Silicone oil, as an organosilicon compound widely used in many fields, plays an important role in industrial production and daily life with its unique chemical and physical properties. Among them, the flash point, as a key indicator of silicone oil, has a profound impact on its performance, safety and application range.


Flash point, in simple terms, refers to the lowest temperature at which the vapor emitted by a flammable liquid can burn like lightning when an electric spark approaches it after mixing with air. For silicone oil, this temperature value is of great significance. Under normal circumstances, the flash point of common dimethyl silicone oil is usually above 300℃. This shows that only when the ambient temperature reaches this high value, silicone oil may flash instantly, and once the heat source is evacuated, the combustion stops immediately. Such a high flash point property makes silicone oil have excellent safety performance in high temperature environment.


From the perspective of the impact on the performance of silicone oil itself, a high flash point means that silicone oil has good thermal stability. In a high temperature environment, it can maintain its own chemical structure and physical state stable, and is not prone to chemical reactions such as decomposition and oxidation. This makes silicone oil perform well in some application scenarios that need to withstand high temperatures. For example, in the field of instrumentation, silicone oil is often used as the filling fluid of electronic instruments. Whether it is the capillary or measuring chamber of diaphragm pressure, differential pressure, transmission, or the filling fluid of diaphragm pressure gauge, silicone oil can be seen. It is precisely because of its high flash point, high temperature resistance, non-volatility and strong oxidation resistance that the instrument can work accurately and stably in various complex temperature environments.


In industrial production, the flash point of silicone oil is directly related to the safety of operation. Taking the hydraulic system as an example, some hydraulic switch valves use dimethyl silicone oil as hydraulic oil. This is not only because silicone oil has moderate viscosity, lubricity, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and high temperature oxidation resistance, but more importantly, its high flash point can reduce the risk of fire caused by increased oil temperature during the operation of the hydraulic system. The higher flash point enables silicone oil to safely transmit power under high temperature and high pressure working conditions, ensuring the normal operation of the equipment, while avoiding safety accidents that may be caused by flammable oil products and extending the service life of the equipment.


In addition, in some special fields with extremely high safety requirements, such as nuclear power plants, there are more stringent regulations on the flash point and other indicators of the silicone oil used. For example, IOTABJ550 phenyl silicone oil has a flash point of more than 300°C, a ignition point of more than 343°C, and a self-ignition temperature of 482°C. This high flash point, non-flammable and low volatility feature enables it to meet the operating requirements of hydraulic drive valves and instruments for nuclear power plants in complex and high-demand environments, providing a strong guarantee for the stable operation of equipment in harsh environments.


In summary, the flash point of silicone oil, as a key indicator to measure its safety performance and thermal stability, plays a vital role in the application of silicone oil in various fields. The high flash point gives silicone oil the ability to work stably and safely in high temperature environments, making it an ideal choice for many high-temperature, high-pressure and safety-critical industrial production and equipment operations. In the future, with the continuous advancement of science and technology and the continuous development of industry, the research and optimization of performance indicators such as the flash point of silicone oil is expected to further expand the application scope of silicone oil and bring opportunities for innovation and development to more fields.