New Standard Helps Determine Flammability of Gases on Hot Surfaces

A new ASTM International standard will help determine which gases will ignite when put in contact with hot surfaces. The standard (D8211) was created by the committee on petroleum products, liquid fuels, and lubricants (D02).

It has been discovered that flammable gases with low flame velocities have higher than expected hot surface ignition temperatures, allowing their safe use in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and other applications, noted Mark L. Robin, senior technical service consultant at the Chemours Company.

“There is a need for a test method that can differentiate between gases which will and will not ignite when exposed to a hot surface,” says Robin. “The test determines the temperature of a hot surface required to cause ignition of the gas of interest.”

This new standard will be most useful to heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and automotive equipment designers, test and certification laboratories, standard setting bodies, and researches involved in the evaluation of flammable gases.