Let’s say you had a 5 plastic gallon jug of peanut oil(like for turkey fryinh) could it spontaneous combust in a garage epecially if their was peanut oil underneath it between the jug and concrete on the garage?
Unless it was next to a heat source (furnace, fireplace, hot water heater) then no, it will not.
This site says the flash and fire points for cooking oils are around 600 and 700 degrees, respectively (Farenheight.)
It will be fine.
Thank you bouv.
What you may be more interested in slowpee, is the liklihood of spontaneous combustion (SC) of the oil.
SC occurs when the oil oxidises, giving off heat, and the resulting heat cannot be removed quick enough so that the fuel reaches autoignition temperature. Rate of oxidation is affected by:
- oxygen availability - if the oil is speread out on a rag and there is air in contact with the rag, this increases rate of oxidation.
- concentration of double bonds in oil molecules available for oxidation - there are more in oils with higher content of the glycerides of linoleic and linolenic acis than oleic. Iodine number is a good indication of the conc. of double bonds that may oxidise. For peanut oil this number is about 90. For ‘drying oils’ such as linseed, tung and hempseed, this number is above 150. This is because they have more linoleic and linolenic acids, which have 2 and 3 double bonds per molecule compared to oleic which has only one.
Factors affecting the likelihood of SC are:
- Rate at which heat is removed
- Rate of heat generation via oxidation
- Autoignition temperature.
Likelihood of peanut oil SC. - For a start, this oil does not oxidise as well as the more notorious spontaneous combustants like linseed oil because it has few double bonds.
- If oil is in a bottle has very poor oxygen availability.
- If oil is spread out on concrete the oxygen availability may be high but the heat is removed rapidly.
Therefore very unlikely to SC in the scenario you describe.
So an oil with a very high percentage of PUFA’s, such as safflower oil, will have a greater statistical probability of spontaneously combusting than a highly saturated oil such as olive oil? Would adding BHT to the oil prevent this?
Yes and yes.
Safflower oil has an iodine number of 140-150, which increases the likelihood of spontaneous combustion. Of course for this even to come into play, there has to be the right conditions of thermal insulation and oxygen availability eg soaked onto a lightly scrumpled up rag with a bunch of other rags.
Adding an antioxidant such as Tenox BHT should decrease the chances of SC, but I would like to do the experiment to be sure.
I found this on Eastman’s web site:
Chemically, BHT is 2,6 ditertiarybutyl-4-methyl phenol. It is commonly known as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). It is effective as an antioxidant in animal fats, but rather ineffective in vegetable oils (bolding mine). It has good carry-through properties and because it is volatile, it can be used in packaging materials. It is almost universally approved for human and animal use. BHT provides good synergism when used in combination with BHA.
I never knew this before—I’ve been using BHT to preserve vegetable oils for 20 years. :smack:
Also from their site:
Eastman offers four antioxidants that are lawful under existing food additive regulations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in vegetable oils at levels outlined in this publication. They are Tenox TBHQ antioxidant (tertiary-butyl hydroquinone), Tenox BHA antioxidant (butylated hydroxyanisole), Tenox BHT antioxidant (butylated hydroxytoluene), and Tenox PG antioxidant (propyl gallate). In addition, many formulations and solutions made of combinations of these four antioxidants, citric acid as a chelating agent or synergist, and edible solvents as carriers are available as convenient, easy-to-handle formulations. With this range of choices, oil producers can tailor the antioxidant to specific requirements and maximize its efficiency and benefits to the end product.
Peanut oil (also known as groundnut, arachis, or earthnut oil) is used mainly in the production of shortenings and margarine and as a cooking or salad oil. Compared with other major vegetable oils, peanut oil is highly unsaturated. Its stability may be substantially increased by the use of Tenox propyl gallate and Tenox TBHQ and their solutions.
Several other oils are mentioned on Eastman’s site, and with the exception of soybean oil, propyl gallate and TBHQ seem to be the antioxidants of choice when used to prevent rancidity…
From my days long ago as a painter. The main danger from spontaneous combustion with linseed oil isn’t so much the oil catching fire as the rag which has the linseed oil on it. If such a rag is wadded up, say in the pocket of a pair of coveralls hanging on a hook, the oxidation can raise the temperature to the point that the cloth bursts into flame at the slightest addition of a little more oxygen.
The rule always was to spread your cleaning rags and dropcloths out on the floor when you quit work. Don’t wad them up or just throw the dropcloths in a pile in the corner.
Had a friend that cook 4 turkeys a couple years ago and he had no problelms with them catching on fire. Cooked them in peanut oil but was very careful.
Overcooked them too and they were terrible.
BTY he said he was not going to do it again. Peanut oil is too expensive.
*Please pass the 'taters and gravy *
Jake (Jackson) the turkey lover. (Dead turkeys that is)