structures and in surface
and air transportation. For instance, changing an occupancy by altering the flammability of the contents requires the owner of a
building to apply for a building permit to make sure that the overallfire protection design basis of the facility can take the change into
account.

Testing
A fire test can be conducted to determine the degree of flammability. Test standards used to make this determination but are not
limited to the following:

Underwriters LaboratoriesUL 94 Flammability Testing

International Electrotechnical CommissionIEC 60707, 60695-11-10 and 60695-11-20
International Organization for StandardizationISO 9772 and 9773.
National Fire Protection AssociationNFPA 287 Standard Test Methods for Measurement of Flammability of Materials
in Cleanrooms Using a Fire Propagation Apparatus (FP A)
 NFPA 701: Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films
NFPA 850: Recommended Practice for Fire Protection for Electric Generating Plants and High V
oltage Direct
Current Converter Stations

Furniture flammability
Flammability of furniture is of concern as cigarettes and candle accidents can trigger domestic fires. In 1975, California began
implementing Technical Bulletin 117 (TB 117), which required that materials such as polyurethane foam used to fill furniture be able
to withstand a small open flame, equivalent to a candle, for at least 12 seconds.[7] In polyurethane foam, furniture manufacturers
typically meet TB 117 with additive halogenated organic flame retardants. Although no other U.S. states had similar standards,
because California has such a large market manufacturers meet TB 117 in products that they distribute across the United States. The
proliferation of flame retardants, and especially halogenated organic flame retardants, in furniture across the United States is strongly
linked to TB 117. When it became apparent that the risk-benefit ratio of this approach was unfavorable and industry had used
falsified documentation (i.e. see David Heimbach) for the use of flame retardants, California modified TB 117 to require that fabric
covering upholstered furniture meet a smolder test replacing the open flame test.[8] Gov. Jerry Brown signed the modified TB117-
2013 which became effective in 2014.[9]

Examples of flammable substances

Flammable substances include, but are not limited to:

Gasoline - Petrol / a complicated mixture of hydrocarbons that includes isomers ofoctane, C8H18
Ethanol / CH3CH2OH
Rubber
Isopropyl alcohol / CH3CH(OH)CH3
Methanol / CH3OH
Wood
Acetone / CH3COCH3
Paper
Nitromethane / CH3NO2

Examples of nonflammable liquids

Water
Carbon tetrachloride

Classification of flammability
The US Government uses the Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS) standard for flammability ratings, as do many US
regulatory agencies, and also the USNational Fire Protection Association(NFPA).

The ratings are as follows:

 Rating Degree of flammability Examples
0 Materials that will not burn water
lubricating oils,
1 Materials that must be preheated before they will ignite
cooking oils
Materials that must be moderately heated or exposed to relatively high ambient
2 diesel fuel
temperatures before they will ignite
gasoline,
3 Liquids and solids that can ignite under almost all temperature conditions
acetone
Materials which will rapidly vaporize at atmospheric pressure and normal temperatures, natural gas,
4
or are readily dispersed in air and which burn readily propane, butane

Codes

Flammability
For existing buildings, fire codes focus on maintaining the occupancies as originally intended. In other words, if a portion of a
building were designed as an apartment, one could not suddenly load it with flammable liquids and turn it into a gas storage facility,
because the fire load and smoke development in that one apartment would be so immense as to overtax the active fire protection as
well as the passive fire protection means for the building. The handling and use of flammable substances inside a building is subject
to the local fire code, which is ordinarily enforced by the local fire prevention of
ficer.

Combustibility
Combustibility is a measure of how easily a substance will set on fire, through fire or combustion. This is an important property to
consider when a substance is used for construction or is being stored. It is also important in processes that produce combustible
substances as a by-product. Special precautions are usually required for substances that are easily combustible. These measures may
include installation offire sprinklers or storage remote from possible sources of ignition.

Substances with low combustibility may be selected for construction where the fire risk needs to be reduced, such as apartment
buildings, houses, or offices. If combustible resources are used there is greater chance of fire accidents and deaths. Fire resistant
substances are preferred for building materials and furnishings.

Code Definitions
For an Authority Having Jurisdiction, combustibility is defined by the local code. In the National Building Code of Canada, it is
defined as follows:

Combustible: A material which fails to meet acceptance criteria ofCAN/ULC-S114, Standard Method of T
est for
Determination of Noncombustibility in Building Materials
.

This leads to the definition of noncombustible:

Non-combustible: means that a material meets the acceptance criteria of

CAN4-S114, "Standard Method of Test for
Determination of Non-Combustibility in Building Materials
".
BS 476-4:1970 defines a test for combusibility in which 3 specimens of a material are heated in a furnace. Non-combustibile
materials are defined as those for which none of the 3 specimens either:

cause the temperature reading from either of two thermocouples to rise by 50 degrees Celsius or more above the
initial furnace temperature, or
is observed to flame continuously for 10 seconds or more inside the furnace.
Otherwise, the material shall be deemed combustible.
Fire testing
Various countries have tests for determining noncombustibility of materials. Most involve the heating of a specified quantity of the
test specimen for a set duration. Usually, the material cannot support combustion and must not undergo a certain loss of mass. As a
rule of thumb, concrete, steel, ceramics, in other words inorganic substances pass these tests, which permits them to be mentioned in
building codes as being suitable and sometimes even mandated for use in certain applications. In Canada, for instance, firewalls must
be made of concrete.

Combustible dust
A number of industrial processes produce combustible dust as a by-product. The most common being wood dust. Combustible dust
has been defined as: a solid material composed of distinct particles or pieces, regardless of size, shape, or chemical composition,
which presents a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of
concentrations.[10] In addition to wood, combustible dusts include metals, especially magnesium, titanium and aluminum, as well as
other carbon-based dusts.[10] There are at least a 140 known substances that produce combustible dust.[11]:38[12] While the particles
in a combustible dusts may be of any size, normally they have a diameter of less than 420 m.[10][note 1] As of 2012, the United
[13]
States Occupational Safety and Health Administrationhas yet to adopt a comprehensive set of rules on combustible dust.

When suspended in air (or any oxidizing environment), the fine particles of combustible dust present a potential for explosions.
Accumulated dust, even when not suspended in air, remains a fire hazard. The National Fire Protection Association (U.S.)
specifically addresses the prevention of fires and dust explosions in agricultural and food products facilities in NFPA Code section
61,[14] and other industries in NFPA Code sections 651664.[note 2] Collectors designed to reduce airborne dust account for more
than 40 percent of all dust explosions.[15] Other important processes are grinding and pulverizing, transporting powders, filing silos
[16]
and containers (which produces powder), and the mixing and blending of powders.

Investigation of 200 dust explosions and fires, between 1980 to 2005, indicated approximately 100 fatalities and 600
injuries.[11]:105106 In January 2003, a polyethylene powder explosion and fire at the West Pharmaceutical Services plant in
Kinston, North Carolina resulted in the deaths of six workers and injuries to 38 others.[11]:104 In February 2008 an explosion of
sugar dust rocked the Imperial Sugar Company'splant at Port Wentworth, Georgia,[17] resulting in thirteen deaths.[18]

Categorization of building materials

 DIN4102 A1 DIN4102 A2 gypsum DIN 4102 B1 (difficult to DIN 4102 B2: Timber,
noncombustible rockwool fireproofing plaster ignite/often self- normal combustibility
leavened with extinguishing) Silicone
polystyrene beads caulking used as a
component in
firestopping piping
penetration

DIN 4102 B3:

Polyurethane foam (easy
to ignite = many
hydrocarbon bonds
usually)

Materials can be tested for the degree of flammability and combustibility in accordance with the German DIN 4102. DIN 4102, as
well as its British cousinBS 476 include for testing ofpassive fire protectionsystems, as well as some of its constituent materials.

The following are the categories in order of degree of combustibility and flammability:

Rating Degree of flammability Examples

A1 100% noncombustible (nicht brennbar)
A2 ~98% noncombustible (nicht brennbar)
B1 Difficult to ignite (schwer entflammbar) intumescents and some high end silicones
B2 Normal combustibility wood
B3 Easily ignited (leicht entflammbar) polystyrene

A more recent industrial standard is the European EN 13501-1 - Fire classification of construction products and building elements -
which roughly replaces A2 with A2/B, B1 with C, B2 with D/E and B3 with. F

B3 or F rated materials may not be used in building unless combined with another material which reduces the flammability of those
materials.

Important characteristics
Flash point
A material's flash point is a metric of how easy it is to ignite the vapor of the material as it evaporates into the atmosphere. A lower
flash point indicates higher flammability. Materials with flash points below 100 F (38 C) are regulated in the United States by
OSHA as potential workplacehazards.

Vapor pressure
The vapor pressure of a liquid, which varies with its temperature, is a measure of how much the vapor of the liquid
tends to concentrate in the surrounding atmosphere as the liquid evaporates.aporV pressure is a major determinant
of the flash point, with higher vapor pressures leading to lower flash points and higher flammability
.

See also
Explosive material
Fire
Fire test
Fire protection
Active fire protection
Passive fire protection
Flammable liquids
Flammable limit
Underwriters Laboratories

Notes
1. I.e. they can pass through a U.S. No. 40 standard sieve.
2. E.g. NFPA 651 (aluminium), NFPA 652 (magnesium), NFPA 655 (sulphur)

References
1. inflammable, a. (n.) 1. combustible a. and n. 1.Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 2009. CD-rom.
2. "flammable", The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publishing Company. 2014. accessed 3/11/2015 (https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?id=F5165900)
3. Sherk, Bill. "fireproof",500 Years of New Words. Toronto: Dundurn, 2004. 96. Print.
4. Garner, Bryan A., Garner's Modern American Usage. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. 357. Print.
5. "INFLAMMABLE" (http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/inflammable.html)
. Common Errors in English Usage.
Washington State University. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
6. The Guide to The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)
. Occupational
Safety & Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
. (https://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html)
7. California Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Home Furnishings (2000).Technical Bulletin 117:
Requirements, test procedure and apparatus for testing the flame retardance of resilient filling
(http://www.bhfti.ca.go
v/industry/117.pdf) (PDF) (Report). pp. 18.
8. "Notice of Proposed New Flammability Standards for Upholstered Furniture/Articles Exempt from Flammability
Standards" (http://www.bhfti.ca.gov/about/laws/propregs.shtml). Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of
Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation.
9. "Calif. law change sparks debate over use of flame retardants in furniture"
(https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/nation-j
an-june14-flame_01-01/). PBS Newshour. January 1, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
10. United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2009)"Hazard Communication Guidance for
Combustible Dusts" (http://www.osha.gov/Publications/3371combustible-dust.html), OSHA 3371-08, Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
11. United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (17 November 2006),Investigation Report No. 2006-
H-1, Combustible Dust Hazard Study(http://www.csb.gov/assets/1/19/Dust_Final_Report_Website_11-17-06.pdf)
(PDF), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board,OCLC 246682805 (https://www.wor
ldcat.org/oclc/246682805)
12. National Materials Advisory Board, Panel on Classification of Combustible Dusts of the Committee on Evaluation of
Industrial Hazards (1980)Classification of combustible dusts in accordance with the national electrical code
Publication NMAB 353-3, National Research Council (U.S.), W ashington, D.C., OCLC 8391202 (https://www.worldca
t.org/oclc/8391202)
13. Smith, Sandy (7 February 2012)"Only OSHA Has Not Adopted Chemical Safety Board Recommendations
Stemming from Imperial Sugar Explosion"(http://ehstoday.com/standards/osha/csb-osha-combustible-dust/) EHS
Today
14. "NFPA 61 Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities"(h
ttp://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=61)
15. Zalosh, Robert et al. (April 2005) "Dust Explosion Scenarios and Case Histories in the CCPS Guidelines for Safe
Handling of Powders and Bulk Solids"(http://www.firexplo.com/images/Dust_Explosion_Scenario_Paper.pdf) 39th
AIChE Loss Prevention Symposium Session on Dust ExplosionsAtlanta, Georgia
16. O'Brien, Michael (2008)"Controlling Static Hazards is Key to Preventing Combustible Cloud Explosions" Newton
Gale, Inc. (http://www.newson-gale.com/Documents/Controlling%20Static%20Hazards%20is%20Key%20to%20Prev
enting%20Combustible%20Cloud%20Explosions.pdf)Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20120507171204/http://
www.newson-gale.com/Documents/Controlling%20Static%20Hazards%20is%20Key%20to%20Preventing%20Comb
ustible%20Cloud%20Explosions.pdf)2012-05-07 at the Wayback Machine.
17. The chief executive, John C. Sheptor, said the probable cause of the explosion was sugar dust building up in storage
areas, which could have been ignited by static electricity or a spark.Dewan, Shaila (9 February 2008)."Lives and a
Georgia Communitys Anchor Are Lost" (https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/us/09sugar.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adx
nnlx=1214147101-FDxU4jy1oY6rejeUzZaMJg&oref=slogin) . The New York Times. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
18. Chapman, Dan (13 April 2008)."Sugar refinery near Savannah determined to rebuild"(https://web.archive.org/web/2
0110629033532/http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/04/12/sugar_0413.html) . The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original (http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/04/12/sugar
_0413.html) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2012.

External links
Videos showing flammability of cables basedon jacket rating
Fire Performance of Ageing Cable Compounds, NFP A Treatise by Dr. Perry Marteny
Fire Testing Laboratory
CAN4-S114 CAN/ULC-S114 Abstract
iBMB/TU Braunschweig Governmental Lab for e Tsting Building Materials
BAM Abstract and Picture of Noncombustibility eTst in Progress
ASTM E136 Standard Test Method for Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Tube Furnace at 750C abstract
"Combustible Dust: Agricultural Related Fires and Explosions Increasing, but Preventable"
Division of Occupational
Safety and Health, N.C. Department of Labor
Combustible Dust: A Major Hot Work Hazard" Division of Occupational Safety and Health, N.C. Department of Labor

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