Experimental Determination of Flash Points and Fire Points of Alcoholic Beverages

The flammability of twelve (12) different alcoholic beverages was experimentally determined by means of flash point testing. The flash point of a liquid fuel is the temperature at which a pool of the substance produces enough flammable vapor to support a momentary flame that propagates over the surface of the pool when an external flame is introduced. The flame then subsequentially extinguishes due to the vapor being consumed. Similarly, the fire point is the temperature at which the pool sustains a flame for at least 5 s. The flash point and fire point of a fuel is dependent on the test method used for their determination. This study used the ASTM D92 method for an open-cup apparatus and the ASTM D3941 method for a closed-cup apparatus. Beers, wines, and liquors ranging from 5% to 94.5% alcohol by volume (%ABV) were tested. The goal of the selection was to supplement existing data on the flash point of alcoholic beverages and to determine if the type of alcohol (rum, vodka, wine, beer, etc.) or the derivative product (corn, sugar cane, potatoes, etc.) has an effect on the flash point or fire point of the liquid. It was concluded that %ABV is the most significant factor that influences flash or fire point when utilizing equivalent experimental test methods, and that the type of alcohol has no significant effect on ignition risk.