Flammability Limit - Examples

Examples

The flammable/explosive limits of some gases and vapors are given below. Concentrations are given in percent by volume of air.

  • Class IA liquids (flash point less than 73 °F (22.8 °C); boiling point less than 100 °F (37.8 °C) are NFPA 704 flammability rating 4
  • Classes IB (flash point less than 73 °F (22.8 °C); boiling point equal to or greater than 100 °F (37.8 °C)) and IC liquids (flash point equal to or greater than 73 °F (22.8 °C), but less than 100 °F (37.8 °C)) are NFPA 704 flammability rating 3
  • Classes II (flash point equal to or greater than 100 °F (37.8 °C), but less than 140 °F (60 °C) and IIIA liquids (flash point equal to or greater than 140 °F (60 °C), but less than 200 °F (93.3 °C)) are NFPA 704 flammability rating 2
  • Class IIIB liquids (flash point equal to or greater than 200 °F (93.3 °C) are NFPA 704 flammability rating 1
Substance LFL/LEL in %

by volume of air

 UFL/UEL in %

by volume of air

 NFPA Class Flash point Minimum ignition energy in mJ

expressed as percent by volume in air

(Note, for many chemicals it
takes the least amount of
ignition energy midpoint between
the LEL and UEL.) 		Autoignition
temperature
Acetaldehyde 4.0 57.0 IA -39 °C 0.37 175 °C
Acetic acid (glacial) 4 19.9 II 39 °C to 43 °C 463 °C
Acetic anhydride II 54 °C
Acetone 2.6–3 12.8–13 IB -17 °C 1.15 @ 4.5% 465 °C, 485 °C
Acetonitrile IB 2 °C 524 °C
Acetyl chloride 7.3 19 IB 5 °C 390 °C
Acetylene 2.5 82 IA -18 °C 0.017 @ 8.5% (in pure oxygen 0.0002 @ 40%) 305 °C
Acrolein 2.8 31 IB -26 °C 0.13
Acrylonitrile 3.0 17.0 IB 0 °C 0.16 @ 9.0%
Allyl chloride 2.9 11.1 IB -32 °C 0.77
Ammonia 15 28 IIIB 11 °C 680 651 °C
Arsine 4.5–5.1 78 IA Flammable gas
Benzene 1.2 7.8 IB -11 °C 0.2 @ 4.7% 560 °C
1,3-Butadiene 2.0 12 IA -85 °C 0.13 @ 5.2%
Butane, n-butane 1.6 8.4 IA -60 °C 0.25 @ 4.7% 420–500 °C
n-Butyl acetate, butyl acetate 1–1.7 8–15 IB 24 °C 370 °C
Butyl alcohol, butanol 1 11 IC 29 °C
n-Butanol 1.4 11.2 IC 35 °C 340 °C
n-Butyl chloride, 1-chlorobutane 1.8 10.1 IB -6 °C 1.24
n-Butyl mercaptan 1.4 10.2 IB 2 °C 225 °C
Butyl methyl ketone, 2-hexanone 1 8 IC 25 °C 423 °C
Butylene, 1-butylene, 1-butene 1.98 9.65 IA -80 °C
Carbon disulfide 1.0 50.0 IB -30 °C 0.009 @ 7.8% 90 °C
Carbon monoxide 12 75 IA -191 °C Flammable gas 609 °C
Chlorine monoxide IA Flammable gas
1-Chloro-1,1-difluoroethane 6.2 17.9 IA -65 °C Flammable gas
Cyanogen 6.0–6.6 32–42.6 IA Flammable gas
Cyclobutane 1.8 11.1 IA -63.9 °C 426.7 °C
Cyclohexane 1.3 7.8–8 IB -18 °C to -20 °C 0.22 @ 3.8% 245 °C
Cyclohexanol 1 9 IIIA 68 °C 300 °C
Cyclohexanone 1–1.1 9–9.4 II 43.9–44 °C 420 °C
Cyclopentadiene IB 0 °C 0.67 640 °C
Cyclopentane 1.5–2 9.4 IB -37 to -38.9 °C 0.54 361 °C
Cyclopropane 2.4 10.4 IA -94.4 °C 0.17 @ 6.3% 498 °C
Decane 0.8 5.4 II 46.1 °C 210 °C
Diborane 0.8 88 IA -90 °C Flammable gas 38 °C
o-Dichlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene 2 9 IIIA 65 °C 648 °C
1,1-Dichloroethane 6 11 IB 14 °C
1,2-Dichloroethane 6 16 IB 13 °C 413 °C
1,1-Dichloroethene 6.5 15.5 IA -10 °C Flammable gas
Dichlorofluoromethane 54.7 Non flammable, -36.1 °C 552 °C
Dichloromethane, methylene chloride 16 66 Non flammable
Dichlorosilane 4 - 4.7 96 IA -28 °C 0.015
Diesel fuel 0.6 7.5 IIIA >62 °C (143 °F) 210 °C
Diethanolamine 2 13 IB 169 °C
Diethylamine 1.8 10.1 IB -23 to -26 °C 312 °C
Diethyl disulfide 1.2 II 38.9 °C
Diethyl ether 1.9–2 36–48 IA -45 °C 0.19 @ 5.1% 160–170 °C
Diethyl sulfide IB -10 °C
1,1-Difluoroethane 3.7 18 IA -81.1 °C
1,1-Difluoroethylene 5.5 21.3 -126.1 °C
Diisobutyl ketone 1 6 49 °C
Diisopropyl ether 1 21 IB -28 °C
Dimethylamine 2.8 14.4 IA Flammable gas
1,1-Dimethylhydrazine IB
Dimethyl sulfide IA -49 °C
Dimethyl sulfoxide 2.6–3 42 IIIB 88–95 °C 215 °C
1,4-Dioxane 2 22 IB 12 °C
Epichlorohydrin 4 21 31 °C
Ethane 3 12–12.4 IA Flammable gas -135 °C 515 °C
Ethanol, ethyl alcohol 3–3.3 19 IB 12.8 °C (55 °F) 365 °C
2-Ethoxyethanol 3 18 43 °C
2-Ethoxyethyl acetate 2 8 56 °C
Ethyl acetate 2 12 IA -4 °C 460 °C
Ethylamine 3.5 14 IA -17 °C
Ethylbenzene 1.0 7.1 15–20 °C
Ethylene 2.7 36 IA 0.07 490 °C
Ethylene glycol 3 22 111 °C
Ethylene oxide 3 100 IA −20 °C
Ethyl chloride 3.8 15.4 IA −50 °C
Ethyl mercaptan IA
Fuel oil No.1 0.7 5
Furan 2 14 IA -36 °C
Gasoline (100 octane) 1.4 7.6 IB < −40 °C (−40 °F) 246–280 °C
Glycerol 3 19 199 °C
Heptane, n-heptane 1.05 6.7 -4 °C 0.24 @ 3.4% 204–215 °C
Hexane, n-hexane 1.1 7.5 -22 °C 0.24 @ 3.8% 225 °C, 233 °C
Hydrogen 4 75 IA Flammable gas 0.016 @ 28% (in pure oxygen 0.0012) 500–571 °C
Hydrogen sulfide 4.3 46 IA Flammable gas 0.068
Isobutane 1.8 9.6 IA Flammable gas 462 °C
Isobutyl alcohol 2 11 28 °C
Isophorone 1 4 84 °C
Isopropyl alcohol, isopropanol 2 12 IB 12 °C 398–399 °C; 425 °C
Isopropyl chloride IA
Kerosene Jet A-1 0.6–0.7 4.9–5 II >38 °C (100 °F) as jet fuel 210 °C
Lithium hydride IA
2-Mercaptoethanol IIIA
Methane (natural gas) 4.4–5 15–17 IA Flammable gas 0.21 @ 8.5% 580 °C
Methyl acetate 3 16 -10 °C
Methyl alcohol, methanol 6–6.7 36 IB 11 °C 385 °C; 455 °C
Methylamine IA 8 °C
Methyl chloride 10.7 17.4 IA -46 °C
Methyl ether IA −41 °C
Methyl ethyl ether IA
Methyl ethyl ketone 1.8 10 IB -6 °C 505–515 °C
Methyl formate IA
Methyl mercaptan 3.9 21.8 IA -53 °C
Mineral spirits 0.7 6.5 38–43 °C 258 °C
Morpholine 1.8 10.8 IC 31–37.7 °C 310 °C
Naphthalene 0.9 5.9 IIIA 79–87 °C
Neohexane 1.19 7.58 −29 °C 425 °C
Nickel tetracarbonyl 2 34 4 °C 60 °C
Nitrobenzene 2 9 IIIA 88 °C
Nitromethane 7.3 22.2 35 °C 379 °C
Octane 1 7 13 °C
iso-Octane 0.79 5.94
Pentane 1.5 7.8 IA -40 to -49 °C as 2-Pentane 0.18 @ 4.4% 260 °C
n-Pentane 1.4 7.8 IA 0.28 @ 3.3%
iso-Pentane 1.32 9.16 IA 420 °C
Phosphine IA
Propane 2.1 9.5–10.1 IA Flammable gas 0.25 @ 5.2% (in pure oxygen 0.0021) 480 °C
Propyl acetate 2 8 13 °C
Propylene 2.0 11.1 IA -108 °C 0.28 458 °C
Propylene oxide 2.3 36 IA
Pyridine 2 12 20 °C
Silane 1.5 98 IA <21 °C
Styrene 1.1 6.1 IB 31–32.2 °C 490 °C
Tetrafluoroethylene IA
Tetrahydrofuran 2 12 IB -14 °C 321 °C
Toluene 1.2–1.27 6.75–7.1 IB 4.4 °C 0.24 @ 4.1% 480 °C; 535 °C
Triethylborane -20 °C -20 °C
Trimethylamine IA Flammable gas
Trinitrobenzene IA
Turpentine 0.8 IC 35 °C
Vegetable oil IIIB 327 °C (620 °F)
Vinyl acetate 2.6 13.4 −8 °C
Vinyl chloride 3.6 33
Xylenes 0.9–1.0 6.7–7.0 IC 27–32 °C 0.2
m-Xylene 1.1 7 IC 25 °C 525 °C
o-Xylene IC 17 °C
p-Xylene 1.0 6.0 IC 27.2 °C 530 °C

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