CrDi 126: Fire Technology and Arson Investigation

Lesson 1.1: The Meaning of Fire, Its Classification,

The Type of Flames, and the Properties of Fire
Discussion

Fire is heat, and light which is the result of the rapid combination of oxygen, or in some
cases, gaseous chlorine, with other materials. The light can be in the form of a flame,
which is consist of beam particles of the burning material and definite gaseous
products that are luminous at the burning material's temperature.

The start of the fireplace starts from solid, liquid, and gas (vapor). The atoms or
molecules from a solid are compact closely together. Therefore, the liquid is packed
loosely; the vapor molecules do not seem to be packed together in the least; they're
absolved to move so as for a substance to oxidize, its molecules must be
encompassed by the oxygen molecules. The molecules of solids or liquids are
likewise packed narrowly to adjoin. Thus, only vapors can burn.

However, while a solid or a liquid is heated, its molecules move about rapidly. If
enough heat is applied, some molecules become independent from the surface to
form a vapor just above the substance. This vapor can now varied with oxygen. If
there's enough heat to raise the vapor to its ignition temperature (temperature needed
to burn), and if there's enough oxygen present, the vapor will oxidize rapidly – it'll start
to burn.

The start of burning begins in a sequence reaction (the burning process). The fuel is
heated up through mixed with air and burns, which is coms from the vapor. Does it
release more vapor to produce and to allure air to burn that vapor. As more vapor burns,
flame production increasing up. The greater heat produced; thus, it will increase the release
of vapor, and the air will be drawn into flames that will result from the increased vapor burns.
Moreover, the possibility of chain reaction increased, and the fire's size keeps increases until
the fuel is consumed.

Combustion is described as a reaction that releases energy as heat and typically light.

There are three things that required for combustion of fire:

1. FUEL – Combustible materials to vaporize and burn.

2. OXYGEN – Oxygen in the air is the common oxidizing agent, to combine with fuel
vapor, air contains 28% O, 78 N 1% inert gas).

3. HEAT – to raise the temperature of the fuel vapor to its ignition temperature
 CrDi 126: Fire Technology and Arson Investigation

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sson2_elements_of_a_fire.htm

Figure 1. Fire Triangle

Figure 1 will show that if any side of the fire triangle is missing, a fire cannot start or if any
side of the fire triangle is removed, the fire will go off.

With the presence of the elements of fire, combustion may take place. Before a fuel will burn,
it must be changed to its vapor state. In a fire situation, this change usually results from the
initial application of heat. The process is known as PYROLYSIS. Pyrolysis (also known as
thermal decomposition) is defined as the “chemical decomposition of matter through the
action of heat”. In this case, the decomposition causes a change from a solid state to vapor
state. If the vapor mixes sufficiently with air and heated to high temperature, combustion
results

https://www.edtengineers.com/blog-post/spontaneous-combustion
Figure 2. Fire Tetrahedron

Figure 2 signifies the fire tetrahedron which is essential to the combustion process because
it has a place for the chain reaction and each face touches the other three faces.
 CrDi 126: Fire Technology and Arson Investigation

Scientists have four paramount components, called the chemical chain, which occurs when
the fuel is lessened by heat. When paper burns, the molecules within the paper (Fuel) are de-
escalated by heat, producing chemically reactive species called fire radicals, which combine
with the oxidizer. This recombination process releases more heat and chemical reactants,
causing the fuel to break down further, and the process continues.

As long as there are fuel and oxidizer, and energy in the appropriate amounts and the chemical
chain is not interrupted. (Klinoff)
The fire tetrahedron, which is a four-sided solid object with four triangular faces, a pyramid.
The first three sides are the same as the fire triangle: heat, fuel, and oxygen. The fourth side
is the self-sustained chain reaction, sometimes referred to as the uninhibited chain reaction.
This one side explains why the fire continues to grow rather than stay in one place.
Table 1. Difference between fire triangle and tetrahedron

FIRE TRIANGLE FIRE TETRAHEDRON

• There is no chain reaction. • It illustrates how flaming
combustion is supported
and sustained through the
chain reaction.
• The chain reaction face
keeps the other three
faces from falling apart.
• The mode of combustion • The mode of combustion
mode is Glowing. is either Flaming mode or
Surface mode.

PROPERTIES OF FIRE

A. The Physical properties

1. Specific Gravity – the proportion of the mass of a solid or liquid substance to the mass of
a sufficient volume of water.

2. Vapor density – the quantity of pure gas composed to the quantity of dry air equivalent to
the temperature and pressure.

3. Vapor Pressure – the pressure coerced by the molecules on the outward of a liquid.

4. Temperature – the quantify of the degree of thermal agitation by molecules.

5. Boiling Point – the regular temperature at which the liquid's vapor pressure is equivalent
to atmospheric pressure.

6. Ignition/Kindling temperature – pertains to the base temperature where the substance

must be heated in order to commence combustion.

7. Fire point – is the base temperature of a liquid in an unclosed container where the vapors
are quick enough to sustain its combustion.
 CrDi 126: Fire Technology and Arson Investigation

8. Flash point – the temperature where the flammable liquid forms a vapor-air mixture that
ignites (mixture within the inflammable range).

In order to burn the fuel (combustible material), its temperature must be raised until the
ignition point is reached. Thus, before a fuel starts to burn or until it ignites, it has to be
exposed to a certain degree of temperature. When a certain substance's temperature is
exorbitant, the combustible vapors are highly released, known as FREE
RADICALS (combustible vapors, just like the carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and
hydrogen gas).

In the course of processing the pyrolysis, below must be included:

• the fuel shall be heated until its temperature arrives this fire point,
• decomposition occurs when the moisture in the fuel turns to vapor,
• decomposition produces combustible vapors that rise to the surface of the fuel
(free radicals)
• free radicals undergo combustion.

B. The Properties of Chemical

1. Endothermic Reactions – revised by which the energy (heat) is absorbed or is added

before the reaction occurs.

2. Exothermic Reactions – to let go or give off energy (heat); thus, they produce
substances with less energy than the reactants.

3. Oxidation – an exothermic chemical change, refurbish where the combustible material

(fuel) and an oxidizing agent (air), reacts. Another instance of oxidation is the
combustion, where it is similar to the actual burning (rapid oxidation).

4. Flames – flames are refulgent (very bright/glowing with intense heat) gases. A
combustion product and the manifestation of fire which it is in its gas-phase
combustion.

Kinds of Flames:

A. It is in the Form on Color and the Completeness of Combustibility by Fuel.

1. Luminous Flame – comes with orange-red deposit soot at the bottom of a vessel being
heated due to incomplete combustion and at the inferior temperature.

2. Non-Luminous Flame – comes with a blue, there is complete combustion of fuel and
has a comparatively elevated temperature.

B. It is in the form of Fuel and Air Mixture.

1. Premixed Flame – it is represented by a Bunsen-type laboratory burner where

hydrocarbon (any substance containing primarily carbon and hydrogen) is thoroughly
mixed with air before reaching the flame zone.

2. Diffusion Flame – is observed when gas (fuel) alone is forced through a nozzle into the
atmosphere diffuse in the surrounding atmosphere to form a flammable mixture. The
 CrDi 126: Fire Technology and Arson Investigation

candle flame is an example of a diffusion flame governed purely by molecular

diffusion, and the Flame of the oxyacetylene torch. (diffused – dispersed, widely
spread).

C. Based on Smoothness

1. Laminar Flame – when a particle follows a smooth path through a gaseous flame.

2. Turbulent Flame – are those having unsteady, irregular flows. As a physical size, gas
density, or velocity increases, all laminar gas flows tend to become turbulent.