Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Boiling point of oils (vegetable & motor mostly)

RogueRose - 13-8-2016 at 00:47

I haven't found any listings for boiling points of oils but have found smoke point, flash point and auto-ignition point.

The reason I'm asking is looking at heating oil in a copper or steel tube as it feeds an oil burner. I'm concerned that the tube will be heated too much (say 600-1,000F maybe more in extreme points) and something catastrophic would happen in the tubing or feed resevoir.

Ideally the oil would be as hot as possible when it reaches the air stream to achieve auto-ignition when contacting the air stream.

I'm also concerned about other reactions with the oil at high temps like some kind of polymerization (or something that may gum up the flow). IDK if it needs air to change molecularly..

Deathunter88 - 13-8-2016 at 01:36

Quote: Originally posted by RogueRose  
I haven't found any listings for boiling points of oils but have found smoke point, flash point and auto-ignition point.

The reason I'm asking is looking at heating oil in a copper or steel tube as it feeds an oil burner. I'm concerned that the tube will be heated too much (say 600-1,000F maybe more in extreme points) and something catastrophic would happen in the tubing or feed resevoir.

Ideally the oil would be as hot as possible when it reaches the air stream to achieve auto-ignition when contacting the air stream.

I'm also concerned about other reactions with the oil at high temps like some kind of polymerization (or something that may gum up the flow). IDK if it needs air to change molecularly..


Why are you burning motor oil in a oil burner?

Jstuyfzand - 13-8-2016 at 02:25

Quote: Originally posted by Deathunter88  
Quote: Originally posted by RogueRose  
I haven't found any listings for boiling points of oils but have found smoke point, flash point and auto-ignition point.

The reason I'm asking is looking at heating oil in a copper or steel tube as it feeds an oil burner. I'm concerned that the tube will be heated too much (say 600-1,000F maybe more in extreme points) and something catastrophic would happen in the tubing or feed resevoir.

Ideally the oil would be as hot as possible when it reaches the air stream to achieve auto-ignition when contacting the air stream.

I'm also concerned about other reactions with the oil at high temps like some kind of polymerization (or something that may gum up the flow). IDK if it needs air to change molecularly..


Why are you burning motor oil in a oil burner?


Its quite common, lots of people use waste oil burners, either homemade or commercial to melt metals in a foundry.

PHILOU Zrealone - 13-8-2016 at 15:34

Some high MW organic molecule are subject to cracking and decomposition reaction before reaching boiling point...

NEMO-Chemistry - 14-8-2016 at 03:11

Are you going to centrifuge it first? it tends to give better results, the local garage has a torpedo heater they run off the waste oil they get. They have a cheap ebay centrifuge they use first and dont pre heat.

I hang around there on occasion looking for aluminium engine heads etc :D.