Flammability
From Free net encyclopedia
Flammability is the ease with which a substance will ignite, causing fire or combustion. Materials that will ignite at temperatures commonly encountered are considered flammable, with various specific definitions giving a temperature requirement. The flash point is the important characteristic. Flash points below 100 °F (37.8 °C) are regulated in the United States by OSHA as potential workplace hazards. Examples of flammable liquids are gasoline, ethanol, and acetone. Diesel fuel is in one of the less heavily regulated flammability categories, and biodiesel is considered nonflammable with a flash point usually over 300 °F (150 °C) even though biodiesel will combust inside a diesel engine.
The word flammable is of relatively recent origin but has in many contexts, especially safety, taken the place of the word inflammable, an older term with the same meaning. Some find inflammable misleading, falsely concluding that the Latin prefix in- (here an intensifier) always means "not" [1]. Hence gasoline trucks will doubtlessly continue to be labelled flammable, while for those in internet circles inflaming someone will continue to have a very different meaning from flaming them.
In Britain most lorries are marked flammable, as indicated, however fuel stations pumps are marked inflammable.