‫كلية الهندسة‬ ‫جامعة كركوك‬

‫اسم التجربة‬

‫‪Flash & Fire Point Test‬‬

‫اسماء الطالب‬
‫علي نجاة لطيف‬
‫عمر بركات حامد‬
 Flash & Fire Point Test
FLASH & FIRE POINT TEST FOR ASPHALT BY
CLEVELAND OPEN CUP

FLASH POINT
Flash point is the lowest temperature corrected to a barometric pressure of 101.3 kPa
(760 mm Hg), at which application of a test flame causes the vapor of a specimen to
ignite under specified conditions of test. The material is deemed to have flashed
when a large flame appears and instantaneously propagates itself over the surface of
the specimen.

Note: Occasionally, particularly near the actual flash point, the application of test
flame will cause the blue halo or an enlarged flame; this is not a flash and should be
ignored.

FIRE POINT 
It is the lowest temperature at which a specimen will sustain burning for 5
seconds. A flammable material is the one, which form flames, but does not sustain
fire while a combustible material is the one, which sustains fire/burning.

Samples:

Asphalt Cement shall be oil asphalt or a mixture of refined liquid asphalt and refined
solid asphalt, prepared from crude asphaltic petroleum. It shall be free from
admixture with any residues obtained by the artificial distillation of coal, coal tar or
paraffin and shall be homogeneous and free from water

AIM & SIGNIFICANCE 

 Flash point measures the tendency of the sample to form a flammable mixture
with air under controlled laboratory conditions. It is only one of a number of
properties that must be considered in assessing the overall flammability hazard of
a material.
 Flash point is used in shipping and safety regulations to differentiate between
‘‘flammable’’ and ‘‘combustible’’ materials.
 Flash point can indicate the possible presence of highly volatile and flammable
materials in a relatively nonvolatile or nonflammable material.
 Fire point measures the characteristics of the sample to support combustion.
 Bituminous materials give rise to volatiles at high temperature, as they are
basically the hydrocarbons. These volatiles catch fire causing a flash, which is
very hazardous.
 During construction of bituminous pavements, the engineer may restrict the
mixing or application temperatures well within the limits. The test therefore gives
 indication of critical temperature at and above which suitable precautions should
be taken to eliminate fire hazards during use of asphalts. In other words heating
should be limited to a temperature well below the flash point.

APPARATUS 
1. Cleveland Cup Apparatus: It consists of test cup, heating plate, test flame
applicator, heater, thermometer support and heating plate support, all conforming to
the following requirements.

 Test Cup — It is made of brass. The cup may be equipped with a handle.
Heating Plate — A brass, cast iron, wrought iron, or steel plate with a center hole
surrounded by an area of plane depression, and a sheet of hard asbestos board
which covers the metal plate except over the area of plane depression in which the
test cup is supported. The metal plate may be square instead of round and have
suitable extension for mounting the test flame applicator device and the
thermometer support. The metal bead is mounted on the plate so that it extends
through and slightly
 Test Flame Applicator — The device for applying the test flame may be of any
suitable design, but the tip shall be 1.6 to 5.0 mm in diameter at the end and the
orifice shall have an approximate diameter of 0.8 mm. The device for applying
the test flame shall be so mounted to permit automatic duplication of the sweep of
the test flame, the radius of swing being not less than 150 mm and the center of
the orifice moving’ in a plane not more than 2.5 mm above the cup. A bead
having a diameter of 3.8 to 5.4 mm may be mounted in a convenient position on
the apparatus so the size of the test flame can be compared to it. 
 Heater — Heat may be supplied from any convenient source. The use of a gas
burner or alcohol lamp is permitted, but under no circumstances are products of
combustion or free flame to be allowed to come up around the cup. An electric
heater controlled by a variable voltage transformer is preferred. The source of
heat shall be centered under the opening of the heating plate with no local
superheating.
 Thermometer Support — A device which will hold the thermometer in the
specified position during a test and permits easy removal of the thermometer from
the test cup upon completion of a test.
 Heating Plate Support — Any convenient support which will hold the heating
plate level and steady may be employed. Fire
2. Shield: A shield having an area of 460mm2 and 610mm high and having an open
front is used.
3. Thermometer: A thermometer having the required range. Fire Point
Preparation of Apparatus
Support the apparatus on a level table. Shield the top of the apparatus from strong
intensity of light by any suitable means to permit ready detection of the flash
point. Fire Point
Wash the test cup with an appropriate solvent to remove any oil or traces of gum or
residue remaining from a previous test. If any deposits of carbon are present, they
should be removed with steel wool. Flush the cup with cold water and dry for a few
minutes over an open flame, on a hot plate, or in an oven to remove the last traces of
solvent and water. Cool the cup to at least 56 °C below the expected flash point
before using.

Support the thermometer in a vertical position with the bottom of the bulb 6.4 mm
from the bottom of the cup and located at a point halfway between the center and
side of the cup on the diameter perpendicular to the line of the sweep of the test
flame and on the side opposite to the test flame burner arm. Fire Point

PROCEDURE

 Fill the cup; at any convenient temperature not exceeding 100 °C or above the
softening point; so that the top of the meniscus is at the filling line.
 Remove the excess sample using a pipette or other suitable device; however, if
there is sample on the outside of the apparatus, empty, clean, and refill it. Destroy
any air bubbles on the surface of the sample.
 Lit the test flame and adjust it to a diameter of 3.8 to 5.4 mm.
 Apply heat initially so that the rate of temperature rise of the sample is 14 to 17
°C per minute. When the sample temperature is approximately 56 °C below the
anticipated flash point, decrease the heat so that the rate of temperature rise for
28°C before the flash point is 5 to 6°C per minute.
 Starting at least 28 °C below the flash point, apply the test flame when the
temperature read on the thermometer reaches each successive 2 °C mark. Pass the
test flame across the center of the cup, at right angles to the diameter, which
passes through the thermometer. With a smooth, continuous motion apply the
flame either in a straight line or along the circumference of a circle having a
radius of at least 150 mm. The center of the test flame must move in a plane not
more than 2.5 mm above the plane of the upper edge of the cup passing in one
direction first, then in the opposite direction the next lime. The time consumed in
passing the test flame across the cup shall be about one second (1 s.). During the
last 17 °C rise in temperature prior to the flash point, care must be taken to avoid
 disturbing the vapors in the test cup by careless movements or bathing near the
cup.
 Record as the observed flash point the temperature read on the thermometer when
a flash appears at any point on the surface of the material, but does not confuse
the true flash with the bluish halo that sometimes surrounds the test flame.
 To determine the fire point, continue heating so that the sample temperature
increases at a rate of 5 to 6 °C. Continue the application of the test flame at 2°C
intervals until the oil ignites and continues to burn for at least 5 second. Record
the temperature at the point as the fire point of the oil.

Precautions

 Do not breathe close to the apparatus as the fumes are injurious to health.
 Turn the fans off so that the fumes can be accumulated over the cup.
 Tip of the thermometer should not touch the bottom or sides of the cup.
 The operator must exercise and take appropriate safety precautions during the
initial application of the test flame, since samples containing low flash material
may give an abnormally strong flash when the test flame is first applied.
CALCULATIONS AND REPORT

Observe and record the barometric pressure at the time of the test. When the pressure
differs from 760 mm Hg, correct the flash or fire point, or both, by means of the
following equations:

Corrected flash or fire point, or both = C + 0.03 (760 — P)

Where:

C = observed flash or fire point, or both, to the nearest 2 °C, and

P = Barometric pressure, mm Hg.

Record the corrected flash or fire joint value, or both, to the

nearest 5 °C or 2°C.
FLASH POINT OF DIFFERENT GRADES OF
ASPHALT:

VISCOSITY GRADES
AC – AC – AC – AC – AC –
Property 2.5 5 10 20 40

Flash Point
COC, °C
min. 163 177 219 232 232
OBSERVATIONS & RESULTS
Time (minutes) Temperature (°C) Remarks
0 24
1 30
2 36
3 41
4 47
5 53
6 60
7 67
8 73
9 80
10 112
11 156
12 182
13 202
14 222
15 240
16 256
17 271
18 284
19 299
9:12 308 Flash Point
20 310
21 318
22 329
23 340
24 351
24.25 352 Fire Point