From: ce11son@yahoo.ca   
      
   On Wed, 21 May 2014 18:56:12 -0500, Stephen Sprunk   
    wrote:   
      
   >On 21-May-14 12:57, Charles Ellson wrote:   
   >> On Wed, 21 May 2014 12:32:36 -0500, Stephen Sprunk   
   >>  wrote:   
   >>> I know diesel is close to non-flammable (you can actually use it to   
   >>> put _out_ a fire), but gasoline and kerosene are highly flammable;   
   >>>   
   >> Kerosene/paraffin is not generally highly flammable (but the name   
   >> covers a range of distillates with flashpoints from c.37-65deg C);   
   >> you can usually do the same trick of throwing a lighted match into it   
   >> as you can with diesel to demonstrate that it stops the match   
   >> burning. Like diesel, it is when vapourised or in a mist that it   
   >> becomes dangerous.   
   >   
   >I was thinking of the jet fuel variety, which is nearly as volatile as,   
   >and therefore as dangerous as, gasoline.   
   >   
   It's right down at the bottom of the above flashpoint range but the   
   main danger seems to lie in the lower explosive limit   
   (0.7% in http://www.hovensa.com/pdf/jet%20a.pdf MSDS ) when achieved   
   within an aircraft fuel tank; presumably the napthalene content also   
   helps somewhat. An FAA document   
   (http://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/ar98-26.pdf) contains the information   
   that "Jet A product is often made as a dual-purpose fuel that conforms   
   to the legal flash point (higher than 38°C in some states) for   
   domestic kerosene." but also mentions complications involving   
   contamination with gasoline which causes typical Jet A flashpoints to   
   be greater than the specified minimum. Possibly the trick with the   
   match still works with an open container (as usually demonstrated) if   
   the napthalene is given the opportunity to evaporate but I'll leave   
   that for someone else to try.   
      
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