Fire accelerant
Many ignitable liquids have high vapor pressures, low flash points and a relatively wide range between their upper and lower explosive limit.
Wicker and foam have high surface to mass ratios and favorable chemical compositions and thus burn easily and readily.
Characterized by its volatile, flammable nature, this colorless liquid ketone carries a pleasant odor and is readily miscible with water, alcohol, and most oils.
This volatile liquid, which ranges from colorless to yellow and emits a sulfurous odor reminiscent of rotten eggs, deviates from the norm by sinking in water due to its higher density.
Despite an unreported ignition temperature and explosive limits, its vapor density stands at 3.7, while its specific gravity is noted as 0.744.
This highly flammable liquid, characterized by its sweetish odor and propensity to form explosive peroxides upon exposure to air and light, demonstrates slight miscibility in water, methanol, and oils.
This colorless, combustible petroleum distillate, notable for its characteristic odor and solubility in petroleum solvents, finds application across various industries, including lamp oil manufacturing, charcoal starter fluid production, jet engine fuel formulation, and insecticide creation.
Gasoline, commonly referred to as gas or motor fuel, is a blended mixture of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons.
This highly flammable liquid, comprising over 300 volatile hydrocarbon compounds derived from petroleum fractionation or distillation, serves as the predominant ignitable liquid accelerant in forensic investigations and is primarily utilized as fuel in spark-ignited internal combustion engines.
It may include spirit varnishes like shellac or synthetic organic coatings that dry to form a film through solvent evaporation.
Lacquer Thinner denotes a blend of highly volatile solvents, miscible in water, whose composition and properties vary depending on the manufacturer.
This colorless, flammable, and poisonous liquid, featuring a slight alcohol odor in its pure form, is miscible in water, ethanol, ketones, and various other organic solvents.
Its principal applications include serving as an ingredient in antifreeze, dry gas, windshield washer fluids, and as a denaturant in ethanol.
This colorless, flammable liquid, bearing an acetone-like odor and miscibility in alcohol and ether, finds primary use as a solvent in nitrocellulose coatings and lacquers, paint removers, adhesives, cements, and in printed circuit board manufacturing.
This category of clear, combustible liquid, characterized by its petroleum-type odor, encompasses midrange petroleum distillates ranging from C8 to C12 and finds application in paint thinners, oil-based stains, dry cleaning solvents, and select charcoal starter fluids.
The IAAI Forensic Science Committee recommends avoiding the term due to its broad usage.
Products within this class serve primarily as thinners in paints and varnishes and as fuel for pocket lighters, with properties including flash point, explosive limits, and others varying by manufacturer.
This colorless, flammable liquid, featuring a benzene-like odor, demonstrates miscibility in alcohol, ether, acetone, and slight solubility in water.
This colorless, combustible liquid finds miscibility in oils, ether, and chloroform, and serves primarily as a drying agent or solvent in paints, lacquers, varnishes, waxes, liniments, and in the manufacture of certain linoleums, soap, ink, artificial camphor, and rubber.
With a vapor density greater than 1 and a specific gravity of 0.86, xylenes represent a colorless, flammable liquid miscible in alcohol and ether, yet insoluble in water.
Common applications include conversion to polyester fibers and plasticizers, aviation gasoline, rubber cements, automotive enamels, paints and lacquers, and various other commercial uses.
With a vapor density of 2.1 (heavier than air) and a specific gravity of 1.14, nitromethane is a colorless, oily liquid that is slightly soluble in water but miscible with alcohol and ether.
Nitromethane is widely used in applications such as a solvent in industrial processes, a fuel additive in motorsports (particularly drag racing), and as a component in explosives.
