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Back to the OSAC Lexicon

Spontaneous Heating

process whereby a material increases in temperature without drawing heat from its surroundings.
Discussion—Spontaneous heating is usually an exothermic oxidation reaction, which is frequently initiated by oxygen in air.

Committee
Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & Gunshot Residue
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732-24e1 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2024. Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
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