Fire, chemistry liquids, flammable

Where this value is known it is an excellent measure of the relative hazard of a flammable liquid. Unfortunately, it is available in only a few instances Susceptibility to Spontaneous Heating. Many materials combine with atmospheric oxygen at ordinary temperatures and liberate heat. If the heat is evolved faster than it is dissipated due to poor housekeeping, a fire can start, particularly in the presence of easily ignited waste, etc. [ Factory Mutual Modified Mackey Method, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (March 1927)] Explosive Range or Flammability Limits. 

The recipe for Greek fire was kept a secret, so its discovery had little impact on the development of chemistry. Even today we are uncertain of its composition. It seems likely that crude petroleum was distilled to give a liquid similar to petrol (gasoline), and that this was rendered flammable on contact with water by the addition of other substances. It has been suggested that a mixture of quicklime and sulphur was added, but it is more likely that calcium phosphide was used. Calcium phosphide could have been made by heating bones, lime and urine together. It produces the spontaneously inflammable phosphine on contact with water. 

When you take organic chemistry laboratory, you will encounter many flammable liquids. These will often be solvents and, therefore, used in higher quantity than reagent chemicals. A fire is perhaps the most... 

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