Flame Temperatures Table for Different Fuels

How Hot Do Hydrogen, Propane, and Acetylene Fuels Burn?

Close-Up Of Flames
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Science
Science
By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on May 19, 2024

This is a list of flame temperatures for various common fuels.

Note that the adiabatic flame temperatures for common gases are provided for air and oxygen. These temperatures refer to the theoretical maximum temperatures achievable for each flame during combustion, assuming there is no heat exchange with their surroundings.

For all these values, the initial temperature of air, gas, and oxygen is 20 degrees Celsius.

Which Flame Is the Hottest?

You'll get the most bang for your buck, relatively speaking, from acetylene in oxygen (3,100 degrees Celsius) and either acetylene, hydrogen, or propane in the air.

The coolest (or least hot) flame below, perhaps unsurprisingly, belongs to a cigarette, followed by a candle. 

Flame Temperatures

This table lists flame temperature alphabetically according to the name of the fuel. Celsius and Fahrenheit values are cited, as available. For reference, MAPP is a mixture of gases, chiefly methyl acetylene, and propadiene, along with other hydrocarbons.

Fuel Flame Temperature
Acetylene 3,100 °C (oxygen), 2,400 °C (air)
Blowtorch 1,300 °C (2,400 °F, air)
Bunsen burner 1,300–1,600 °C (2,400–2,900 °F, air)
Butane 1,970 °C (air)
Candle 1,000 °C (1,800 °F, air)
Carbon monoxide 2,121 °C (air)
Cigarette 400–700 °C (750–1,300 °F, air)
Ethane 1,960 °C (air)
Hydrogen 2,660 °C (oxygen), 2,045 °C (air)
MAPP 2,980 °C (oxygen)
Methane 2,810 °C (oxygen), 1,957 °C (air)
Natural gas 2,770 °C (oxygen)
Oxyhydrogen 2,000 °C or more (3,600 °F, air)
Propane 2,820 °C (oxygen), 1,980 °C (air)
Propane-butane mix 1,970 °C (air)
Propylene 2,870 °C (oxygen)
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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Flame Temperatures Table for Different Fuels." ThoughtCo, May. 19, 2024, thoughtco.com/flame-temperatures-table-607307. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2024, May 19). Flame Temperatures Table for Different Fuels. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/flame-temperatures-table-607307 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Flame Temperatures Table for Different Fuels." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/flame-temperatures-table-607307 (accessed December 15, 2024).