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Hello James:
I came across these ignition temperatures in a reference
book and thought they might be of use to others,. This may be useful for whatever folks may be doing with flammable materials
or fuels at their retreat or at home. All ignition temperatures noted are in Fahrenheit:
Cut Newspaper 446 degrees
Cut
filter paper 450 degrees
Straw and sawdust 450 to 500 degrees
Gasoline 536 to 800 degrees depending on octane rating
Kerosene
480 degrees
Natural Gas 1,000 to 1,200 degrees
Propane 871 degrees
Butane 806 degrees
Paints and Lacquers (the
flammable part isn't the pigment, although the metallic chromate pigments are flammable) 475 to 1,000 degrees
Amyl Acetate
715 degrees
Acetone 1,000 degrees
Linseed Oil 650 degrees
Mineral Spirits 473 degrees
Turpentine 464 degrees
Alcohols
750 to 900 degrees
Petroleum Naptha 475 degrees
Magnesium 1,204 degrees, but if material is finely ground then as low
as 900 degrees
Regards, - Mikael
JWR Adds this Strong Proviso: Reader Jim. H. in Colorado has pointed out that
the full potential fire hazards of stored materials should not be evaluated according to the preceding chart. The chart
was based on direct contact of a solid material with a heat source. The true measurement of the volatility of a stored material
is its "flash point", which in most cases is considerably lower than the figures noted. It is explained at this Wikipedia page. Essentially, Mikael's chart was correct. Any of those material that are heated
to those temperatures will combust (without the presence of any flame). However, the essential definition is: "The flash point
of a material is the point at which the material will give off gasses that, when mixed with oxygen, can support combustion
if exposed to an outside heat source."
Also note that combustible gasses, dusts, and vapors (such as gasoline vapors)
can sometimes travel long distances and still be combustible or explosive. Over the years, SurvivalBlog has stressed safety,
particularly with stored fuels. I've written this a dozen times, but this bears repeating: Stored liquid fuels should never
be stored in a typical attached garage. Most suburban garages also have a natural gas-fired or propane-fired hot water heater
with a continuous pilot flame. That is a very dangerous combination of a vapor source and vapor ignition. Read: Kaboom!
Also beware of any processing operation that produces combustible dust, such
as grain milling or even metal grinding. There have been countless news stories over the years about grain mill explosions.
As I illustrated my novel "Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse", ounce-for-ounce, fuel-air mixtures can be some of the most potent explosives
imaginable.
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