| heat of combustion | The quantity of heat liberated per gram-molecular weight when a substance undergoes complete oxidation. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| slow combustion | See: decay. Spontaneous combustion, the ignition of a mass of material by heat developed within it by the oxidation of the substances composing it without external ignition. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spontaneous combustion | A circumstance where a substance or organism takes fire and burns without an exogenous source. Spontaneous human combustion differs from preternatural human combustibility in that in the latter, some spark or trivial flame sets the fire and the body tissues, which have a greatly enhanced inflammability, continue to undergo incineration without any external heat source or combustible materials. (bergman na. Spontaneous human combustion: its role in literature and science. Pharos 1988;fall;51(4):18-21) (12 Dec 1998) |