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flammable liquid

{{Short description|Any liquid that can catch fire}}

File:GHS-pictogram-flamme.svg pictogram for flammable chemicals.]]

File:HAZMAT Class 3 Flammable Liquids.png

A flammable liquid is a liquid which can be easily ignited in air at ambient temperatures, i.e. it has a flash point at or below nominal threshold temperatures defined by a number of national and international standards organisations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States Department of Labor defines a liquid as flammable if it has a flash point at or below 93 °C/199.4 °F.{{Cite web|url=https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.106|title=1910.106 - Flammable liquids. {{!}} Occupational Safety and Health Administration|website=www.osha.gov|access-date=2019-03-06}} Prior to bringing regulations in line with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in 2012, OSHA considered flammable liquids to be those with a flash point below 37.8 °C/100 °F. Those with flash points above 37.8 °C/100 °F and below 93.3 °C/200 °F were classified as combustible liquids.{{Cite web|url=https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2015/09/wasnt-flammable-ghs-changed-meaning-flammable-liquids/|title=But It Wasn't Flammable Before! GHS Changed the Meaning of 'Flammable Liquids'|date=2015-09-23|website=EHS Daily Advisor|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs-final-rule.html|title=HCS/HazCom 2012 Final Rule & Appendices {{!}} Occupational Safety and Health Administration|website=www.osha.gov|access-date=2019-03-08}} Studies show that the actual measure of a liquid's flammability, its flash point, is dependent on the local air pressure, meaning that at higher altitudes where the air pressure is lower, the flash point is also lower.{{cite journal |last1=Ding |first1=Chao |last2=Yao |first2=Wei |last3=Tang |first3=Yanfei |last4=Rong |first4=Jianzhong |last5=Zhou |first5=Dechuang |last6=Wang |first6=Jian |title=Experimental study of the flash point of flammable liquids under different altitudes in Tibet plateau |journal=Fire and Materials |date=March 2014 |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=241–246 |doi=10.1002/fam.2177 |s2cid=137412493 }}

Categorization

Both OSHA and GHS further divide flammable liquids into 4 categories:

  • Category I flammable liquids are those with boiling points ≤ 35 °C/95 °F and flash points < 23 °C/73 °F{{Cite web|url=https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.106|title=1910.106 - Flammable liquids. {{!}} Occupational Safety and Health Administration|website=www.osha.gov|access-date=2019-03-06}}{{Cite book|title=Globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS)|others=United Nations. Economic Commission for Europe. Secretariat.|date=2017 |isbn=9789211171310|edition= Seventh revised |location=New York|oclc=994197992}}
  • Category II flammable liquids are those with boiling points > 35 °C/95 °F and flash points < 23 °C/73 °F
  • Category III flammable liquids are those with flash points > 23 °C/73 °F and ≤ 60 °C/140 °F
  • Category IV flammable liquids are those with flash points > 60 °C/140 °F and ≤ 93 °C/199.4 °F

These categorizations are dependent upon a set altitude and atmospheric pressure, as both boiling point and flash point change with changes in pressure.

Labeling

Both GHS and OSHA require the labeling of flammable liquids, on containers and safety data sheets, as follows:{{Cite book|title=Globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS)|others=United Nations. Economic Commission for Europe. Secretariat.|date=2017 |isbn=9789211171310|edition= Seventh revised |location=New York|oclc=994197992}}

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!

!Category I

!Category II

!Category III

!Category IV

Symbol

|Flame

|Flame

|Flame

|none

Signal Word

|Danger

|Danger

|Warning

|Warning

Hazard Statement

|Extremely flammable liquid and vapour

|Highly flammable liquid and vapor

|Flammable liquid and vapour

|Combustible liquid

See also

References

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Category:Fuels

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