Marine Analysis Program

Flash Point - Go / No Go

This test is used to determine the closed cup flash point by the go/no go method using the Setaflash Tester in the temperature range of 30°C to 300°C.   Fuel contamination of lubricating oils is a potential hazard; a small dilution can radically reduce viscosity and flash point, with serious consequences. The flash point is one measure of the tendency of the test specimen to form a flammable mixture with air under controlled laboratory conditions. Measuring the flash point is a sensitive test to determine the presence of fuel. In piston engines it may be a sign of injection pump wear, blocked injectors or inefficient combustion, whereby unburnt fuel is deposited on the cylinder walls and mixes with the lubricating oil. In some jet engines the fuel is heated by the oil, any leak in the heat exchanger will force fuel into the oil with potentially damaging consequences. In this method the oil samples are heated until their flash point and the results checked against the specifications for that oil grade and/or the application.  

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