At what temperature in Fahrenheit does paper burn? Auto-ignition temperature

I had a friend who constantly confused the titles of books. For example, she called “451 degrees Fahrenheit” “451 degrees Celsius,” and Orwell’s “1984” in her head turned into “1982” or “1980.” She was terribly angry about this - both at herself (at her memory) and at me (I was always correcting her).
So, I think she would be very surprised if she found out that her “bad memory for names” is not so bad...
***
Just recently, one of the readers left a comment on my post about. She noticed that the paper, contrary to Ray Bradbury's statement, burned at a temperature of 451 degrees Celsius, not Fahrenheit. That is: Bradbury simply mixed up the scale.

While searching for proof links, I came across a wonderful book by Harry Dexter “Why not catch-21?: the stories behind titles” (you can buy it on Amazon)). This book is a collection of articles devoted to the histories of the names of famous books.

And the riddle of the title of Ray Bradbury's novel also finds a solution there: G. Dexter refers to the work of Jens Borch "Handbook of Physical Testing of Paper". Specifically - for this paragraph: "The ignition temperature of paper is about 450 degrees C, but it is somewhat dependent upon the paper quality. The ignition temperature is 450 degrees C for rayon fibers, 475 degrees C for cotton, and 550 degrees C for flame-resistant cotton".

It turns out that Bradbury really made a mistake (which, of course, does not make his novel less significant and wonderful; or Bradbury himself less talented; I just think this is a very interesting fact). On the other hand, in the text to which G. Dexter refers, we are talking about paper containing cotton and linen fibers (and, as Google tells me, it is used to produce money, for example). Obviously, the pages of books are much thinner than banknotes, so the combustion temperature should be lower. Therefore, everything is not so obvious here. This is a question for physicists, I think...

***
Now about Orwell:

Orwell finished his famous novel on December 4, 1948, so it is believed that the author simply swapped the last two numbers to move the action into the future. In fact, in the drafts the novel was called first “1980”, then “1982”, then “The Last Man in Europe”. But, according to Harry Dexter, the number 1984 is a reference to another dystopia - to Jack London's Iron Heel.

In general, the book “Why not catch-21?: the stories behind titles” is a very interesting read, and certainly a must-read for any bookworm. Under the cover there are collected more than 180 articles on the origin of the names of the most significant works in the history of literature: from antiquity to the present day - Plato, Shakespeare, Rabelais, More, Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Heller, O'Henry, Baum and many, many others.

For example, did you know that Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 was originally called Catch-18 in manuscript? The problem is that in 1961, literally before the publication of “The Catch,” Leon Uris’ book “Honey 18” appeared on the market, and the publishers decided that two books with the number “18” in the title were somehow too much, they say that readers will confuse them. That's why Heller changed the name. So it goes.

» This article is thematically related to Project:Literature, which aims to produce quality and informative articles on topics related to literature. If you want to help the project, you can, to which this discussion relates, or visit the project page, where you can, among other things, join the project and take part in its discussion.

??? No one has yet rated this article on the Project: Literature article rating scale.

June 26-28, 2007 information from the article “ 451 degrees Fahrenheit" appeared on the main page in the column " Did you know" The column contained the following text: "A Novel by Ray Bradbury "451 degrees Fahrenheit " first published in Playboy magazine in 1953". The full issue of the column can be found in the archive of the “Did You Know” section.

This article was proposed to be renamed on October 17, 2015. As a result of the discussion, it was decided to leave the name Fahrenheit 451 (novel) without changes. To resubmit an article for renaming, you need compelling reasons, otherwise it may be regarded as playing with the rules (see paragraph 8).

Strange disappearance of one line

Where did the line about the overlap of ideas between the work of Sheckley and Bradbury go? In my opinion this link is quite logical. Dencher

451 degrees Fahrenheit

There is no need to disambiguate in the main article. The novel is an order of magnitude more significant than the ancient film adaptation. - doublep 12:03, September 19, 2006 (UTC)

I do not insist, you can transfer it to 451 degrees Fahrenheit (values) --Butko 12:05, September 19, 2006 (UTC) So it was. And the reference to the values ​​is quite appropriate. - doublep 12:12, September 19, 2006 (UTC)

This is ORISS, of course: I tried to look at what was on the Internet about Beatty’s visit to Montag. Well, somehow there was nothing found about where the author (with the mediation of Beatty) brings out the described society, where books are burned. And there it is curious - from a society where the absence of disagreements and the comfort of ever smaller minorities is absolutized ( minor minor minorities). Maybe someone is closer to good libraries - try searching. Yury Tarasievich 21:55, June 29, 2007 (UTC)

The government is waging war

It would be more correct to say that the government is on the brink of war, the announcement of which sums up the work 195.24.254.68 01:44, June 15, 2011 (UTC) Il Principe

Self-ignition temperature of paper

I removed the information that "In fact, the ignition temperature of paper is 451 °C (Celsius)." A single study not published in the scientific press, even if conducted by a Ph.D., can hardly be considered a sufficient source for such a strong statement.

It should be noted that the ignition temperature of paper is not at all constant; this temperature will depend on: the composition of the paper, the proportion of oxygen and other gases in the air, humidity, and pressure. In addition, many types of paper have additional processing (waxing, oiling, etc.); paper of the same composition and produced using the same technology, but produced now and 100 years ago, will differ significantly from each other. Therefore, you should not look for a single temperature value for all types of paper. But it is possible to determine the temperature range in which, under given external conditions, guaranteed ignition of the paper will occur. In addition, stacks of papers (including books) generally burn very poorly, only the outer part burns, the core (due to lack of oxygen access) does not burn at all, so burning bundles of paper must be stirred for complete combustion. But even on burnt paper it is possible to make out what was written (or printed) on it until the paper crumbles to dust. And even after the paper crumbles into dust, it is possible to read the text written on it (there is such a game called “puzzles”), but this requires a lot of jewelry work (which is determined by the number of girls involved in the work), and with modern technologies all the work is folding Paper dust can be processed into sheets by robots together with a pattern recognition system. Bulgakov also wrote: “Manuscripts do not burn,” and he was absolutely right.

Additionally, the article in the English section en:Autoignition temperature says that the burning temperature of paper varies in different sources. The source for this statement, however, indicates the auto-ignition temperature wood , and not a paper, but still, in my opinion, there are enough reasons to doubt the quoted statement. Ilya Voyager 09:56, September 12, 2011 (UTC) What about the rumors that Bradbury, having mixed up Celsius and Fahrenheit, then personally admitted this mistake? Has anyone come across a source like this? 128.69.7.107 01:12, January 17, 2013 (UTC) Gentlemen, in my opinion there was simply a misunderstanding related to the following two things: 1) not everyone understands the difference between ignition and self-ignition; 2) by coincidence, the self-ignition temperature of paper, measured in degrees Celsius, is equal to the ignition temperature of paper from a third-party source, measured in degrees Fahrenheit. Let me explain. Self-ignition is, in simple terms, when the combustion process begins without an external source of fire. If you heat the paper to 450 degrees Celsius, it will light up on its own. But paper can be ignited at a much lower temperature of about 233 degrees Celsius, i.e. 451 degrees Fahrenheit (middle of the approximate range). Those. the paper begins to release the necessary flammable substances, which can be ignited literally with a spark, but they themselves will not ignite without any additional influences. Regarding the reference book, the link to which is given in the text. Without context, it's not entirely clear what we're talking about. But if you read the paragraph above “Measurement”, you will notice that this is an experiment to measure the auto-ignition temperature, because The substance is simply heated, without ignition. In fact, they simply heated the papers in a glass flask and watched whether spontaneous combustion occurred. If nothing happened for two minutes, the temperature was raised by 5 degrees and a new piece of paper was placed. The lowest temperature at which the paper began to burn (only from heating!) was called the combustion temperature. Bradbury's epigraph says: "FAHRENHEIT 451: The temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns." As I understand it, it translates something like this: “451 degrees Fahrenheit: the temperature at which book paper begins to burn.” From this formulation it does not follow that we are talking specifically about the temperature of spontaneous combustion. So most likely there is no error. --SlavnejshevFilipp 18:26, January 29, 2014 (UTC) I have seen texts written explicitly based on information from the article. The authors fully understood what they were talking about. Georg Pik 19:03, January 29, 2014 (UTC) I am not a physicist, but from the above it follows that the auto-ignition temperature is the same as the ignition temperature. In addition, quite often something is baked in the oven in paper at 240 degrees, and the paper does not catch fire. So the author was probably just mistaken.

37.146.218.16 17:59, February 15, 2016 (UTC)

The reference books indicate different values ​​- “ignition temperature” and “flash point”. The second is usually applied to gases and liquids. The flash point of liquids is studied in a simple device consisting of a container heated by an electric stove, a thermometer, a lid with a sliding sector window, a wick and a spring-loaded trigger, pressing which opens the window and brings the wick to it. Flash point is the minimum temperature at which a liquid can be ignited by an open flame of a wick. Oleg Sazonov (obs.) 19:05, December 28, 2019 (UTC)

People of the book

What biblical prohibition are we talking about? Here are the publications of the USSR year - circulation 1928 - 35,000 1956 - 25,000 1968 - 25,000 1976 - 50,000 1979 - 50,000 1983 - 75,000

And the prisoner’s revelations in the radio broadcast, to put it mildly, are not entirely authoritative source

• 1. Between 1928 and 1956 - the whole Stalin era. 2. The mentioned circulations are a drop in the ocean (compare with the millions of copies of ordinary literature). 3. Many books were prohibited, and the same Bible, although not formally prohibited, in principle could not be found either in a store or in a library. 4. And even more so, any books, not only prohibited, but in general any books that were at all suspicious from the point of view of sedition could not be found in prison libraries (and there were none in the Siberian camps). 5. Finally, a variety of books were read as a souvenir, not only forbidden ones. animal 19:51, September 1, 2012 (UTC)

• • So many words and not a word of specifics, “Siberian camps”, “millions of copies”, “many books”... is it a lot or a little, everything is known in comparison and in production capabilities - and you look at today’s print runs - this is a fairy tale now with a million (one !millionth) circulation and, moreover, technologies and resources allow printing large volumes. In general, there are biased edits in the article, at the beginning it is written that it was interpreted as inspired by McCarthyism in the USA, in the history of creation that by the burning of books in the Third Reich, Bradbury himself mentioned the media, and someone (perhaps you) confidently attributed it to the USSR, so where is the truth, if it was not clearly expressed by the author, then it is necessary to indicate that these are “one of the opinions and interpretations”? // "Alexey from Siberia"

Consumers completely needlessly ignore such parameters as ignition temperature(ignition), spontaneous combustion (spontaneous combustion) and smoldering of modern materials during construction and renovation of premises. Ignoring them can result in great disaster: accidents and loss of property. After all, most of us only carefully study the wear resistance, strength, and specific heat capacity of building materials.

In this article we will try to fill this gap and present the auto-ignition temperatures - or more precisely, “the minimum temperatures required for the ignition of paper, gasoline, many materials, as well as gas or steam in air without the presence of a spark or flame” (all in degrees Celsius) according to foreign sources, part in the table - the rest in the text:

The lowest auto-ignition temperatures are for white phosphorus - 34 and transparent -49 (but for amorphous - 260 degrees), carbon disulfide - 90, diethyl ether - 160, acetaldehyde - 175 degrees (in degrees Celsius). Next comes a group of materials that require higher, but not prohibitive, temperatures to ignite.

Acetylene will ignite at 305, acetone and propanone at 465, bituminous coal and anthracite will glow at 464 and 600 degrees, respectively, benzene will spontaneously ignite at 560, gasoline will spontaneously ignite at 260-280 degrees (kerosene is lower at 210 o C), butadiene - 420 , butane - 405 (or 420 degrees), bitumen coal at 300, butyl acetate - 421, butyl alcohol - 345, butyl methyl ketone - 423, hydrogen -500, heptane - 204, hexane - 223, hexadecane, cetane -202, hydrogen - 500 , gas oil - 336, glycerin - 370, diesel fuel (foreign brand Jet A-1) ignites at 210 degrees, charcoal and coke coal - 349 and 700, respectively, dichloromethane - 600, diethylamine - 312, diisobutyl ketone - 396, diisopropyl ether - 443, dimethyl sulfoxide monoxide-215, dodecane and dihexyl-203, isobutane-462, isobutene-465, isobutyl alcohol-426, isooctane-447, isopentane-420, isoprene-395, isopropyl alcohol-399, isophorone-460, isohexane-264, isononane-227, isopropyl alcohol-399, light hydrocarbons-650, lignite glows at 526 degrees, carbon spontaneously ignites-609, coal oil-580, kerosene-295, fuel oils (depending on the brand) have a self-ignition temperature of 210-262 degrees, magnesium - 473, methane - 580, methanol, methyl alcohol - 470 (there is a brand with t = 375), nitroglycerin will flare up at 254 degrees, nylons at 289-377, sulfur - 243, styrene - 490, propylene, propene - 458, polyethylene will ignite depending on the chlorine content at temperatures - 415-420 degrees, polystyrene - 226, polyvinyl alcohol - 405, propane - 455, industrial gas - 750, carbon - 700, carbon monoxide - 609, semi-anthracite coal - 400, cotton fabric - 267 , cyclohexane - 245, ethylcellulose - 188 degrees Celsius.

Jet fuel A1 ignites at a temperature of 210 degrees Celsius. Popular materials now are products made of polycarbonate and polypropylene. Polycarbonate ignites at a fairly high temperature - 478, but polypropylene will ignite before paper at a temperature of 201 degrees Celsius.

People often forget to mention the ignition temperatures of rubber and rubber products. Rubber, butadiene will ignite at a low temperature of 155, and rubber, butyl at 185 degrees. The self-ignition temperature of low-purity natural rubber is 191, and high-purity rubber is 331, vulcanized rubber is 412, with the addition of butadiene-styrene, depending on the additives, 182 degrees (with 24% additive filling) and 280 degrees (with 85% additive).

Like most of its products, oil ignites at a fairly low temperature - 225 degrees Celsius; for obvious reasons, the combustion or ignition temperatures of paper are very close - 218-246 degrees, peat - 227, but dry oak wood is much higher - 482 degrees and pine forest - 427, just wood - 300 degrees, semi-anthracite coal - 400. Strictly speaking, the standardized value of the ignition (ignition) temperature of paper is 233 ° C or 451 ° F ", and this must be taken into account, since paper fire is frequent fires are caused by left behind cigarette butts or unextinguished matches.

Heavy hydrocarbons self-ignite at - 750, toluene - 535, cotton - 221, cyclohexane - 245, cyclohexanol - 300, cyclohexanone - 420, cyclopropane - 498, acetic acid - 427, carbon - 700, furfural - 316, epichlorohydrin - 416, eta n- 515, ethylene, ethene-450, ethyl acetate-430, ethyl alcohol, ethanol-365, ethylene oxide-570 gr. Celsius.

As a result, consumers can often become unwitting victims of an accident: fire, poisoning by combustion products and smoldering materials, or, as they say, get burns out of the blue.

The following are the temperatures of ignition (ignition), spontaneous combustion (spontaneous combustion) and smoldering of some commonly used, as well as “exotic” materials that were not included in the reference material above according to domestic sources.

Note: the spontaneous combustion temperatures in the table are given for the substance in the molten state.

You also need to know about seemingly harmless spilled sugar, or rather about its dust. Any place that contains sugar dust and a lot of oxygen, such as a sugar silo, can quickly become a hazardous environment. According to fire protection studies, a room covered with at least 5 percent of its surface area in a thin layer of sugar dust (0.8 mm) poses an explosion hazard. Tiny sugar particles burn almost instantly due to the high surface area to volume ratio. Table sugar or sucrose is highly flammable under the right conditions, just like wood. True, at the beginning, when sugar is heated, it turns brown and caramelizes, losing moisture in it, turning almost into charcoal, and the sugar molecules line up in long chains. As the temperature rises, a flash occurs that blinds and an explosion occurs. These properties of sugar are considered by some to be a biofuel option, and more.

In conclusion, we should provide material that can be no less useful in practice: what kind of energy, as well as about the alternative to oil and gas in terms of high energy.

Bookmark this article to return to it again by clicking the buttons Ctrl+D . You can subscribe to notifications about the publication of new articles through the “Subscribe to this site” form in the side column of the page.

Paper, like other flammable materials, is susceptible to ignition when it reaches a certain temperature. In this case, paper ignition occurs in several main cases. The first of them is the influence of external factors, in other words, setting the paper on fire. In this situation, which involves bringing an open flame to a paper sheet, the sheet is exposed to high temperature, resulting in ignition. In this case, the temperature of an open fire, depending on what material is used for combustion, can range from 800 to 1300 ° C: obviously, this temperature is sufficient to ignite paper.

However, in some cases, paper can catch fire without any external influence. This is possible in a situation of so-called spontaneous combustion. In this case, self-ignition, that is, the occurrence of an explosion or open fire on the surface of a combustible material, occurs when the ambient temperature reaches a certain critical level.

The indicated critical temperature level depends on the density of the substance, its flammability class and some other indicators. It is worth keeping in mind that paper in this regard is a fairly flammable material. The average ambient temperature at which self-ignition occurs is about 450°C, but may vary somewhat depending on the type and density of the paper, as well as its humidity.

Thus, if paper is placed in an environment whose temperature exceeds 450 ° C, or the temperature of the atmosphere is gradually raised to this value, the paper will spontaneously ignite, that is, an open fire will appear on its surface. A similar reaction will occur if the paper is placed in an environment with a higher temperature, as in the example with an open fire.

451 degrees Fahrenheit

In the literature you can find references to the fact that the auto-ignition temperature of paper is 451 degrees Fahrenheit, which is equivalent to approximately 233 degrees Celsius. At the same time, as an argument to prove this point of view, the title of the novel by American writer Ray Bradbury “451 degrees Fahrenheit” is given, which was allegedly given to him in honor of the burning temperature of paper.

A simple experiment with placing paper in an oven at a temperature of 250°C shows that self-ignition of paper does not occur at this temperature. Moreover, in one of his interviews, the writer later admitted that he simply mixed up the designations of temperature scales after consulting with a friend

"Manuscripts don't burn!" - wrote the famous Russian prose writer and playwright M. Bulgakov. In fact, the legendary quote has nothing to do with real facts. Fire easily turns fibrous material into ash, and the ignition temperature of paper depends on its type, air humidity, oxygen level in the atmosphere and the power of the heat source.

The essence of the process

From a scientific point of view, combustion is a chemical oxidation reaction that produces heat, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and other gaseous substances. we observe it in the form of smoke with a pungent, specific odor. Typically, paper will ignite in the presence of an oxidizer and an ignition source, but spontaneous combustion is also possible. Oxygen acts as an oxidizing agent; it must be at least 14% in the air.

Dry paper sheets or rolls can be ignited by an open flame, an electrical or mechanical spark, or a heated object. The absorption of paper by fire begins with an exothermic reaction; if nothing is done in time, the process initiated by ignition does not die out and soon turns into a stable combustion.

Characteristics

As you know, for the industrial production of paper, wood, cotton, flax fibers, hay or recyclable materials (waste paper) are used. At the initial stage of processing, the boiled wood pulp, which is destined to become material for writing, drawing and other human needs, contains up to 95% water. After drying, the paper becomes dense, smooth and sensitive to fire.

Different printing methods place their own demands on sheets in terms of density, texture, and color, so the ignition temperature of paper differs slightly depending on its type. So, for the photo to light up, the degrees Celsius must exceed 365 °C. To obtain a glossy material, resin is added to the composition, which helps accelerate the thermochemical reaction.

If the housewife in the kitchen is dealing with a material made from fatty cellulose, which does not need to be pre-oiled, then the ignition temperature of the baking paper will be 170 °C. But, as a rule, the heat resistance coefficient of “professional” baking films with silicone impregnation is much higher (up to 250-300 ° C). Special fire-resistant paper almost does not support combustion, has good mechanical strength, heat-resistant fiber can withstand temperatures above 1,000 ° C.

Ignition temperature of paper in Celsius

In Russia and a number of other countries, including European ones, degrees Celsius are used to measure temperature, which are also used in the International System of Units (SI) along with kelvin. defined 0 °C as the melting point of ice, and at 100 °C water boils. As for the ignition temperature of paper, remember the famous epigraph to the novel by Ray Bradbury?

"451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper ignites and burns."

After the publication of the book "451 degrees Fahrenheit" it turned out that there was a mistake in the title: fire on the surface of paper pages occurs at a temperature of 451 degrees Celsius, and not on the Fahrenheit scale. The bestselling author later admitted that, after consulting with a firefighter friend, he simply confused the temperature equivalents.

Fire point of paper in Fahrenheit

Residents of England and the United States are more accustomed to using the Fahrenheit scale, which is named after the physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit, where zero degrees Celsius is 32 °F. For a long time, the scale of the German scientist was used in all English-speaking countries, but in the late 70s of the last century it was almost completely replaced by the Celsius scale. The freezing point of water in Fahrenheit is + 32°, and the boiling point is + 212°. By simple calculations, you can determine that the combustion process of paper or cardboard starts if the dry material is heated to 843 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combustion or Ignition: What's the Difference?

Ignition is considered to be the beginning of paper combustion under the influence of an ignition source. In essence, this is the starting mechanism after which the chain reaction begins. If you manage to react in time, you can extinguish the fire without outside help.

Ignition is always accompanied by a stable flame, and the light and heat necessary to maintain the fire are released. The greatest danger is from loose paper: it is sufficiently saturated with oxygen to be ignited by a spark or local heat. Several degrees can be added or subtracted to the average combustion temperature of paper, depending on the quality of the fiber and combustion conditions.

High temperature measurement method

Measurement has its own specific features and difficulties. To determine the ignition temperature of paper or any other flammable material, you need a pyrometer. It is also called an infrared thermometer or temperature detector. There are optical, radiation and spectral pyrometers. An electronic device is indispensable in cases where you cannot get close to the fire.

A pyrometer is a precision engineering device that is designed to measure the power of thermal radiation in a non-contact manner. The device serves as an excellent alternative to contact means; it can be used to remotely calculate the temperature of hot objects or be used as heat locators in various industrial fields. You can determine at what temperature paper ignites using a low-temperature pyrometer.

Is spontaneous combustion possible?

A sharp self-acceleration of exothermic reactions without the external influence of a flame or a hot body leads to self-ignition. The self-ignition temperature of paper is around 450 °C. When determining the indicator, the degree of moisture of the material, its composition, and the presence or absence of pigment dyes are taken into account. Simply put, a “fire” made from waste paper can ignite on its own when the ambient temperature reaches a critical level.

A decrease in air humidity and an increase in oxygen concentration in the combustion zone affect the auto-ignition temperature, reducing it. Oiled sheets of paper are prone to thermal spontaneous combustion after drying, but tapes in rolls burn reluctantly. If heat and smoke are produced but there is no flame, the process is called smoldering.

By the way, illusionists often use self-igniting paper in their performances. For example, a sheet soaked in sodium peroxide will light up quickly and brightly upon contact with a small amount of water. The spectacle is very impressive, but quite dangerous, so it is not recommended to perform the “trick” at home without certain technical skills.

Don't joke with fire!

Paper poses a serious fire hazard; it ignites quickly, actively interacts with vapors and gaseous products contained in the air, and burns intensely. In residential apartments and houses, the source of ignition can be a gas stove, an overheated or faulty electrical appliance, an unextinguished match, or a cigarette. The main cause of domestic fires is human negligence and failure to comply with basic safety rules.

Do not leave paper near heating appliances or overload the electrical network. You cannot place cardboard sheets under a TV, computer, or lighted candles. To prevent paper from becoming a source of fire, never smoke in bed, keep a fire extinguisher and thick fabric in the house - with their help, the flame will not have time to spread to neighboring objects. Workwear, as well as 100% cotton denim, do not ignite easily.

Even if the paper catches fire, act judiciously and do not panic. If possible, eliminate drafts - access to fresh air increases the strength of the fire, cover your face from the acrid smoke with a damp handkerchief, unplug all electrical appliances and, taking important documents, leave the room. By knowing and strictly following the rules of safe behavior, you can prevent the spread of fire without risking your life.

Let's sum it up

It is almost impossible to imagine the daily life of humanity without books, magazines, notebooks, calendars and other printed materials. Paper, which was so highly valued in the ancient world, played an exceptional role in the development of literature and painting, and education. Its irrational use threatens not only the destruction of millions of trees, but will also inevitably lead to a humanitarian catastrophe in the future. Treat paper with care, be vigilant and careful with fire - this is how we will preserve the beauty of our planet and make the world a better place!