Like title says, what properties of these make them so different in flammability? Just watched a video where a little gas added to fire quickly makes it seem to explode, but something like diesel just burns. I also think of the explosion in Lebanon, it was burning and then suddenly it was like a mega bomb went off.
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This is all about the rate of reaction, in this case, oxidation. A very slow oxidation process is like rusting. A faster oxidation is like burning, how you described diesel fuel. Then you have rapid oxidation which can seem nearly instantaneous to the human eye. We call that an explosion. So, to answer your question, it all has to do with the rate the reaction proceeds, and that can be dictated not only by the chemicals you mentioned, but the available oxygen, the ratios of each, the temperatures and pressures. There can be a lot of variables and that’s why some situations that seem identical may actually have very different results.
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