In our surroundings there are lots of chemicals compounds that are flammable. A chemical compound can be flammable because it is easily react with oxygen and get ignited easier than the other materials.
Basically, chemicals compound forms are classified into 3 types :
- Solid
- Liquid
- Gas
Every form of chemical compound has chance to catch on fire, based on the temperature, pressure, and surroundings. In some cases, chemicals compound can be burn when it reacts with water.
Flammable Substances
Here is the examples of extremely flammable chemicals:
- Chlorine Trifluoride (ClF3 )
Chlorine Trifluoride is a strong oxidizer agent known as the most flammable substances, because it doesn’t even need ignition to start a fire, even initiate the combustion of many non-flammable materials without any ignition source. This colorless, poisonous, corrosive, and reactive gas is commonly used for military purpose, rocket fuels, plasmaless cleaning, nuclear factor fuel processing, and much more.
As a rocket propellant, it is extremely toxic and hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been occurred. It is hypergolic with things like cloth, wood, sand, water, aluminium, etc. This chemical is extremely reactive with most inorganic and organic materials, such as glass and teflon. It will also ignite the ashes of materials that have been burned in oxygen.
Exposure to this chemical is also hazardous to our health. Like the usual signs that these Examples of Corrosive Household Chemicals may cause when a skin contact occurs, this chemical might also results in skin redness, serious skin burns, even blisters. While eye contact can also cause redness, pain, severe deep burns, and worse permanent loss of vision. Inhalation leads to burning sensation, cough, sore throat, laboured breating, and shortness of breath.
- Gasoline
Gasoline is one of the most common substances that cause fire in our daily life. It is the main source for transportation aka fuels so we can find it almost everywhere. Petrol can easily catch fire because its chains contain hydrocarbon and oxygen which form CO2, H2O in gas form and of course heat. Benzene is also one of an important componen to gasoline, yet it still has the other Uses of Benzene in Everyday Life .
As what we might have known, gasoline is quite dangerous, be it for our health or our environment. The combustion of 3.8 gasoline produces 8.74 kilograms of carbon dioxide, which is a part of greenhouse gas. This ability to produce carbon dioxide could potentially affect the climate. This increase in carbon dioxide’s concentration could warm the surface and lower atmosphere while cooling the upper atmosphere. It basically strengthened its absorption and emission of infrared radiation, resulting the rise in earth’s average global temperature. This is the main cause of the concern to change our transportation’s fuel into something renewable and environmentally friendly.
Gasoline’s leak, like the other hydrocarbons, is highly dangerous when sources of ignition are present. Its vapor also rapidly mixes and spreads with air, which pretty much explain that gasoline is quickly flammable. Once it’s burned, the burning would be quite uncontrollable and will likely spread to a bigger areas very quickly. A lot of cases has been reported in which gasoline’s burns ended up as a huge explosions.
To human health, gasoline is also toxic, like benzene is carcinogenic. Exposure to gasoline can occurs at the workplace by inhalation, ingestion, also eye and skin contact.
You might also read : Examples of Hazardous Substances in Workplace
The most common route of gasoline exposure is through inhalation. Its odor provides warning of hazardous concentration. Its vapors are heavier than air and can lead to asphyxiation in a poorly ventilated areas. While eye contact can result in corneal injury, gasoline vapors are mildly irritating to mucous membranes.
Repeated skin contact with the one in liquid form can cause irritation and dermatitis. If the case is gasoline ingestion, it can cause vomiting, vertigo, drowsiness, confusion, lost of consciousness, hemorrhaging of the lungs and internal organs, even death due to respiratory failure. It also leaves irritation to the gastrointestinal mucosa.
- Xylene (C8H10 )
Xylene is a chemical compound which we can usually find it in spray paint ingredients. This colorless watery liquid with a sweet odor is insoluble in water and less dense than water.
It is an aromatic hydrocarbon that might cause dizziness and nausea when you inhale them for too long, or you can say it’s an irritating vapor. Due to that characteristic, when you’re about to paint with this chemical, you should do it in an open-aired area with a well ventilation going on. If it’s indoor, then open your window or any other ventilation route widely for a well-ventilated room.
Note also, no sparks, open flames, or smoking when you’re working with this chemical. It is highly flammable and it may form explosive mixtures with air. It might travel to source of ignition and flash back.
Beside it’s flammability, xylene is also hazardous to human health. Xylene vapors inhalation cause headache, dizziness, nausea, and drowsiness. Skin contact results in dry skin and redness, while eye contact also cause pain and redness. If you swallow this chemical, it will gives you a burning sensation and abdominal pain. Beside that, it might also lead to kidney and liver damage, pulmonary edema, comma, and even death.
- Acetone (C3H6O)
Acetone is a colorless liquid, which is used as a solvent and an antiseptic. This organic solvent is volatile and flammable as well. It occurs naturally in plants, trees, forest fires, vehicle exhaust, also in a breakdown product of animal fat metabolism.
It is mainly used by industry as an adhesive, sealant chemicals, solvents, processing aids, etc. While the consumers use this as paints, coatings, fabric, textile, toys, rubber products, plastic, as well as personal care products. But, despite all of those usages, this is still listed as a flammable, highly flammable chemical. Acetone will be easily ignited by heat, sparks, or flames. Vapor which mostly are heavier than air also may travel to source of ignition and flash back. Not just that, when heated, the containers may explode.
Beside its flammability, it is also hazardous for our health. When a contact occurs, it can cause serious eye irritation and possibly leads to dermatitis. While inhalation cause sore throat, cough, confusion, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, also acts as an anesthetic in very high concentrations. If you ingest this chemicals, it’s very irritating to mucous membranes.
- Chloroethane ( C2H5Cl )
This is a clear, colorless, gas with pungent odor that condenses under slight pressure. It has a low boiling point, so that when it’s sprayed on skin, it produces an intense cold by evaporation.
It’s an extremely flammable gas that is highly dangerous when exposed to heat or flame.. Under prolonged exposure to fire or heat, the containers may rupture violently and rocket.
Exposure to chloroethane may result in temporary feelings of drunkenness, lack of muscle coordination, unconsciousness, possible lung injury. In liquid form, it may cause frostbite on eyes and skin. And just like the other Usual Signs of Overexposure to Harmful Chemicals, it is also irritating for the eye, skin, and mucous membranes.
More Flammable Chemicals
The other examples of extremely flammable chemicals are ;
- Isopropyl alcohol (C3H8O)
- Ethanol (C2H6O )
- Dietil eter (C2H5)2O)
- Sodium (Na)
- Phosphor (P)
- Carbon disulfide ( CS2 )
- Methanol (CH4O)
- Glycerin (C3H8O3)
- Ethyl acetate (C4H8O2)
- Pyridine (C5H5N )
- Chloroform (CHCl3 )
- Acetic Acid (C2H4O2)
Meanwhile, there are many examples of extremely flammable chemicals you need to be aware of. Remember that exposure to those chemicals may be cause you a serious health effects.