Department of Petrochemical

College of Technical Engineering

Duhok Polytechnic University

Practical Petroleum Properties lab.

1
Year Level
st

Name of student: Muhammad Akram

Muhammad
Group: A
Name of experiment: determination of flash and fire point
of an oil product using open cup method (cleveland open cup
apparatus)

No. of experiment: 3
Date: 18/4/2016

Objective:
determination of flash and fire point of an oil product using open
cup method (cleveland open cup apparatus).

Introduction:
FLASH POINT The minimum temperature at which a liquid gives
off vapor in sufficient concentration to form an ignitable mixture
with air near the surface of the liquid within the vessel as specified
by appropriate test procedure.
FIRE POINT The lowest temperature of a liquid in an open
container at which vapors are evolved fast enough to support
continuous combustion. This shall be determined by ASTM D 92,
Cleveland Open Cup Test Method.
The flash and fire point are useful in determining lubricant
instability and fire resistance. The flash point can be used in
determining transportation and storage temperature requirements
for lubricants . lubricants producer can also use flash point to
detect potential product contamination. The flash point is often used as a
descriptive characteristic of liquid fuel, and it is also used to help characterize the

fire hazards of liquids. Flash point refers to both flammable liquids and
combustible. Flash and fire points are used to indicate.

Fire hazard of petroleum products and evaporation loses under high temperature
loses
It gives us the idea about the maximum temperature below which the oil can be
used
It is used as the means of identification of specific lubricating oil
For detection of contamination in the given lubricating oil

Open cup and closed cup tester:

Both types of experiments are based on the fact that a liquid that
is combustible, such as gasoline and diesel, release vapors that
are potentially ignitable.
As the temperature of the liquid increases, the amount of these
vapors also increases. This means that at a certain temperature,
the vapor concentration is high enough that it becomes ignitable.
An open cup experiment involves a quantity of a particular
sample placed in a container that is open.
In a closed cup the vapor produced is concentrated whereas an
open cup would allow the vapor to dissipate requiring a higher
temperature to concentrate the gases sufficiently to allow
combustion.
The sample is slowly heated and an ignition source, such as a
small flame (spark), is introduced above the sample at various
intervals.

This process continues until a temperature is reached at

which the vapors from the sample ignite, which
establishes the flash point for that sample.

Apparatus and materials:

Thermometer
Cleveland open cup tester
Sample (kerosene and gas oil)
Heating machine

Procedure:
1. Clean and dry all parts of the apparatus with the help of
suitable solvent e.g.) ether, or benzene and dry it to remove any
traces of solvent.
2.Fill the oil cup with kerosene up to the mark.
3.Fix the lids on the top through which are inserted a
thermometer and a stirrer. Ensure that the flame exposure device
is fixed on the top.
4.Light the flame and adjust it to about 4 mm in diameter and
start stirring the sample.

5.Heat apparatus in a rate of 5 0C/min until 30 0C is reached as

stirrer is continuously rotated. (the rate of increasing temp. can
be reached by adjusting the flame source).
6.Now, At every 2 0C rise of temp. Introduce test flame into the oil
vapor. (Stop stirring during this step)
7. When test flame causes a distinct flash in the interior of the
test cup, note temp. which represent the flash point.
8.Further heat the sample at lower rate (1 or 2 oC) and continue
applying the test flame as before.
9. The temperature at which the vapors of the oil give a clear and
distinct blue flash for five seconds is recorded as the fire point of
the oil.

Observation and calculation:

Test
sample
kerosene
diesel
NOTE:
Room temperature = 29 C

Flash point, C
55
60

Fire point, C
64
67

Note:
The flash point is an empirical measurement rather than a fundamental physical
parameter. The measured value will vary with equipment and test protocol
variations, including temperature ramp rate (in automated testers), time allowed for
the sample to equilibrate, sample volume and whether the sample is stirred.

Discussion:
1.What are the factors affecting the flash point
and fire point?

Pressure The flash point temperature increases with

increasing pressure and decreases with decreasing
pressure.

Oxidant The

temperature of a pure liquid or mixture

is greatly influenced by the type of oxidant atmosphere

(i.e. flash point of a chemical in air will be different than

the flash point of the same chemical in another oxidant

like chlorine).

Others - Tester configuration, sample size, ignition

source, temperature control, sample homogeneity,
drafts, and operator bias.

2.different between flash and fire point?

The flash point of a flammable liquid is the lowest
temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture in
air. At this temperature the vapor may cease to burn
when
the
source
of
ignition
is
removed.
The fire point .
Fire point is the temperature at which the vapors of the
flammable liquid present in air continue to burn after
removal of source of ignition
The minimum temperature at which a liquid gives off
vapor in sufficient concentration to form an ignitable
mixture with air near the surface of the liquid within the
vessel as specified by appropriate test procedure.

3. What is the difference between open cup and closed

cup flash point?
Open Cleveland Test
Opened cup flash test point for products (heavy
petroleum) which have flash point is between ambient
and 400C.

Closed cup tester

Closed cup flash point test to determine the flash point
for products with flash point above 40 0C to 3600C.