TIME-TEMPERATURE RELATIONSHIPS WHICH PRODUCE HOT AIR BURNS OF HUMAN SKIN

A flash burn may be produced by exposure of the skin to very hot gases even though the duration of contact is extremely short. Temperatures causing flash burns are estimated to be in the neighborhood of 1500C with an exposure time of 0.01 seconds or less. Such flashes may be encountered in tanks. From available reports it seems that the initial flash is followed by a short period before general conflagration starts--if it does start. Once started, if not put under control, the tank fire increases the air temperature to values of 1000F and above in a few seconds. In order to obtain a clearer understanding of the problem it seemed desirable to know the time-temperature relationship necessary to produce incipient and moderately severe burns from hot gases of temperatures under 1500C. These data were obtained experimentally by a procedure described.