Do you realize how much petroleum you use in your daily life?
Petroleum is a yellowish-black liquid that forms spontaneously in geological formations under the Surface of earth.
Petroleum is quite useful in everyday tasks. Petroleum is primarily employed as a source of energy because of its high carbon content, making it ideal for generating electricity or powering heat engines.
Petroleum is also used in the form of jelly. Therefore, we should surely know how to use petroleum responsibly to avoid any mishaps.
Now, let’s go through and know more about petroleum oil!
Also Read: Check out our other article about Is Canola Oil Highly Flammable?
Is petroleum oil flammable Or Combustible?
Petrol is a highly flammable and hazardous fluid that bombs when the liquid steam is released. Because petrol spills rapidly evaporate and form a combustible gas, any minor spark from a vehicle, smoke, or even a cellular device might spark an explosion.
Note: Anything that can catch fire and has a flashpoint under 100°F is considered flammable.
Low flashpoint is the reason for being flammable. Moreover, skin and eyes may be irritated or burned due to inhaling or contact with the material. Finally, vapors can cause nausea or suffocation.
What are the examples of oil-based flammable materials?
Numerous oil-based flammable materials are used regularly in our daily lives. These combustible oils can cause daily mishaps owing to poor management. Paints are oil-based liquids as well. For home repair work, oil-based paints, stains, and varnishes are frequently employed. Few examples of oil-based flammable materials are:
- Ethylene glycol
- Glycerine
- Kerosene
- Diesel fuel
- Lubricating oil
- Motor oil
- Mineral oil
- Linseed oil
- Gasoline
- Diethyl ether
- Oil-based paints
Why is petrol so flammable? The chemical explanation
Firstly, we need to know what the term “flammable” means. So, it means, if a liquid is above its flashpoint, which is the degree at which the fluid emits a vapor that may be ignited in the air at normal pressure, it is considered to be flammable material.
We already know that petroleum is flammable, and there’s a chemical explanation for why something is combustible.
The oil is so flammable because of its ultra-low temperature (-43 °C). The intermolecular interactions between the molecules in petrol are also so low that the molecules receive sufficient heat energy to escape as gas. Thus, forming a combustible combination with air. It has a low flash point and high vapor density, making the petrol extremely flammable.
The above chemical explanations show why petrol is highly flammable.
Why is Vaseline not flammable?
Materials that cannot be ignited are known as non-flammable. We use Vaseline for our skin daily, which never caught fire; why is that?
Numerous individuals wrongly believe that petroleum jelly possesses a fire hazard since petroleum is a combustible substance. Petroleum jelly is composed of the very same petroleum as oil-based items. It’s not combustible.
Moreover, it doesn’t evaporate, and it won’t run as well as it’s in the form of jelly. Vaseline generally requires a very high temperature to combust and which is why it is classified as non-flammable.
Being non-flammable, Vaseline is safe for regular home use! However, the greatest advantage of this oily moisturizer is that it supports the healing of wounds, which we all need regularly.
Does petrol burn with flame?
Yes, petrol burns with flame. Petrol is a hydrocarbon mixture derived through fractional distillation of crude oil. Petrol is composed of very tiny hydrocarbon molecules. Therefore, it has a low flashpoint of – 43 degrees Celsius, and its flames are easily at room temperature.
Because it is the liquid’s vapor that burns rather than the liquid itself, vapor generation becomes the most critical component in assessing the fire hazard.
Also Read: Is Freon Flammable Or Explosive?
Is crude petroleum more flammable or purified petroleum?
Crude oil is a petroleum product made up of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic components naturally. It is a non-renewable resource, which means it cannot be replenished naturally. Therefore, we will not be able to recover the resource once it has been utilized.
Let’s see some of the advantages of crude petroleum: –
- Because of its vast deposits and ease of access, it is a low-cost energy source.
- Is a versatile power source.
- It can be considered as a reliable power source
The disadvantages of crude petroleum are: –
- A non-renewable resource.
- Can be dangerous if not handled carefully.
On the other hand, purified petroleum is nothing but are the products derived from crude oil after the naturally occurring crude oil are processed in several steps.
Mainly there are 3 stages to purify crude petroleum to bring them in final goods. The three key processing are: –
- Stage 1: Separation
- Stage 2: Conversion
- Stage 3: Treating
A question might arise that if the purifying process of crude petroleum is highly expensive or not. The processing expense mainly differs depending on the finished product’s characteristics and the substances used to improve the product.
Crude petroleum is extremely flammable than refined petroleum. This is because sulfur may chemically react with hydrogen during the decomposition of crude petroleum, made up of hydrocarbon, to generate hydrogen sulfide gas.
Sulfide gas is a highly caustic, volatile, and deadly gas. Moreover, the flashpoint of crude petroleum is less than purified petroleum. This chemical reaction and flash point differences are the reasons to say why crude petroleum is much more flammable than purified petroleum.
See Also: List Of Different Types Of Crude Oil And Their Flammability
What to do if petrol catches fire?
By now we know that petrol has a lower flashpoint which allows catching fire very easily. Every now and again, we hear on the news that a petrol pump has caught fire. This accident claims the lives of a large number of people regularly. This accident can happen anytime, and we need to be very cautious when this happens.
When we notice a fire breaking out, we see that everyone uses water to put it out. Could we do the same with a petrol-fuelled fire? The answer is NO.
REMEMBER! WATER CAN NOT BE USED TO PUT OUT A PETROL-FULLED FIRE!
It has an explanation too. That is, since water is heavier than petrol, it rolls down, allowing the petrol to float to the top and burn. As a result, water will not be able to bring out the petrol fire and settle down.
So, what to use if a fire breaks out due to petrol?
It is possible to put out a petrol-fuelled fire with the following materials.
- Wet rags
- Woolen cloth
- Sand
- Ashes
Also Read: Is Water Flammable?
Conclusion
Following the above explanation, we can infer that petroleum is unquestionably flammable. Every material has benefits and drawbacks, and petroleum is no exception. If handled properly, this can be a blessing, but if not, it can lead to pain.
Petroleum oil’s combustible properties can cause major tragedies if not used responsibly. To ensure our safety, we must exercise extreme caution when handling petroleum oils. Furthermore, it has been suggested what to do if petrol catches fire.
To avoid any dangers, we must keep those points in mind if a fire breaks out owing to petroleum.
