1.  Adiabatic Flame Temperature:  The highest temperature achieved during a combustion process under adiabatic (no heat exchange with the surroundings) conditions, where all the chemical energy of the fuel is converted into thermal energy.

 

2.  Auto ignition Temperature:  The lowest temperature at which a substance (usually a fuel) will spontaneously ignite without an external ignition source, such as a flame or spark.

 

3.  Backdraft:  A sudden and violent explosion or fire that occurs when oxygen is reintroduced to a smoldering fire in a confined space, causing a rapid combustion.

 

4.  BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion):  An explosion that occurs when a container holding a pressurized, flammable liquid ruptures and releases the liquid, which rapidly vaporizes and ignites, creating a powerful explosion.

 

5.  Combustible Liquid:  A liquid with a flash point at or above 100°F (37.8°C) but below 200°F (93.3°C).

 

6.  Flammable Liquid:  A liquid with a flash point below 100°F (37.8°C) that can ignite and burn easily.

 

7.  Combustion:  A chemical process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to produce heat, light, and usually, the release of gases, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor.

 

8.  Deflagration:  A subsonic combustion process characterized by a relatively slow propagation of a flame front through a fuel-air mixture.

 

9.  Detonation:  A supersonic combustion process characterized by a shockwave front that rapidly compresses and ignites a fuel-air mixture, causing a rapid release of energy.

 

10.  Enthalpy:  A measure of the total heat content of a system, including its internal energy and the energy associated with pressure and volume.

 

11.  Equivalence Ratio:  A ratio that compares the actual fuel-air mixture ratio in a combustion process to the stoichiometric (chemically balanced) ratio required for complete combustion.

 

12.  Explosion Ratio:  The ratio of the actual fuel-air mixture to the stoichiometric ratio, where an explosion is more likely to occur.

 

13.  Fire:  A rapid and uncontrolled chemical reaction involving the release of heat, light, and gases, typically accompanied by flames.

 

14.  Flame:  The visible, hot, glowing gas produced during combustion, consisting of burning gases and particulate matter.

 

15.  Flash Fire:  A sudden and intense fire caused by the ignition of flammable gases or vapors in the air, often without a preceding explosion.

 

16.  Flash Point:  The lowest temperature at which a liquid's vapors can ignite when exposed to an open flame or spark under specific test conditions.

 

17.  Fire Point:  The temperature at which a liquid's vapors can sustain combustion once ignited, typically higher than the flash point.

 

18.  Pilot Ignition:  The initial ignition source, such as a spark or flame, that starts the combustion process in a controlled manner.

 

19.  Heat Flux:  The rate of heat transfer per unit area, typically measured in watts per square meter (W/m²).

 

20.  Ignition Temperature:  The minimum temperature at which a substance can ignite and sustain combustion in the presence of an ignition source.

 

21.  Ignition Source:  Any heat source, spark, or open flame capable of igniting a flammable substance.

 

22.  Laminar Flame Speed:  The speed at which a flame front propagates through a stationary fuel-air mixture under laminar (non-turbulent) conditions.

 

23.  Flammability Limits:  The range of concentrations of a fuel in air within which combustion is possible. This includes the lower flammability limit (LFL) and the upper flammability limit (UFL).

 

24.  Pressure Limit:  The maximum pressure that can be reached during a combustion or explosion event.

 

25.  Fire Pyrolysis:  The chemical decomposition of materials exposed to high temperatures in a fire, leading to the release of volatile compounds.

 

26.  Quenching Distance:  The minimum distance from a flame source at which a flammable mixture can be safely ignited, typically influenced by factors like mixture concentration and turbulence.

 

27.  Smoldering:  A slow, low-temperature combustion process that occurs without an open flame, often characterized by the production of smoke and glowing embers.

 

28.  Spontaneous Combustion:  The ignition of a substance (usually organic) without an external heat source due to heat generated by chemical reactions within the material.

 

29.  Thermal Explosion:  An explosion caused by a rapid increase in pressure due to a sudden release of energy from a thermal reaction.

 

30.  Thermal Limit:  The maximum temperature at which a material can be exposed without undergoing thermal degradation or ignition.