HAIDAR-WARDAK, Abdullah (4 Jumal Place, Smithfield, NSW 2164, AU)
| CLAIMS:
1. A fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent incorporating a sugar- based liquid or foam.
2. The fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent of claim 1 , wherein the sugar is substantially sucrose, fructose or a combination thereof.
3. The fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent of claim 2, wherein the sucrose and/or fructose is derived from fruit or vegetable juices, including but not limited to apple juice, beetroot juice and/or sugar cane juice.
4. The fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent of claim 2, wherein the sucrose and/or fructose is derived from refined sucrose or fructose dissolved in water or a suitable water-based solvent.
5. The fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent of any preceding claim, further including a foaming agent, preferably Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ).
6. A method for manufacturing a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent from a base material including a sucrose- or fructose-containing liquid, said method including the step of fermenting the liquid in a pressure vessel, until the pressure in said vessel reaches the delivery pressure required for delivery from a conventional hand held fire extinguisher.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the fermentation is actuated by addition of a suitable bakers yeast strain.
8. The method of claim 6 or claim 7, further including the step of mixing or injecting a foaming agent, preferably Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCOs), into the base material.
9. The method of claim 6, 7 or 8, further including, prior to fermentation, one or more of the steps of:
filtration of the base material to eliminate solid contaminants;
adjustment of the concentration of sugars in the base solution by hydrating or de- hydrating to an optimum level, if necessary;
inactivation of pre-existing micro-organisms in the base material;
re-hydration or de-hydration to achieve optimal concentration or form, if necessary.
10. The use of a sugar-based liquid or foam in the preparation of a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent.
11. The use of sucrose, fructose or a combination thereof in the preparation of a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent.
12. The use of sucrose and/or fructose, as derived from fruit or vegetable juices, including but not limited to apple juice, beetroot juice and/or sugar cane juice, in the preparation of a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent.
13. The use of refined sucrose or fructose dissolved in water or a suitable water-based solvent, in the preparation of a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent.
14. A pressure vessel, capable of use as a fire extinguisher, which contains a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent as defined in any one of claims
1 to 5.
15. A pressure vessel, capable of use as a fire extinguisher, which has been prepared according to a method as defined in any one of claims 6 to 13.
16. A fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent incorporating a sugar- based liquid or foam substantially as herein described, with reference to the examples.
17. A method for manufacturing a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent substantially as herein described, with reference to the examples.
18. A method of preparing a fire extinguisher substantially as herein described with reference to Example 1. |
FIRE RETARDANT. SUPPRESSANT AND EXTINGUISHING MATERIAL
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the files of manufacture of fire retardant materials. In particular, the invention relates to the manufacture of such materials from plant materials. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of different types of chemicals are used in the field of fire fighting, particularly in the field of hand-held fire extinguishers and in fire retardant materials. The type varies with the type or class of fire to which they are to be directed. However, the fundamental requirement of the chemical is that they effectively stop the fire by depriving it of oxygen, fuel or heat.
The proprietary materials which are currently used for this purpose are mostly toxic and/or harmful to the environment and limited to the type/class of fire they are suited to extinguish.
Some of the particular problems inherent with the types of materials currently used as a fire extinguishing agent or fire retardant are:
• toxicity to humans;
• production of toxic fumes and smoke created by combustion are not reduced and may be increased with the application of some extinguishing agents;
• heat is not removed from the burning material;
• there is a high risk of re-ignition after initial extinguishment of fire;
• they pose a hazard both short and long term to soils, water supplies, flora and/or fauna;
• they degrade slowly;
• the unused product is not recyclable and may be difficult or costly to dispose of;
• limited capability to extinguish different type/class of fires; • increased hazard if used incorrectly or on the wrong type of fire;
• limited shelf life;
• high cost of clean up operations following a fire incident.
There is also a risk of unnoticed depressurisation of cylinders or failure of other delivery methods that can affect performance as a fire extinguishing agent.
Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a fire suppressant, retardant or extinguishing material which alleviates at least some of the problems associated with the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In attempting to solve the problems of the prior art, the inventor has devised a new fire extinguishing agent/retardant material, and a process for preparing same, which has the following advantages over previously used and tried materials when used to extinguish, retard or suppress a fire:
• tends to quench the flames and fire and rapidly reduce heat within and around the burning material;
• reduces smoke, by inhibiting the chemical reaction that causes smoke;
• tends to forms a coating around the burning material, making a physical barrier against air/oxygen;
• reduces possibility of re-ignition;
• capable of extinguishing all fires regardless of fire type/class, which reduces the risk of using the wrong type of extinguisher;
• is non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-corrosive and non-reactive; • may be manufactured from natural products;
• is biodegradable and poses no hazard to soils, water supplies, flora and/or fauna;
• can be stored and delivered via most conventional fire fighting storage and/or delivery systems; • has a relatively long shelf life;
• is inexpensive to manufacture when compared with many other fire extinguishing agents or retardants;
• tends to reduce costs of clean up operations following fire incidents. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent incorporating a sugar-based liquid or foam.
Preferably, the sugar is substantially sucrose, fructose or a combination thereof. Advantageously, the sucrose and/or fructose is derived from fruit or vegetable juices, including apple juice, beetroot juice and/or sugar cane juice.
Alternatively, the sucrose and/or fructose is derived from refined sucrose or fructose dissolved in water or a suitable water-based solvent.
Advantageously, the fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent further includes a foaming agent, preferably Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCOa).
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent from a base material including a sucrose- or fructose-containing liquid, said method including the step of fermenting the liquid in a pressure vessel, until the pressure in said vessel reaches the delivery pressure required for delivery from a conventional hand held fire extinguisher.
Preferably, the fermentation is actuated by addition of a suitable yeast strain. Advantageously, the method further includes the step of mixing or injecting a foaming agent, preferably Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCOa), into the base material.
Preferably, the method further includes the steps of: filtration of the base material to eliminate solid contaminants; adjustment of the concentration of sugars in the base solution by hydrating or de-hydrating to an optimum level, if necessary; inactivation of pre-existing micro-organisms in the base material; rehydration or de-hydration to achieve optimal concentration or form, if necessary; prior to fermentation.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of a sugar-based liquid or foam in the preparation of a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of sucrose, fructose or a combination thereof in the preparation of a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of sucrose and/or fructose, as derived from fruit or vegetable juices, including apple juice, beetroot juice and/or sugar cane juice, in the preparation of a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of refined sucrose or fructose dissolved in water or a suitable water-based solvent, in the preparation of a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pressure vessel, capable of use as a fire extinguisher, which contains a fire extinguishing, retarding or suppressing agent as defined above.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pressure vessel, capable of use as a fire extinguisher, which has been prepared according to a method as defined above. Now will be described, by way of specific, non-limiting examples, preferred embodiments of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The material/s detailed in this specification can generally be described as sugar-based liquids or foams used to extinguish fires and/or act as fire retardants or fire suppressants. The final product could also be in powder form.
The preferred base material/s are sugar or sucrose or fructose solutions as extracted from fruits, vegetables and plants or from products that are by-products of the refining process of juices from fruits, vegetables or plants or by dissolving refined sugar or sucrose or fructose in a suitable solvent. Typical sources of the sugar, sucrose or fructose solution can be from but not limited to; apple juice, beetroot juice, sugar cane juice or refined sugar dissolved in water or a suitable water-based solvent.
The process to convert the base material/solution into a fire extinguishing agent or fire retardant or fire suppressant product will include some or all of the following process steps:
• Filtration of the base material to eliminate solid contaminants that may remain from the crushing or refining process.
• Adjusting the concentration of the base solution by hydrating or dehydrating it. An optimum concentration of the solution will be required to achieve the fire extinguishing agent or fire retardant performance as required by the appropriate application or standard/s.
• Inactivation of micro-organisms that exist in the base material/solution by one or more of the following techniques, well known to persons skilled in the art: heat sterilisation; chemical sterilisation; other non-thermal sterilisation. • Re-hydration or de-hydration to achieve final concentration or form.
The material according to the invention, once prepared, can be utilised in the following formats:
• Non-pressurised liquid extinguishing agent delivered by pump or gravity directly onto burning material. • Pressurised liquid extinguishing agent delivered from a conventional hand-held fire extinguisher. The delivery pressure is generated by the addition of regulated amounts of yeast to the solution or by injection of pressurised gas into the hand held extinguisher as part of the filling process. • Pressurised liquid extinguishing agent delivered from a fixed, portable or mobile pressure vessel. The delivery pressure is generated by the addition of regulated amounts of yeast to the solution as part of the filling process, or by injection of pressurised gas into the vessel either as part of the filling process or from a supplementary compressed gas supply cylinder.
• Fire extinguishing or retarding foam. Foam is created by the mixing or injection of Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ), Sodium Bicarbonate solution or other common foaming agent/s to the extinguishing agent by techniques and equipment typically used by fire fighting professionals and others to create fire extinguishing or retarding foam.
• Fire retardant/suppressant. Applied externally to flammable material/s to prevent or inhibit combustion, or used in the manufacture of flammable materials to prevent or inhibit combustion. Materials may include but not be limited to building/construction materials, fabrics, carpets, paints and lacquers.
Now will be described, by way of particular examples, some preferred embodiments of the manufacture and use of the invention.
EXAMPLE 1 - Self-Pressurised Fire Extinguisher
Procedure for manufacture of a 9 litre, self-pressurised fire extinguisher, using a 250 litre steam-jacketed, agitated pressure vessel, from sugar molasses as a base material.
The pre-mix procedure is as follows: ensure pressure vessel is clean and empty; close all valves and taps to seal the vessel; fill vessel with approximately 150 litres of water; switch on agitator (stirrer), forward direction and adjust speed using the speed control adjuster to approximately 150 rpm; heat the water to approximately 60 0 C; when the water in the vessel reaches 60 0 C close fully the steam inlet tap on the vessel and then open it about a half turn; adjust agitator speed to approximately 350rpm; add 80 litres of sugar molasses to the vessel; maintain temperature between 6O 0 C and 80 0 C by opening or closing the steam inlet tap as required (at this phase temperature must not exceed 90° C as the mixture will boil and create hot, dangerous foam); agitate for five minutes and take a sample for testing; test Brix reading with suitable testing apparatus (target Brix reading is 24.0 to 25.0); adjust Brix reading to target by adding water or more molasses. The above pre-mixing procedure can be completed in any suitable steam jacketed mixing tank.
The sterilising procedure is as follows:
If pre-mixing is done in a separate vessel, fill the cooking vessel with 250 litres of pre-mixed product (24.0 Brix), avoiding overfilling; adjust agitator speed to 250rpm approximately; seal the top of the vessel by replacing the cover and securing it;
open the steam supply valves to 100° C as indicated by temperature gauge on top of vessel; adjust agitator speed to 350rpm approximately; continue to heat the product to about 13O 0 C (monitoring the pressure in the vessel: pressure should not exceed 300 kPa): at no time should the product temperature be allowed to exceed 140 0 C; maintain temperature in the target range (above 130 0 C) for a minimum of five (5) minutes; commence cooling of the product: when the contents have cooled to below 100 0 C, adjust the agitator speed to 150 rpm approximately; continue to cool the product to less than 80 0 C at which time it may be pumped to a suitable holding tank; when transferring the contents to the holding tank it should be filtered by a simple three-layered cloth filter. The filling procedure is as follows: measure 9.0 litres of the product into a conventional stainless steel 9 litre fire extinguisher cylinder (Features include stainless steel handles and cylinder, brass valve and powder coated finish similar or equal to Flamestop Cylinder, product code G9LAW and capable of withstanding internal pressure in excess of 2,80OkPa), the product should be in the temperature range 30°C to 50°C; add 75 grams of dry bakers yeast (as supplied by Lowan Whole Foods Pty Ltd, under the name Premium Bakers Yeast) to the cylinder; seal the cylinder by fitting the standard extinguisher cylinder dip tube and valve assembly (whilst fitting the dip tube and valve maintain a low positive air pressure in the dip tube to ensure liquid does not contact valve and damage or contaminate the valve seal); agitate the cylinder by vigorously shaking for approximately 5 seconds; fermentation of the sugar material in the product will commence: over a period of 2 to 12 hours pressure will increase in the cylinder as fermentation proceeds. The effective working pressure is 2,20OkPa (+/- 20OkPa).
The prepared 9 litre fire extinguisher cylinder can be used to fight Class A fires. The fire fighting suitability and performance per AS/NZS 1850:1997 Portable Fire Extinguishers-Classification, Rating and Performance (as published by
Standards Australia) and under AS/NZS 1841 testing completely extinguishes a 4A crib.
If a foaming material is required, a suitable amount of a foaming agent may be added, such as sodium bicarbonate (NaHCOa).
EXAMPLE 2 External Fire Retardant/Suppressant
The following is the procedure for producing an external fire retardant/suppressant, using sugar cane molasses as a base material.
The pre-mix procedure is as described in Example 1. The sterilising procedure is as described in Example 1. The filling procedure is as follows: store in bulk supply tank, fill the tank to overflowing whilst temperature remains in the range 50 0 C to 70 0 C; seal tank with screw type or clamped closure with air resistant seal; wash outside surface of tank with fresh water to remove overflow product.
The product may be sprayed onto flammable products using typical fire fighting pump, hose and adjustable spray nozzle. The product is also suitable for use on external surfaces of buildings and natural fuels that may be under threat, for example from bush/forest fire.
The product may also be sprayed onto foam rubber and fabrics used in furniture manufacture.
EXAMPLE 3 Internal Fire Retardant/Suppressant
The following is a procedure for manufacturing an internal fire- retardant/suppressant, using sugar molasses as a base material.
The pre-mix procedure is as described in Example 1. The sterilising procedure is as described in Example 1. The filling procedure is as follows: store in bulk supply tank, fill the tank to overflowing whilst temperature remains in the range 5O 0 C to 70 0 C; seal tank with screw type or clamped closure with air resistant seal; wash outside surface of tank with fresh water to remove overflow product. The product can be used in place of water in the manufacturing process of composite wood products, paints, stains and lacquers which are applied to flammable items such as furniture.
EXAMPLE 4 Base material: Sugar Cane Juice
The manufacturing processes and uses of the final product which are described in Examples 1 , 2 and 3 can be adapted for the use of sugar cane juice. When doing so, the following variations should apply. The pre-mix procedure is as described in Example 1 , except that the target
Brix reading should be approximately 40.0 to 45.0. The sterilising procedure is as described in Example 1. The filling procedure is as per Example 1 , except that the yeast addition should be approximately 140 grams.
The prepared 9 litre fire extinguisher cylinder can be used to fight Class A fires. The fire fighting suitability and performance per AS/NZS 1850:1997 Portable Fire Extinguishers-Classification, Rating and Performance (as published by Standards Australia) and under AS/NZS 1841 testing completely extinguishes a 6 A crib.
The examples given above are merely indicative of how the invention can be put into effect. Other forms of the invention are readily conceivable by the person skilled in the art which are different in some detail, but which would nevertheless be within the spirit and scope of the invention.
For example, other sources of the sucrose and/or fructose can equally be used, with appropriate non-inventive adjustment to processing conditions. Sources of the sugar, sucrose or fructose solution can be from (at least) apple juice, beetroot juice, sugar cane juice or refined sugar dissolved in water or a suitable water-based solvent. These are a few but not all of the base materials that can achieve some or all of the fire fighting, retarding or suppressant qualities described above. The main anticipated variation to the process described above for the various base materials is to the optimal concentration of the pre-mix and the optimal quantity of dry yeast when used in self pressurised extinguishers.
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