Flash point, laser fuser and lubrication

Um, yeah, I believe that is what I said on the very first reply of mine. It wouldn't catch fire, or not for more than a fraction of a second. The concern on the original poster was clearly, would the oil catch fire and cause a problem. My response was, no, chances are there is too little fuel to create a sustained chemical reaction (ie: start a fire). Flashing off, won't cause a fire. Chances are, you won't even notice it did it (other than possibly smell the by products). And depending on the amount of oil, and what exactly the oil is made of, it may never get the chance to even flash off... it may "smoke off" instead. As the heat of the fuser raises to the flash point, the oil becomes unstable and starts to break down and oxidize. You wind up with smoke (incomplete combustion), and all potential fuel may in fact oxidize before flashing, leaving nothing to ultimately flash. (hence the idea, too little fuel, no fire). No, it is four things. It USED to be considered three things... then fire science got smarter, and realized that chemical reactions, although implied in the oxidation process, are a VERY important process of the fire. And attacking it is more common then people thought. In fact, most normal people that fight a fire are probably in fact attacking the chemical reaction. Dry Chemical extinguishers don't actually smother a fire like many people assume, they inhibit oxidation... ie: they break the chemical reaction. At least here in the USA, Dry Chemical extinguishers are the most popular form of fire extinguisher found in homes and offices (standard ABC are Dry Chem in the USA). Normal "civilian" ways of combating a kitchen fire: Spray it with water: removes heat Dry Chemical "ABC" extinguisher: stops chemical reaction Towel over the fire: removes oxygen Turn off the gas on the stove: removes fuel Ahh... ok, had I known that, I might have been more specific in my use of terms and explanations. I figured I was trying to make this a little more "layman's". I myself have been a fire fighter for 13 years... so I hope I know something about the nature of fire (if not, I've wasted an awful lot of time in classes, and been darn lucky with all the fires I've gone up against). Exactly. (Sorry, I didn't explain the reason behind it, because I didn't realize I was talking to someone that cared). Except you forget about vaporization. Gasoline (petrol) vaporizes readily at standard atmospheric pressure. If you wait for too long before tossing that match into the bucket, you won't be igniting the fuel on the water, you will be igniting the fuel vapors hovering over the water. The water won't stop the heat of the match if the match is still 4 inches above the surface. The vapors ignite... and you get a nice POP and flash as they expand out of the top of the bucket. I wouldn't want to be standing over it when that happens. Depending on how much petrol you use, this could be fun to do... like I said... you do it, I'll video tape. :-) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>