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Flash Point Determination
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Scope and Field of Application
BS EN 456 is a method which is used to determine the flash point of a paint, varnish, paint binder, solvent or related product when the flash point is below 110 °C.
ISO 3679 is technically identical to BS EN 456. The only difference is that the scope of ISO 3679 is extended to include flash point determinations of petroleum products.
The flash point of a material is defined as the lowest temperature that vapour from the material can be ignited by a flame or spark. It is one of the properties which can be used to assess any potential fire hazard associated with manufacture, transport, storage and use. Another important and related property is combustibility. Please visit our Combustibility page for details.
There are no pass/fail criteria defined in the standards. This is a matter of agreement between the parties concerned.
The actual standards are copyright-protected documents and we are not able to provide you with copies. If required however, you can easily obtain copies from the British Standards Institution.
Summary of Method
The standards include a detailed description of the equipment used to carry out the test. Essentially it consists of a small temperature-controlled chamber fitted with a lid. A specified quantity of the test sample is placed in the chamber and the temperature increased progressively. The chamber is opened at intervals and a small flame applied to the opening. The temperature at which the vapour above the sample first ignites is noted. A barometric pressure reading is taken and used to correct the flash point to standard atmospheric pressure.
The equipment is available commercially and the image above shows a Series 3 instrument made by Stanhope-Seta
Sample Requirements
We require at least 200 ml of sample. The standards stipulate that samples should be supplied in glass or metal containers which are at least 90% full.
Accreditation
PRA is accredited to ISO 17025 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to carry out this test.
Please contact Peter Collins for further details.
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