Carter,

Though I am generally a stickler for proper terminology in science matters, especially fire science, I think your argument is too precious to be dispositive.

Spontaneous Combustion (due to self heating), though not defined in the definition section of 921-2011 (Chapter 3), is defined in: §5.7.4.1.1.5 Spontaneous combustion due to self-heating is a special form of smoldering ignition that does not involve an external heating process.

In general, 921 defines self-heating resulting in ignition as spontaneous combustion.

Ignition and combustion are inexorably linked - you can't have one without the other.

Both 921-2011 and its general source documents in this area, The Ignition Handbook and The Fire Protection Handbook, use all of the related phrases: Self-heating and spontaneous heating; self-ignition and spontaneous ignition, and spontaneous combustion. The terms are not always directly related in their various uses, but all are perfectly acceptable, if used properly.

For Example: In many authoritative texts, autogenous ignition of solids is described as
“spontaneous,” though it is not related to self-heating, while self-heating culminating in ignition and combustion has been called self- ignition, spontaneous ignition and spontaneous combustion.

NFPA 921 is the source of the current NFPA Preferred Definitions of:
Self-heating
Self-ignition
Self-ignition temperature
Spontaneous heating
Spontaneous combustion

Though I am not in full agreement with you on this issue, we will all be looking forward to your NFPA 921-2014 proposal(s).

Pat Kennedy, CFEI, CFPS, MIFireE
Fire and Explosion Analyst
Sarasota, Florida
[www.kennedy-fire.com]