Flammability Testing

For safety reasons, it is important to know the flammability limits of a process stream. Standard testing is available (ASTM E681-98 and E918-83) to determine the flammability of a material under moderate conditions but are not directly applicable to pressures and temperatures outside of the test limits. The flammable limits may be significantly affected by these changes which cannot be reliably predicted.

BakerRisk has built a large-scale test apparatus to address the need for testing the flammability limits of gases at elevated pressures and temperatures. The design allows us to test custom mixtures of gases (flammables, oxidizers, and inerts) at initial pressures and temperatures up to 1000 psig and at least 400 °F. This rig has been used to determine the several important parameters:

• Minimum oxygen concentration at elevated pressure and temperature
• Flammability envelope of a particular mixture under processing conditions
• Effect of inerting on flammability
• Effect of type of oxidizer on flammability
• Effect of mixed fuel sources on flammability

Additional tests related to process stream flammability include auto ignition determinations - BakerRisk can perform auto ignition determinations at high temperature and pressure up to 430 °C and 1,800 psi of liquids and solids in a variety of atmospheres. The method follows that of ASTM G72-82. This allows clients to confidently design processes for maximum throughput while maintaining safety levels.