Combustion characteristics fire point

When a fat or oil is heated, thermal instability may cause decomposition, and depending on the temperature reached, subsequent combustion of volatile gaseous decomposition products (Mehlenbacher, 1960). The thermal stability of fats and oils is thus essentially a chemical characteristic. However, stability is characterized by measuring certain critical temperatures, the smoke, flash and fire points, at which certain heat-induced changes become apparent. It is appropriate, therefore, to include here methods for measuring these critical points. 

Combustion behavior differed in some respects between continuous and instantaneous spills, and also between LNG and refrigerated liquid propane. For continuous spills, a short period of premixed burning occurred immediately after ignition. This was characterized by a weakly luminous flame, and was followed by combustion of the fuel-rich portions of the plume, which burned with a rather low, bright yellow flame. Hame height increased markedly as soon as the fire burned back to the liquid pool at the spill point, and assumed the tilted, cylindrical shape that is characteristic of a pool fire. 

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