The solution comes from the employees of a heat and mass transfer laboratory who are developing multi-hydrates consisting of two or more gases. The authors synthesised a carbon dioxide hydrate using surfactants – sodium lauryl sulfate, fire extinguishing agent OS-5, foaming agent and polysorbate TWEEN-80. These environmentally-friendly substances produce foam in aqueous solutions, facilitating the suppression of fires. The resulting composition for a hydrate fire extinguisher was placed in PET plastic containers with a volume of 50 and 100 millilitres.
In order to test the solution, the scientists conducted a series of experiments to extinguish the combustion of various materials and substances: wood, PVC panels, linoleum, cable products, oils, alcohols and flammable liquids. The authors placed compacted hydrate mass (with a hydrate content of 35 to 75 grams) in the seat of fire, and the explosion of the hydrate led to a shock wave that extinguished the flame. The ice shell of the hydrate itself reduced the temperature in the seat of fire, and inert gas displaced oxygen from the combustion zone.
“Experiments have shown that the response time of a fire extinguisher can be adjusted by varying such parameters as the mass of the hydrate and the volume of free space in the fire extinguisher, the amount of water added, and the type of mechanical impact on the fire extinguisher (impact on the fire extinguisher itself or its impact with other objects). For instance, in order to increase the reaction rate, we can add 25 to 75 millilitres of water to the hydrate. In some cases, this has made it possible to speed up the fire extinguisher’s response time ninefold. And the mechanical impact on the fire extinguisher reduced its response time by 20 seconds,” associate professor Nikita Shlegel is quoted as saying by Tomsk Polytechnic University.
