Editing Fluorocarbon (section)

===Flammability===
In the 1960s there was a lot of interest in fluorocarbons as anesthetics. The research did not produce any anesthetics, but the research included tests on the issue of flammability, and showed that the tested fluorocarbons were not flammable in air in any proportion, though most of the tests were in pure [[oxygen]] or pure [[nitrous oxide]] (gases of importance in anesthesiology).<ref>
{{cite journal
 |author=Larsen ER
 |title=Fluorine Compounds in Anesthesiology: VI Flammability
 |journal=Fluorine Chem. Rev.
 |volume=3
 |year= 1969
 |pages=22–27
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite tech report
 |title=Flutec
 |year=1982
 |institution=ISC Chemicals Limited
}}
</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Compound
! Test conditions
! Result
|-
| [[Hexafluoroethane]]
| Lower flammability limit in oxygen
| None
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Perfluoropentane]]
| [[Flash point]] in air
| None
|-
| Flash point in oxygen
| −6&nbsp;°C
|-
| Flash point nitrous oxide
| −32&nbsp;°C
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[Perfluoromethylcyclohexane]]
| Lower flammability limit in air
| None
|-
| Lower flammability limit in oxygen
| 8.3%
|-
| Lower flammability limit in oxygen (50&nbsp;°C)
| 7.4%
|-
| Lower flammability limit in nitrous oxide
| 7.7%
|-
| [[Perfluoro-1,3-dimethylcyclohexane]]
| Lower flammability limit in oxygen (50&nbsp;°C)
| 5.2%
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Perfluoromethyldecalin]]
| Spontaneous ignition test<br />in oxygen at 127 bar
| No ignition at 500&nbsp;°C
|-
| Spontaneous ignition in adiabatic shock<br />wave in oxygen, 0.98 to 186 bar
| No ignition
|-
| Spontaneous ignition in adiabatic shock<br />wave in oxygen, 0.98 to 196 bar
| Ignition
|}

In 1993, 3M considered fluorocarbons as fire extinguishants to replace CFCs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nist.gov/el/fire_research/upload/R9302960.pdf|title=Development of Perfluorocarbons As Clean Extinguishing Agents|author1=John A. Pignato, Jr.|author2=Paul E. Rivers|author3=Myron T. Pike|publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521123729/https://www.nist.gov/el/fire_research/upload/R9302960.pdf|archive-date=2014-05-21|access-date=2019-01-03}}</ref> This extinguishing effect has been attributed to their high [[heat capacity]], which takes heat away from the fire. It has been suggested that an atmosphere containing a significant percentage of perfluorocarbons on a space station or similar would prevent fires altogether.<ref>{{cite journal
 |author=McHale ET
 |title=Life Support Without Combustion Hazards
 |journal=[[Fire Technology]]
 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=15–24 |year=1974 |doi=10.1007/bf02590509|s2cid=111161665
 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite journal
 |author=Huggett C
 |title=Habitable Atmospheres Which Do Not Support Combustion
 |journal=Combustion and Flame
 |volume=20 |pages=140–142 |year= 1973
 |doi=10.1016/s0010-2180(73)81268-4}}</ref>
When combustion does occur, toxic fumes result, including [[carbonyl fluoride]], [[carbon monoxide]], and [[hydrogen fluoride]].