Have you ever looked at the back label of your deodorant or body spray? If so, you must have noticed the fire hazard, which represents safety precautions before and during their damping.
The fire hazard is only present in the perfume that contains alcohol which turns out that alcohol is flammable.
So, being alcohol, is ethylene glycol flammable?
If you even have a little bit of knowledge about the flammability of alcohol, then it is clear that ethylene glycol is also flammable. However, when caught on fire, Ethylene glycol can be extinguished using carbon dioxide, dry chemicals, or similar products.
Alcohol is just a hydrated form of ethylene glycol.
Let us interpret all about ethylene glycol in detail today!
What is ethylene glycol?
Ethylene glycol is a many-in-one substance that one will get tired of while describing.
The vast majority know ethylene of the population as a toxic substance that is colorless and odorless. Most poisonous substances are transparent, due to which it is common for them to be colorless. But, toxicity in any sense emits some odor which is absent in the case of ethylene glycol.
Not only this, but ethylene glycol is also a sweet viscous liquid. Now, being toxic, one can again think, how they can taste sweet! But, these are some of the parts which make the substance unique and different from all.
It’s necessary to take favor of chemistry to interpret the ethylene glycol deeply as the name itself came from the exact origin.
Ethylene glycol is an organic compound that comprises only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The chemical formula of the ethylene glycol is C2H6O2 which shall consist of two carbon, six hydrogens, and two oxygen.
It is both the molecular and structural formula of ethylene glycol, whose hydrated form gives rise to alcohol, which everyone is familiar with.
Marching toward the general view of description, ethylene glycol is known mainly by the people as the raw material of synthetic polyester fabric used for garment purposes. But, as we all know, synthetic materials are made using various mixtures from different sources; one of those primary sources is ethylene glycol.
Again, ethylene is also known as an anti-freeze and coolant material. This is to say, it resists freezing and minimizes the damage caused by ice or any such things. The presence of ethylene glycol protects the car and other vehicle engines from freezing during the cold nights of winter and when the engine is not running.
Again, when vehicles run restlessly during the hot summer days, the engines get overheated and run the risk of damage. The coolant feature of the ethylene glycol cools the machine at that time.
Widespread usage of ethylene glycol can be seen in industrial sectors and for any commercial purposes. The traces of toxicity of ethylene glycol can be found and seen in many industrial and household agents.
Is Ethylene Glycol Flammable? Does it burn?
As ethylene glycol is mainly a chemistry concentrated concept, the features of the substance, including its flammability, should also be interpreted using the same source.
The discussion about the alcohol was necessary to point out the existence of this hydroxide group even in the ethylene glycol, which is proof that ethylene glycol is also an alcoholic. The presence of hydroxide in the compound was impossible without showing an example of ethanol because ethylene glycol does not have any structural formula.
It is now sure that ethylene glycol is alcohol due to the combination of carbon and hydrogen with hydroxide groups in the organic fields. So, it is also clear that the substance will carry the feature of alcohol to burn and catch on fire.
Alcohol ignites the same, for which ethylene glycol will also do the same job. Alcohol is flammable. Not only that, but a very crucial aspect of the flammability of any substance is flashpoint which also takes in favor with the ignition.
The flashpoint of the ethylene glycol is remarkable enough to consider ethylene to burn when brought in contact to fire. Low flashpoint cannot help any compound escape flaming, no matter what steps are taken.
The end consequence of ethylene is nothing but remarkable as a highly volatile component.
At what temperature does ethylene glycol flammable burn?
Hitting the flashpoint of the ethylene glycol will be that desired temperature you are looking for at which the substance will start to burn.
But, reaching that point is never easy, especially when the object has a higher level of flashpoints. And, that is the exact reason why some materials are known as non-flammable with a touching sky-level flashpoint.
But, the primary reality is that every element and compound are favorable to ignition. Still, the ease of the burning decides whether the component will be tagged as explosive or not.
The tag of ethylene glycol is explosive with the scope of facing no difficulties to reach its flashpoint. The temperature or the flashpoint of ethylene glycol is 111.11° C.
From this, you can easily understand how flammable ethylene glycol is! Where water boils at 100° Celsius, a little more elevation of the temperature can catch fire to the ethylene glycol.
Reaching such a temperature is very easy as a superficial candle fire burns at a temperature of 400° Celsius.
What happens when ethylene glycol flammable is burned?
Burning toxic substances like ethylene glycol can never yield any satisfactory output. Such as burning ethylene glycol dissolved in the proper amount of water for making an anti-freeze solution will cause the water content to decompose. When the water gets decomposed, only the ethylene glycol remains as the residue.
These precipitated ethylene glycol get ignited, resulting in the evaporation of the substance into the air. With the ignition of the essence, it can also leave behind many harmful traces in the environment that can cause serious harm.
Due to the sweet taste of ethylene glycol, many often take them, which can even cause death. In addition, inserting the substance through any medium can cause various adverse health impacts, which may also occur through inhalation.
With that said, ethylene glycol can emit harmful gases due to its toxic nature while burning. Such gas can even become the reason for the death of various animals.
How to stop the fire hazard of ethylene glycol?
Ethylene glycol is a hazardous substance both before and after the ignition. Being alcohol, they are pronounced to catch on fire which makes them way more dangerous than ever before.
So, it becomes essential to stop the fire hazard of the substance for which some special extinguishers can become the life savior.
You can incorporate the all-time best extinguisher to prevent the ethylene glycol fire hazard, CO2, or carbon dioxide gas.
Again, specialized anti-alcohol foam, dry chemicals, water spray, and such things can also be used as prime extinguishers for the hazard.
See also: Is Freon Flammable Or Explosive?
Does ethylene glycol evaporate spontaneously?
No, ethylene glycol does not evaporate spontaneously. The rate of evaporation of the ethylene glycol is even slower than the water.
Evaporation mainly takes place naturally in the presence of the air. You can see some tiny droplets of water in large surface areas fade away after some time, resulting from evaporation. When the surface area is open and wide enough compared to the substance, the component tends to evaporate more.
Such action is mainly seen in liquid materials. However, vaporization and evaporation are not the same as vapor is caused when a substance is heated under a higher temperature, which is the initial stage before burning.
The rate of evaporation for ethylene glycol is prolonged and depends on the temperature of the surroundings.
In the above chart, we can see that the higher the temperature, the maximum evaporation rate, up to 50%. The rest of the 30% and 20% evaporation is caused by 350° and 300° Fahrenheit, respectively.
a helpful video for Ethylene Glycol Properties and Uses
Conclusion
Despite its usefulness, ethylene glycol being a harmful substance can be even more challenging if it ignites. So, this article became the ultimate guide in covering all about flammability, before and after consequences, and the prevention of ethylene glycol.
I hope you are satisfied and waiting for a similar kind of topic in the next session.