Flammable or Flammability refers to the ease at which a substance will ignite, causing fire or combustion. Materials that will ignite at temperatures commonly encountered are considered flammable, with various specific definitions giving a temperature requirement. The flash point is the important characteristic. Flash points below 200 °F (93 °C) are regulated in the United States by OSHA as potential workplace hazards. Examples of flammable liquids are gasoline, ethanol, and acetone. Diesel fuel is in one of the less heavily regulated flammability categories, and biodiesel is considered nonflammable with a flash point usually over 300 °F (150 °C), even though biodiesel will combust inside of a diesel engine. A large bonfire Fire is a form of combustion. ... There is a live album by the Rolling Stones called Flashpoint The flash point of a fuel is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mix with air. ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... The degree Celsius (symbol: °C) is an SI unit of temperature. ... The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created by Congress under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, Republican, on December 29, 1970. ... Jump to: navigation, search Gasoline, as it is known in North America, or petrol (abbreviated from petroleum spirit), in many Commonwealth countries (sometimes also called motor spirit) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless chemical compound, one of the alcohols that is most often found in alcoholic beverages. ... For an alternate use of acetone, see Acetone (music). ... Jump to: navigation, search Diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of fuel oil (mostly petroleum) that is used in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel, and perfected by Charles F. Kettering. ... Biodiesel sample Biodiesel is an alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel made from renewable resources such as vegetable oils or animal fats. ... The diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine; more specifically, it is a compression ignition engine, in which the fuel is ignited by being suddenly exposed to the high temperature and pressure of a compressed gas containing oxygen (usually atmospheric air), rather than a separate source of ignition...

The word flammable itself is of relatively recent origin, but has largely taken the place of the word inflammable, an older term with the same meaning. Some consider the older word misleading, since the prefix in- suggests (to some) that an inflammable substance would not ignite easily. Others consider the newer term an unnecessary innovation.

External link

• United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations regarding flammability