Flash Point Estimation of Ternary Alcohol Mixtures

Email: Katie-dehoedt@uiowa.edu

ABSTRACT

            The objective of the research is to obtain flammability limits, limiting oxygen concentrations, flash points, and minimum ignition energies for various materials to aid in establishing safety parameters for release valves. A flash point tester will be utilized, along with two unique pieces of equipment: a flammability chamber, and a minimum ignition energy tester (MIE). The flash points of flammable liquid mixtures will be recorded to develop models that will predict the flash point of alcohol mixtures of three or more components. The flammability chamber will be used to determine the flammability limits and limiting oxygen concentrations needed to ignite methane. The MIE will be used to test the minimum ignition energy of methane and propane gas mixtures. The focus of this presentation will be the flash point calculation method that was developed to determine the flash point of a mixture of three or more alcohols. No previous research has developed an effective method for these calculations. Developing a method for estimating the flash point of alcohol mixtures will effectively enhance chemical process safety.