Flashpoint and Fire Analysis
P. Kennedy, 1990
Flash Point, Materials Science, Fire Testing, Fire Litigation
Many times the flashpoint of an ignitable liquid fuel is a key consideration in fire case litigation. When fuel flammability characteristics become the main issue at the heart of litigation “materials science” comes into play. Few practitioners in the theoretical sciences posses sufficient practical knowledge of the flammability characteristics to accurately represent the true significance to a court and jury.
Materials science dealing with flammability properties encompasses elements from a variety of the scientific and engineering disciplines. Unlike pure scientific or engineering fields, such as chemistry, the study of the flammability characteristics of materials is a separate discipline, not entirely within the province of chemistry, physics or engineering. In recent trial testimony involving a $32,000,000 lawsuit.over the explosion of a crude oil barge, a Ph. D. in chemistry described the Tag Closed Cup flash point test as having an electrical arc as the test ignition source. This sadly typifies the general lack of accurate knowledge of the flammability characteristics of materials, even among those who profess great knowledge in related fields. Flash point is a physical flammability characteristic, not a chemical property. Few practitioners in the theoretical sciences possess sufficient practical knowledge of flammability characteristics to accurately represent the true significance to a court and jury,