Is Engine Oil Explosive? A Complete User Guide

Is engine oil explosive? Motor oil is one of the most delicate fluids present in your vehicle and the primary objective of any motor oil is to facilitate smooth movements between various engine parts.

However, motor oil isn’t the only fluid in your engine; there is naturally going to be gasoline or petrol, which combusts to produce the heat needed to move the vehicle.

So, the question we need to ask here is: Can engine oil ignite? If, yes, then at what temperature? It is an important question and car enthusiasts need to understand the fire hazards that may be lurking around the corner with a careless choice of engine oil.

Read on to know all about how explosive your engine oil really is!

The role of engine oil is to reduce friction among the moving parts of the engine. Without a lubricant, you may find resistance developing within the machinery and it may not even start if the parts do not work smoothly. Let us assume that somehow the parts can still work decent enough to produce some heat. However, for sure, there will be more wear-and-tear, if you remove a lubricant from the equation. So, you cannot miss having engine oil in your car or truck.

Engine oil, depending upon its make-up, can be viscous(thick) and volatile (evaporates fast at lower temperatures as well). Engine oil is flammable too.

Before we dig deeper into engine oil’s ignition, we should understand the difference between a combustible material and a flammable one.

A combustible material burns when it is subjected to a particular temperature, whereas a flammable material can burn rather easily.

However, that being said, everything has an ignition temperature. Unless it reaches that temperature, it will not combust.

Read on to understand how does engine oil combust, and what happens to your engine, in case it does catch fire. Keep scrolling!

Is Conventional Engine Oil Flammable?

To begin with, you need to know how conventional engine oil is made.

There are two types of engine oil: Conventional motor oil and Synthetic motor oil.

No matter what grade your engine oil belongs to, every motor oil is essentially conventional engine oil. This is so because conventional engine oil is 80-90% composed of just the mineral oil that is left as a by-product of crude petroleum processing. Depending on how many detergents, oxidants, inhibitors, anti-esters, etc get added to it, the conventional oil then becomes synthetic engine oil.

Conventional oil gets smoother as temperatures rise, and faces no problem flowing at higher temperatures. However, the one thing it falls short of would be quality.

Unlike synthetic oils, conventional oil can accumulate sludge over time, which can reduce its power and lifespan.

The conventional motor oil is flammable.

A flammable fluid can catch fire even at a point lower than its boiling point. The conventional motor oil’s fire point lies between 302 to 393 Degrees Fahrenheit, whereas, the boiling point of motor oil is 572-degrees Fahrenheit.

So, it is very clear that conventional motor oil is a flammable fluid and it may lead to fire, if kept near fire sources. As the temperature begins to build, so does the risk with conventional engine oils!

However, what about synthetic engine oils? Let’s find out!

Is Synthetic Engine Oil Flammable

To straight up answer your questions, yes! Synthetic engine oil is flammable. However, the answer is debatable. Before going further let’s take a look at what composes synthetic engine oil.

Synthetic engine oil is just pure engine oil at the core, which has gone through artificial treatments in order to deliver better lubrication and filth-resistance. The viscosity of synthetic oil is very low. It has the same role as other engine oils. However, synthetic oil works pretty well at high temperatures.

Back to the main point! Yes, it is flammable, as it contains hydrocarbons.

One thing we should note here is that synthetic engine oil burns at a higher degree as compared to convention engine oil, with the ignition point somewhere between the soft range of 440-500 degrees Fahrenheit.

The boiling point of synthetic engine oil is 500-degree Fahrenheit.

Bottomline: Conventional or synthetic, all engine oil can lead to fire hazards.

How to Safely Store Engine Oil

We know, so far, that your average engine oil is pretty much explosive. Therefore, you need to handle the oil with utmost precautions.

It is very important to dispose of the oil properly to minimize the environmental cons and also to prevent fire accidents. The oil must not be dumped into a water body. Most oils do not dissolve in water, so they form a thin oily greasy layer right on top, which might suffocate the animals and plants underneath. Furthermore, the water gets polluted to a point where cleaning it would be impossible and very expensive.

You should collect the oil first in a properly sealed container. Make sure the beaker is air-tight, and it has enough strength to not crack and facilitate leakage. Avoid using food containers as someone might mistake them for an edible. Once you have found a proper container, do equip yourself with the right PPE before transferring the fluid. Contact with engine oil can be detrimental to your health.

After safe transmission, send the jar to a local recycling facility in a temperature-resistant vehicle. Remember, on the way, the vehicle passes through various populated areas. Do not use sensitive personal cars for the job, wherein slight motion can trigger the oil into spilling or worse, catching a fire. You can even request your local experts to provide transport in their specialized vehicles.

Their recycling facility would have special burning chambers. They burn and process the used oil before disposing of it. In this way, it is less harmful and hazardous for the environment.

Although, engine oil requires a high temperature to catch fire, regardless you will need to be cautious while handling it.

Outdoor Storage Design of Engine Oil

The storage facility you have chosen for engine oil must have proper ventilation. It is important to maintain a cooler temperature and dry surroundings, in order to prevent the oil from catching fire. There are two types of ventilation systems: Natural and Mechanical. It is up to the facility owner to choose whichever one suits them and their oil well.

However, you must fulfill some requirements to do the mechanical installation properly. The facility must be safe enough to handle the load of the mechanical ventilation system. Most facilities do not have enough room for such an advanced installation.

That is why a natural ventilation system is preferred. A perfect natural ventilation system is easy to achieve. You need to ensure the facility has enough air ducts, while also maintain a proper distance between the flammable supplies. You would need to check there are no potential leakages happening once daily. All of the containers must be sealed properly in a safe manner. Furthermore, the storage facility should not be left without a ceiling; the sun can heat your barrels. Make sure that the temperature of the facility is always below the fire point of engine oil.

Indoor Storage Design of Engine Oil

The dividers, floor, doors, and top of the combustible cupboard should be developed from a twofold walled steel sheet. The gap between these dividers should at least be 40mm; the more the gap, the safer the design! You should fill the gaps with cooling agents to ensure all-rounded heatproof protection.

Make sure that the gaps around the doors and the dividers of the combustible cabinet are strong and non-movable to prevent heat radiation and the spread of flares, in case of a fire. As the fluid is extremely explosive, the base of the cupboard must have a liquid-tight frame. It must be 150mm deep.

It will collect any spillage and keep it inside the facility. The shelves that are inside the cupboard should be porous enough to facilitate a sufficient flow of air. Moreover, the shelves must be strong enough to handle the maximum load.

To make the cabinet temperature-sensitive, you need to add one more feature. The doors of the cupboard must automatically seal if the temperature reaches 80-degree Celsius. You can now program your mobile device to control such movements and getting smart-doors helps too! In this way, the facility will remain safe from any fire or explosion.

Can Excessive Burning of Engine Oil Cause an Explosion?

The engine oil is never so far from heat. It is an amazing lubricant, especially when the vehicle gets heated, but, primarily, it is a highly flammable compound running through the veins of your motor. So, if in case, the engine goes on an over-drive, would you be under the explosion radar?

Manufacturers do not bother to provide such information, and so, we did our research and dug in deeper to find the answer for you.

What is the normal mileage of engine oil for one vehicle could be excessive for others.

For instance, BMW claims that it is normal to burn quartz of engine oil within a few miles, whereas the normal consumption is 1 quartz engine oil per 2000 miles for some cars.

It depends on the type and manufacturing of the vehicle. Moreover, if your vehicle demands one quartz of oil every 3000 miles. There is the possibility of a leakage in the engine.

Once your vehicle passes 100,000 miles and there has been over-consumption of engine oil, there are higher chances now; it might catch fire at a certain point. The new engine oil variants have much lesser viscosity, and so, they are much easier to slip. Again, this means better performance, but also, more chances of ignition!

That is why you should always research before purchasing engine oil.

How to Spot Burning Engine Oil

If you notice smoke coming out of the engine surrounded by a blue glow, it is a sure sign that your engine is on fire. The engine could be on a fire for various reasons, and one such reason is the engine oil leakage.

You need to get it fixed ASAP. In some cases, there won’t be any smoke or leakage on the outside of the vehicle. However, there may still be a problem, and the biggest symptom to look out for is whether or not your vehicle requires too much engine oil. If your car is consuming too much engine oil, it is a sure-shot sign that something is wrong with the vehicle.

Moreover, you should take your vehicle on monthly check-ups and make this a routine. If the engine is producing smoke and leaking at the same time, it can get dangerous to stay inside or close to the vehicle. The vehicle can catch fire easily, leading to a blast and fatality.

The best approach is to check your oil level in the engine. Even a small leakage can cause a massive explosion. No one wants to put their lives in danger.

Final Words – Is Engine Oil Explosive

Yes, it is explosive. However, depending upon the nature of the oil, the hazard can be avoided up to a certain temperature. Synthetic engine oil is far more dangerous than conventional engine oil because it is less viscous and can easily slip out into the combustion chambers, and so, despite having a higher fire point, it still has a higher risk.

It is a better practice to store the engine oil in a temperature-resistant container. You must follow all of the storage standards for safety purposes. Keep a close eye on the oil consumption of your vehicle too. If your engine is exhausting the oil rapidly, it’s time to get your vehicle repaired. Take your car on a routine check-up and invest in its maintenance every few months.

Stay Safe!