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First Naphthometers to Determine the Flash Point of Liquids: I. Open Cup Devices

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Abstract

The American oil revolution of 1859 and the invention of a kerosene lamp contributed to the onset of the kerosene era when candle lighting was replaced by kerosene. The side effect of this was the growth of fires and explosions due to the use of unsafe kerosene. There was a need to develop criteria for safe kerosene. The fire (burning) and flash point of kerosene were chosen as such indicators. The first stage of creating instruments to determine these indicators began in 1862 and ended at the beginning of the 20th century. This stage is characterized by the development of apparatuses of various designs, one of which were “open cup” testers. The first naphthometers (by Abel, Tag, Pease, Shaw, Saybolt, Pinkney, Squier, Indiana state, Millochau, Ettele, Cleveland, Courtois, Kissling, Brenken, Treumann, Marcusson, Schluter and “Sommer and Runge” company) are considered in the article. Many of these devices have not survived to our days and are undeservedly forgotten.

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Notes

  1. In reality, the former railroad conductor and small exchange operator E. Drake was never a colonel, and his discovery of oil in Pennsylvania is a curiosity, not a successful business project. This story is described in more detail in the book by D. Yergin [1].

  2. In the 1860–1920s, the following terms: naphthometer, device, apparatus, pyrometer and tester for determination of the flash point (ignition), were considered synonymous. This approach has been maintained in the present paper.

  3. Nowadays, the terms “open cup” and “closed cup” are used for these types of devices.

  4. Tag is a shortening of “Tagliabue” surname. Since the 1900s to the present, instead of the full last name, its short variant—Tag—is used.

  5. The Pensky-Martens tester belongs to the apparatuses of the 3rd class (“closed tester”). Pyrometers of this class will be considered in the 3rd part of the article series “The first naphthometers to determine the flash point of liquids.” The old design of the Kissling’s device is given in the “Subclass 1d—naphthometers with a sand bath” section.

  6. The Brenken’s naphthometer was also used in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union (OST 7872 MI 12D–35) to determine the flash point of lubricating oils, fuel oil, tars and heavy “remnants” of oil refining [58, 59].

  7. In the literature of the early 20th century, there is an erroneous interpretation of the Marcusson’s device as the Brenken’s device [57, 67].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Science and Engineering Center “Reliability and Resource of Large Systems and Machines”, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 620049, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    S. G. Alexeev

  2. Ural Institute of the State Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia, 620062, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    V. V. Smirnov

  3. Ural State Agrarian University, 620075, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    N. M. Barbin

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Alexeev, S.G., Smirnov, V.V. & Barbin, N.M. First Naphthometers to Determine the Flash Point of Liquids: I. Open Cup Devices. Russ J Gen Chem 91, 495–507 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S107036322103018X

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