Pretty much the title. Chemically speaking what’s going on when this happens?
In: Chemistry
Water is heavier than oil, so it sinks. The boiling point of oil is also higher than that of water, so the water will also start boiling very rapidly. This produces a small explosion.
Only the oil on the surface actually burn. The steam explosion scatteres the oil into small droplets, with much higher surface area, making the oil effectively much more flamable. If the oil was already burning or there is something to set it alight, you get the fireball.
The boiling point of oil is also close to the ignition temperature, so boiling oil is very close to burning already. The oil can even spontaneouslu start burning.
All this makes grease fire tricky, as thay can start themselves and if you try to put it out with water, it will littereally blow up in your face.
The way to deal with grease fires is to deny them the oxygen they need to burn. This can be done by covering the fire with a lid. I always keep a lid ready when dealing with boiling oil.
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