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Q.
What Is "Flash Point" and Why Is It Important?
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A.
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A "flashpoint" is a temperature at which a liquid will burn and keep burning. Flash point assumes these is a spark or some other source of ignition which contains enough heat to warm the liquid to start the fire. A hot soldering iron or the heating elements in a hot air gun both are good sources of ignition, as is any arcing electrical motor or relay. 
Given enough heat, almost every liquid has a flash point. However, it is a customary practice in the industry that any chemical with a flash point above 100° C (212° F) is considered nonflammable. For example, 1,1,1-TCA is considered nonflammable. It has a flash point of about 225° C. So it is very safe to use, as were our old CFCs and Genesolv® solvents.
The Trigger Grip™ Boosts Worker Safety
Here's an important thought: it's not just the solvent you select that determines worker safety, it's also how you use that solvent. The MicroCare Trigger Grip™ system was specifically designed to improve worker safety, even with flammable solvents. We strongly recommend the use of both of these products in any applicable benchtop cleaning environment.
Higher Solvent Flashpoints Make Safer Products
Look at the current MicroCare product line: Flux Remover C will not burn -- it is an HFC solvent with an  extremely high flashpoint. Interestingly, Flux Remover C is nonflammable even though it has flammable ingredients because the mixture is an azeotrope. (The flammable ingredients include a bit of alcohol, some VersaTrans® from PPG and more.) Flux Remover C cannot be made to burn below 200 degrees. That's one reason why so many people select Flux Remover C for their benchtop cleaning.
Another popular choice is Axarel®. Axarel® will burn -- it is a hydrocarbon solvent, which means it ultimately comes from gasoline. But it has a flashpoint of about 40° C, so it will burn but you have to work at it. The ExPoxy™ Remover and ScreenClean™ have a similar safety factor. That's one reason why so many people selected those products.
Now let's move down the flash point scale. Alcohol solvents, in the form of our ProClean™, MultiClean™ and IsoClean™ products, have a flashpoint of about 15° C -- practically room temperature. Similarly, VeriClean™ has a flashpoint of -2° C. These solvents are great cleaners but flammable. That's why we sell so many Trigger Grips. 
In the U.S., anything with a flashpoint below 55° F / 15° C is considered "extremely flammable" and may become, if mis-used, a significant safety hazard. Some Chemtronics products, for example, use isohexane. Isohexane has a flashpoint of -65°C. While many of the "extremely flammable" solvents are good cleaners and dry quickly, at MicroCare we have made the safety decision that we will not package anything that is as flammable as isohexane.
So, in summary, a low flash point means the solvent is more risky or dangerous than a high flashpoint. High is good; the higher the better, until you get all the way to the highly desirable "nonflammable" rating.
Updated 6-27-2008
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