Will a match ignite diesel?

[BrianJ]

As the title states, if you take a match to diesel fuel, will it ignite? This question came up in the "Theft Deterrent" thread in the 3rd Gen section. I remember a post on here last year about leaving the truck running while re-fueling where members stated that diesel will not ignite with a spark or match as gasoline will.



I was of the thought that diesel (in a puddle on the ground or in an open container) will not ignite just from a spark or match. Am I completely off base and will it ignite?

 

[RustyJC]

Perhaps the following will help - check out the flash point (note that it's shown in degC, not degF):



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From another source:

The flash point of a fuel is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mix with air. The high flash point in diesel fuel means that it does not burn as easily as gasoline, which is a safety factor.

Rusty

 

[Greenleaf]

It will have to become atomized.



Take an injector pop tester. Install an injector and point it across the shop floor. Use a propane torch to ignite the mist of fuel. It's awsome!!

 

[Rman]

I've started many a fire with diesel fuel. It'll burn, but isn't scary as hell like gasoline. As pointed out the flash point is much higher.

 

[CMullen]

I use it to start my leaves or wood burning OUTSIDE only, too much CO for inside use

 

[mberry]

I've started many a fire with diesel fuel. It'll burn, but isn't scary as hell like gasoline. As pointed out the flash point is much higher.

I think the difference is that when diesel is on a porous material like wood or paper/cloth it has a wick effect much like a candle. Of course I could be wrong.



My Dad uses sawdust mixed with diesel as his fire starter and it works great.

 

[Skydiver]

In 1975 I worked part time at a salvage yard. On of the jobs I liked was to burn the junk cars before they went to the metal scrap yard. We would use a 3 gallon bug sprayer filled with diesel to keep the fire going. Just had to spray inside the car before the fire would go completely out. It would roar like mad.

It made so much smoke we could only burn 1 car at a time.

Tim

 

[BrianJ]

I guess what I am talking about is that if you take a puddle or cup of pure diesel, no wood chips or sawdust, and drop a match in it, the match will go out, not start a fire.



This question stems from the "Theft Deterrent" thread in the 3rd Gen section. The topic in that thread was to open the fuel drain on the fuel filter canister to help "secure" the vehicle from starting. A poster on that thread said something to the effect that the thief might not steal your truck, but they could see the puddle of fuel and throw a match on it.



I was simply trying to point out that the match would go out, and that the diesel puddle would not ingnite, let alone burn up the truck.



Now if someone wanted to throw a pile of wood chips or saw dust on the puddle, then I suppose it would ignite from the "wick" effect mentioned by mberry.

 

[RustyJC]

Yes, if you throw a match into liquid #2 diesel (such as a cup or bucket), typically the fuel will cool and extinguish the match before the flame on the match can heat enough of the diesel fuel up to its flash point to ignite.



Rusty

 

[JTryles]

I think the difference is that when diesel is on a porous material like wood or paper/cloth it has a wick effect much like a candle. Of course I could be wrong.



My Dad uses sawdust mixed with diesel as his fire starter and it works great.

This has been my experience also. Diesel all by itself in a puddle is IMPOSSIBLE to get lit with a match or lighter but will light if ON something that is imflammable with the same match or lighter. Such as when on paper or leaves. Again, this is all personal experience- the true, scientific explanation may or may not jive with what I have experienced!

 

[TowPro]

I am the one that made the post about the diesel burning in that other thread. No i don't think it will burn in a puddle, but put some leaves under there and it will burn pretty good.



I also bet if you were to pore it down the side of something (like an engine block) and put a match to it, it would burn on the vertical plane.



But I feel safe enough with it that I use Kerosene in a cleaning tank inside the garage.



PS: even if you can't get it to lite, it will eat a nice hole in your blacktop in a couple days.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Is this a FLAME thread

I also opined on the afore mentioned thread that diesel will light. Don't want to get into "picking the white" :-laf but I'm pretty sure I've also poured diesel on slash prior to lighting it to get it going. Benefit is it doesn't go POOOOF like gasoline. Which reminds me of the time I tried to coax a slash pile with a 5 gal. jerry can of saw gas.



Lesson learned..... nuff said. :-laf

 

[WyattEarp]

Kerosene or Gas either one i wouldn't attempt the lit match in puddle theory, can you say no eyebrows... .

Diesel has to get hot enough to ignite, ie. . flash point. . just the vapor fumes from gas it what gets it going, diesel that im aware of has no vapor fumes like gas, someone correct me if im wrong.

 

[Pawpaw]

With a flash point of 52 C (125 F), diesel will not ignite until you heat it.



When it's in a puddle, a match does not stand a chance of heating the fuel enough to burn.



If you pour it on something that will absorb it (grass, leaves, paper, etc. ), the match only has to heat a very tiny amount of fuel, so it lights easily.



That's my story and I'm sticking to it.



Bob

 

[rbattelle]

Liquid fuel without a dissolved oxidizer cannot ignite. Sufficient vaporization prior to the introduction of an ignition source can result in combustion if the fuel/air mixture is correct. In that case, the surface of the fuel (or fuel droplets, in the case of atomized fuel) will vaporize and ignite. It's my impression that the process is much more rapid in gasoline (owing to the lower flash point, presumably).



Even within your combustion chamber during the combustion stroke, the center of any given droplet of fuel is not burning - only the surface is burning, where vaporization has resulted in a proper fuel/air mixture.



In WWII the Germans used a liquid rocket propellant that consisted of Hydrogen fuel and a liquid oxidizer MIXED TOGETHER. The stuff was unbelievably dangerous, since the absolute slightest spark would cause the entire mixture to suddenly combust. Lack of an oxidizer within diesel fuel and gasoline greatly reduces the chance of ignition if a match is dropped into a bucket of either. It's just that since the vapor pressure of gasoline is so much higher than that of diesel it's more likely that if you dropped a match into a bucket of gasoline enough vapor would already have accumulated on the surface to start combustion.



Diesel fuel in sawdust works good because the fuel disperses itself into small enough bits that it doesn't take much heat to vaporize it and permit combustion. The heat generated by burning the sawdust when you touch a match to it is enough to get things going quite nicely.



This is just my opinion... not trying to start any arguments. I am not a chemist.



-Ryan

 

[Donn]

As the title states, if you take a match to diesel fuel, will it ignite? This question came up in the "Theft Deterrent" thread in the 3rd Gen section. I remember a post on here last year about leaving the truck running while re-fueling where members stated that diesel will not ignite with a spark or match as gasoline will.



I was of the thought that diesel (in a puddle on the ground or in an open container) will not ignite just from a spark or match. Am I completely off base and will it ignite?

Hell just try it and see

 

[DMcPherson]

thats what Im saying. if you dont I will lol.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Hell just try it and see

I can't believe it took 16 post for someone to say that. :-laf



I've heard of people using a mix of diesel and drain oil to start brush fires. Have you ever seen how much black smoke that makes when used to lite a pile of cornstalks??? I myself would never use such a filthy mix...