SAMARDZIJA GORAN (RS)
DZUDZELIJA NEDELJKO (RS)
SAMARDZIJA GORAN (RS)
| DE562967C | 1932-10-31 | |||
| GB1470070A | 1977-04-14 | |||
| GB1387222A | 1975-03-12 | |||
| US3457172A | 1969-07-22 |
| CLAIMS 1. A process for obtaining agents for fire-inhibiting impregnation of porous materials and depth fire extinction of the so-called smoulder fires on peat land, in coal and communal waste depots is characterized by the mixture concerned for fire extinction of "A" category (solid porous materials: wood, rubber, plastics, paper, cardboard, textile, textile dust, coal, coal dust, coal dust of dry plants, plant residues, etc.) is made of a solution of the following composition: 150 g-400 g MgCl2*6H20; 1 g to 15 of wetting agent A; 0.5 to 2 g of wetting supplement B; and the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water. 2. A process for obtaining agents for fire-inhibiting impregnation of porous materials and depth fire extinction of the so-called smoulder fires on peat land, in coal and communal waste depots, according to claim 1, is characterized by the mixture concerned to achieve fire prevention of category "A" category (solid porous materials: wood, rubber, plastics, paper, cardboard, textile, textile dust, coal, coal dust, coal dust of dry plants, plant residues, etc.) is made of a solution of the following composition: 100 g to 350 g MgCl2*6H20; 0.5 g to 10 g of wetting agent A; 0.2 g to 1 g of wetting supplement B and the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water, but to achieve full fire-inhibiting effects impregnation is done with this solution through a process of exposure to a high-level vacuum -700 mmHg and a high pressure of 10-12 atmospheres where impregnation time depends on the type of the impregnated material. 3. A process for obtaining agents for fire-inhibiting impregnation of porous materials and depth fire extinction of the so-called smoulder fires on peatland, in coal and communal waste depots, according to claim 1 , is characterized by the mixture concerned for the impregnation of wood and wood products to attain non-flammability is made of a solution of the following composition: 100 g to 400 g MgCl2*6H20; 0.5 g to 10 g of wetting agent A; 0.2 g to 1 g of wetting supplement B and the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water, whereas wood objects, which have to be without any coating, are immersed in the solution made of the components in the above proportions and are kept there for 24 hours, and where after that time, they are taken out of the solution and dried at room temperature with no forced ventilation. 4. A process for obtaining agents for fire-inhibiting impregnation of porous materials and depth fire extinction of the so-called smoulder fires on peat land, in coal and communal waste depots, according to claim 1, is characterized by the mixture concerned for the impregnation of paper, cardboard and textile of natural fibers to attain non-flammability is made of a solution of the following composition: 50 g to 300 g MgCl2*6H20; 0.1 g to 3 of wetting agent A; 0.1 g to 0.5 g of wetting supplement B and the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water, where impregnation is done when the above raw materials are immersed in the described solution for 5 minutes, and thereafter are taken out and dried at room temperature with no forced ventilation. 5. A process for obtaining agents for fire-inhibiting impregnation of porous materials and depth fire extinction of the so-called smoulder fires on peat land, in coal and communal waste depots, according to claim 1 , is characterized by depth fire extinction of smoulder fires on peat land, in coal and communal waste depots uses a solution of the following composition: 50 g to 300 g MgCl2*6H20; 0.1 g to 3 g of wetting agent A; 0.1 g to 0.5 g of wetting supplement B and the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water, whereas the solution treating the terrain and material, according to this example, is obtained when the above components in the above mass proportions are mixed with water directly before the fire-inhibiting agent is sent to the place of fire. |
POROUS MATERIALS AND DEPTH FIRE EXTINCTION OF THE SO-CALLED SMOULDER FIRES ON PEAT LAND, IN COAL AND COMMUNAL WASTE DEPOTS
TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject of this invention, generally observed, relates to the field of chemistry and specifically relates to chemical mixtures dissolved in water. These are used for fire protection impregnation of materials for protection or reduction of fire hazard.
According to the International patent classification (Int.Cl 7 ) the subject of this invention has been classified and marked with the following classification symbols:
- C 07F 9/12;
- C 09K 21/12 ;
- C 09K 21/00 ;
- B27M 9/00
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
The technical problem resolved with this invention consists of the following: how to accomplish a process for obtaining agents for fire inhibiting impregnation of wood, wood products, packaging corrugated cardboard, natural textile materials and other solid porous materials, which can also be used effectively for depth extinction of the so-called smoulder fires on peat land, in coal and communal waste depots and the very process of obtaining this agent and its application should be fully harmless for human beings, flora and fauna and economically acceptable for extensive use. BACKGROUND ART
In a large number of countries, especially in highly developed industrial countries, legislation has long been introduced demanding application of fire protection materials in all spheres of human life and work. This is particularly evident in civil engineering that requires application of fire protection wood impregnated products: wood structures (boards, beams, roof supports, etc.), building woodwork (doors, windows, partition walls, etc.), and wood pre-fabricated buildings (industrial and housing) and log cabins. This is also required in furniture industry: wood elements for furniture making (for households, hotels and other tourist facilities, business premises, etc.), parquet flooring, decking and paneling - all kinds, etc.
The process of burning has been defined as a chemical process when the burning substance is chemically mixed with oxygen that results in the release of heat and appearance of flame.
The burning process is directly connected with the move of molecules in the substance and depends on the distance between them and their mutual force of attraction, the so-called cohesion forces. It is known that those forces are most powerful in solid bodies and least powerful in gasses. This is why we say that molecules of solid bodies "quiver", or move in an oscillatory manner. It can be concluded that the heat brought to a body actually affects the change of molecule movement speed in this body, it rises. Heat elimination from a body, likewise, lowers the speed of molecules in it. The value that characterizes internal kinetic energy of a substance is called temperature. The following is necessary for the burning process: presence of the substance that burns (burning substance), presence of the substance encouraging burning (oxygen) and heat energy for reaching ignition temperature of the burning substance. If we eliminate any of those conditions or lower their presence, possibilities of fires are considerably reduced, combustion becomes incomplete and fire hazard is reduced to a minimum.
Review of the available patent documentation, professional literature and marketing material by specialized companies for the manufacturing of fire extinction agents that have preventive fire effects and slow down burning, has led to the following:
EP 1156092 of the inventors . Garcia Fernando Pieroni Armanda.and Bartolomei Carlo Alfreda disclose a solution for the manufacturing of glues that could be used as a coating material generating fireproof characteristics and containing MgCl 2 . CN 1139626 of the Chinese inventor Fan Hongfei disclose a technical solution containing MgCl 2 and MgO which are mixed with a 5% solution aluminum silicate and this produces resin or rubber serving for coating in order to get fireproof characteristics. This solution is characteristic for its simple process and low prices, but it is not used in those cases when the matter coated should retain its earlier esthetic properties.
JP 3170325 of the company Mitsubishi Materials Corp. shows a technical solution of obtaining resins and materials for filling fireproof barrier cavities that also contains MgCl 2 and Mg(OH) 2 that are characteristic for their stability and possibility of being stored over a long period of time.
Based on the longtime testing of materials containing MgCl 2 the authors have discovered a new agent that does not require the making of the so-called coatings (varnishes, rubbers, resins, etc.) but the desired fireproof properties are created through a process of integration on treated materials.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The fundamental nature of this invention is that according to the author's idea the mixture that has been obtained by invented process easily dissolves in water and such solution is deposited on the substance to be protected from fire and then it undergoes the process of impregnation in autoclaves. According to this invention the process of impregnation has the following phases:
- Connecting the workspace in the autoclave with a high-pressure pump and exposure of the treated material to high pressure;
- Emptying of the workspace by eliminating the mixture through the drain valve at the bottom of the autoclave;
- Repeated connection of the workspace in the autoclave to the vacuum pump and exposure of the treated material to vacuum for the length of time depending on the kind of material;
- Taking materials for treating into autoclaves and determining vacuum levels in workspace;
- Determining time of exposure to vacuum depending on the kind of material to be impregnated:
- Treating material with the mixture according to the invention; - Bringing the pressure in the autoclave to the level of the atmospheric pressure.
Following this process the surface of the treated substance becomes fireproof due to the hygroscopic layer that remains on the surface of the matter for a long time and also all along its depth. This establishes a dynamic balance between absorption of humidity from the air and water evaporation from the whole treated substance.
In cases when the treated substance is porous and hygroscopic, by depositing the mixture according to the invention, absorption occurs of the prepared solution along the whole surface and depth of the treated substance. Due to this, the effect of the mixture is made even longer and in this case the deposited solution layer acts as an inhibitor and permanently slows the burning process down.
The invention is also characteristic because the mixture, according to the invention, is effectively used in the form of a water solution or foam for fire extinguishing of solid and flammable matters, wood, paper, textile, and coal and similar. It is important that during storage and use it does not produce any poisonous by-products. It is also important that the fire extinguishing solution, according to this invention, can be also used at very low temperatures due to its lower freezing point.
The fundamental nature of this invention is also the fact that the mixture dissolved in water has a stronger wetting power and such water is the so-called "wet water" or "penetrating water" that can penetrate to the smallest pores of the burning substance and this increases the effectiveness of flame extinction especially in cases when it is necessary to extinguish the fire substance in the depth of material layers so that the fire- fighting agent reaches the source of fire more easily.
It should be particularly mentioned that a considerably smaller quantity of water is needed for fire extinction according to this invention in comparison to the quantity of water used during the standard fire extinguishing. Also, the solution of this agent has a greater power of spill over the surface caught by fire.
The novelty in this invention is that it can be successfully used to put out large forest fires, or prevent their spreading. This solution, according to the invention, is particularly effective in flame extinguishing in large areas. Barriers, which have specific widths and would be formed in the direction of the widening of those areas by treating the areas that are not under fire, would be fire-fighting buffer zones that would fully prevent flame spreading or, in case of extremely bad conditions, they would much reduce it or slow it down. In the regions where fires are expected, preventive placement of the agent, according to the invention, on most threatened localities would downgrade the outbreak of fires to a minimum.
The actual principle of fire extinction with this agent is reflected in the following: the substance affected by fire, which is treated with this agent, gets cooler as heat is eliminated all the way under the ignition point and the further burning process stops. Water from the solution passes from the liquid to the gaseous state, covers the burning substance and prevents, partially or fully, penetration of oxygen from the air and causes quenching that stops further burning. It is well known that complete evaporation of 1 / of water forms around 1700/ of water vapor that covers up the burning matter in the form of vapor cover. This reduces air circuit and access of oxygen and the additional effect of fire extinction is thus achieved. The passing of water from the solution to vapor takes place at an evaporation temperature of around 100°C and this means that the burning substance will have a constant temperature of 100°C until it fully evaporates.
The solution, according to the invention, can be used as foam consisting of bubbles whose membrane is made of the solution - emulsion whereas the interior is filled with air. Such foam is called air foam and is formed in one of the well known ways in two phases. The first phase, according to the invention, includes the forming of the solution and the second phase comprises the forming of foam from the obtained solution by means of comet tubes (foam nozzles; movable and fixed, throwers - monitors, or foam generators). Foam formed from the solution, according to the invention, has stability within certain limits and this means that it is stable for a short time. Experiments have established that the solution has strength not to prevent the improved properties of flow and slipping. This increases chances of success during fire extinguishing.
This invention has a number of advantages by comparison with earlier well known technical solutions that similarly deal with the problem of retard influence on the burning process and with the finding of special substances that can achieve quicker, safer and more effective fire extinguishing in class "A". The most important advantages are as follows:It is ecologically absolutely acceptable because during heating and evaporation it does not develop any matters dangerous or hazardous for the health of people, animals and flora;
It is stable at all temperatures (- 10°C to 40°C) that makes it applicable in almost any climate conditions;
It can be used in all three ways in the form of water solution (as full jet, scattered jet or mist) so that it can be used both as a cooling or blocking means as needed; Due to smaller water resistance in pipes, molecules MgCl 2 reduce intensity of pulsations in the layer of water closest to the wall of the pipe through which the solution flows and this results in the so-called "slipping liquid" effect. This allows almost a double jet range (it is well known that the jet range under a specific pressure is one of the parameters defining quality of the fire extinguishing liquid);
When it is used as foam it is an exceptionally reliable fire extinguishing agent;
Following area treatment there is no hard crust and dust becomes hygroscopic and remains permanently on the land;
Low cost of production and simple application of all known standard means that used water as a fire extinguishing agent.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
It is known that burning of any substance will stop when any of the conditions necessary for combustion is eliminated. It is also known that the effects of firefighting agents could be the following:
- Quenching (when the firefighting substance is thrown in the center of fire in the form of gas, mist or foam and covers the burning surface and prevents partial or full access to oxygen from the air. This action eliminates one of the conditions causing burning);
- Cooling (the firefighting agent eliminating heat from the burning substance is brought in the center of fire and at the moment when the temperature of the burning substance gets lower than the ignition temperature, the burning process automatically stops);
- Anticatalytic (that results from the ability of the firefighting agent to act in the burning process in such a way as to prevent oxidation of the burning substance with oxygen.
The author's fundamental idea, which has been concretized through this invention, is based on discovering such an extinguishing agent that would to a smaller or greater extent have influence on all three extinguishing effects allowing at the same time efficient fire extinguishing in class "A". The starting point in the realization of this idea was the fact that the most widespread and equally exceptionally effective agent for fire extinguishing of those fires is water. It represents a basis for obtaining a large number of new extinguishing agents, chemical and air foam first of all. Its principle of performance has been used for fire extinguishing with the solution according to the invention.
When thrown in the center of fire, it covers the burning surface and eliminates (cools) heat. When passing from the liquid to gaseous state water covers the area around the burning substance and prevents infiltration of oxygen from the air. It has a quenching effect on fire.
By adding the mixture to water, according to the invention, whose basis is made of MgCl 2 and a specific wetting agent, you get a solution that almost instantaneously covers any material with a very thin layer after that material has been treated with this solution. A dynamic balance is thus established between absorption of humidity from the air and evaporation of water from the treated surface. When solid materials are concerned, this solution easily and instantaneously covers, with a very thin layer, any pore and particle on its external surfaces and establishes a dynamic balance between absorption of humidity from the air and evaporation of water from treated surfaces, pores or particles. In this way, flammable materials on their surface, or rather on their pores, constantly retain the necessary quantity of humidity that successfully prevents such material from being ignited. In case of long heat retention it acts as a retardant on it.
A thin but a compact dissolution layer, according to the invention, which is deposited on a specific flammable matter, effectively prevents inflow of oxygen necessary for the beginning of flame and the burning process and in this way prevents the appearance and development of fire, actually it leads to its disappearance.
Based on long laboratory and practical testing, it has been noticed that the solution should be quantitatively and qualitatively changed or rather adjusted depending on its purpose in fire fighting so as to achieve as good results as possible and better effectiveness.
In order to better understand this invention and to show its practical use, this description explains the methods of use of the "A" category fire fighting agent, fire prevention of "A" category and impregnation of objects made of wood, paper, cardboard and natural fiber textiles in order to become non-inflammable and achieve the properties of an effective retardant.
Fire protection agent of "A " category (solid porous materials: wood, rubber, plastics, paper, cardboard, textile, textile dust, coal, dry plant coal dust, plant residue, etc.) is a solution of the following composition: - 150 g MgCl 2 *6H 2 0,
- 1 g to 15 g of wetting agent A,
- 0.5 g to 2 g of wetting supplement B,
- the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water.
Fire extinction with a solution obtained by simple mixing of the above components in water for 15 minutes is performed in one of the known ways (full jet, sprayed jet or water mist). The jet shape, pressure for generating enough quantity of water mist and the power of pumps for distant throwing of solutions from the tanks are determined by practical field requirements. It is necessary to mention that this solution cannot put out fires where the burning matter is under electrical voltage and fires of Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, etc., or when there is quick lime, sulphur and alkali matter on the surface affected by fire.
Following the fire extinction with the solution described in this example, treated material retains moisture for a long time and it prevents residual fires (subsequent flames from insufficiently quenched centers).
Fire protection agent used to prevent fires of category "A " (solid porous materials: wood, rubber, plastics, paper, cardboard, textile, textile dust, coal, dry plant coal dust, plant residue, etc.) is a solution of the following composition:
- 100 g-350 g MgCl 2 *6H 2 0,
- 0.5 g to 10 g of wetting agent A,
- 0.2 g to 1 g of wetting supplement B,
- the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water.
Prevention of firing solid porous materials and dust is done when surfaces of those materials or dust are treated with a solution obtained by a simple mixing of the above components with water, according to this example, in some known way and with a well known device. After a certain time, depending on ambience conditions, the surplus of moisture from treated areas evaporates and in their pores a sufficient quantity of moisture remains permanently and makes treated areas hardly flammable.
Fire protection impregnation of wood and wooden products
Despite the rapid development of technology that has led to the substitution of a large number of natural materials including wood, it has still remained an irreplaceable raw material that is most broadly used today for furniture making, in civil engineering, for making objects of art, as heating material, etc. Today, wood, after having been cut, is dried in a natural manner (slowly) or artificially (more quickly) and is used as pieces of wood, veneer, panel, plywood, etc. Wood is material that in nature mostly accounts for as flammable matter in fires. The agent used for wood impregnation to acquire the property of inflammability is the following composition:
- 100 g to 400 g MgCl 2 *6H 2 0,
- 0.5 g to 10 g of wetting agent A,
- 0.2 g to 1 g of wetting supplement B,
- the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water.
Fire protection impregnation of semi finished products and ready made products of all kinds of hard and soft wood (deciduous trees and conifers) such as chestnut, oak, ash, beech, elm, poplar, nut fruit, fir tree, juniper and pine tree is carried out with the subject mixture in autoclaves under a well established procedure. Application of autoclaves performs a subsurface structural fire protection wood impregnation that also allows further treatment of semi-finished wooden products and finished products when all properties of fire protection impregnation have been retained. Effective use of the mixture concerned in subsurface structural fire protection impregnation of all kinds of hard wood is done in autoclaves.
In addition to subsurface fire protection, fungicide and insecticide protection and UV radiation protection are also achieved by applying this mixture. In accordance with practical testing, best results in subsurface fire protection impregnation of conifers are achieved in trees with a relative moisture up to 15 % whereas subsurface fire protection impregnation of deciduous (hard) trees is achieved with the moisture content between 18% and 30%. Actually, most successful fire protection impregnation is achieved with the moisture content between 20% and 25%. With such percent moisture content in conifers, it is not possible to perform effect subsurface fire protection as this protection is formed on a thin surface layer of wood of several millimeters only.
Treatment of fire protection impregnation can be easily performed in plants with the following installations:
Autoclave that can endure a high-level vacuum -700 mmHg and a pressure of 10-12 atmospheres,
Pool or tank for the storage of the subject mixture,
- Vacuum pump and High-pressure pump.
The process of wood fire protection impregnation with the mixture concerned in the autoclave is done with the following method:
Wood to be impregnated for fire protection is brought into the autoclave;
Internal size of the autoclave is connected to the vacuum pump and specifies the value of vacuum inside the autoclave;
Period of vacuum continuation varies depending on needs and it can last from 30 minutes to 80 minutes;
Subject mixture is brought in the autoclave;
Connection of the internal autoclave size to the high-pressure pump and maintenance of the pressure inside the autoclave that can vary between 30 and 160 minutes pursuant to needs.;
Carrying away the subject mixture through the exhaust valve at the autoclave bottom;
Repeated connection of the autoclave size to the vacuum pump inside the autoclave that can vary between 20 and 45 minutes pursuant to needs;
Bringing the pressure in the autoclave to the level of the atmospheric pressure.
Following treatment in the autoclave, fire protection impregnated wood must be dried to the planned quantity of moisture. This drying process can be done naturally or forcibly (in drying chambers). After evaporation of water surplus, active components of the mixture concerned remain permanently bonded to the whole wood structure - on the surface and in subsurface.
As the above process in the autoclave and the drying process have fully performed the subsurface wood structural fire protection impregnation, the wood so treated can be cut, sawed or in any other way treated pursuant to the needs, with no exposed surfaces left untreated.
It is necessary to mention that the wood treated with the above solution is of a considerably better quality as it constantly retains the planned moisture for a long time. The wood, thus, does not get deformed which usually accompanies wood drying.
Fire protection impregnation of paper, cardboard and textile of natural fibers The agent used to impregnate paper, cardboard and textile of natural fibers, which considerably improves non-flammability of those materials, is the solution of the following composition: - 50 g to 300 g MgCl 2 *6H 2 0,
- 0.1 g to 3 g of wetting agent A,
- 0.1 g to 0.5 g of wetting supplement B,
- the rest of the solution to a mass of 1 kg is water.
Impregnation is done when the raw materials are immersed in the solution made of components combined in the quoted mass proportions, according to this example, for the duration of 5 minutes. After this period of time, they are taken out and dried naturally at room temperature. The materials impregnated in this manner fully retain their properties as at the time before impregnation. They have only gained the property of non- flammability through the above process.
When impregnation for certain reasons is not possible by immersion in the solution, according to this example, the laying down of the solution on the above materials is possible by sprays or in some other well known manner of the lying down of the solution so that it is uniformly and compactly lain down on the whole treated surface.
Based on experimental testing the below table has been made with optimum quantities of solution spending for the impregnation of wood, cardboard, cotton and linen fabrics, paper and polystyrene.
TYPE OF MATERIAL RATE OF SOLUTION SPENDING
Wood - oak ~- - kg/m 3 (boards 2,5x100x1000 mm)
Wood - juniper ~ - - kg/m 3 - // -
Wood - poplar ~ - - kg/m 3 - // -
Wood - beech ~ - - kg/m 3 - // -
Cotton and linen fabric ~ - - kg/m 3 - // -
Corrugated cardboard ~ - - kg/m 3 - // -
Paper ~ - - kg/m 3 - // -
Polystyrene ~ - - kg/m 3 - // - The solution with this mixture is a transparent and colorless liquid of pleasant detergent odor. Its ph value is ph=6,74 and viscosity is determined by Engler's viscosity meter at 20° C an is η=1 ,19 x 10 "3 [Pa s], η=1,05Ε.
Figure 1 shows the results of worked times with calculated mean values of mass loss depending on the time of exposure to fire. Line A indicates the protected sample and line B indicates the non-protected sample. The diagram clearly shows that the change curve rises up to 7% over the time period of 4 minutes and after flame extinction it becomes constant.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
The industrial or any other method of obtaining and applying the wetting material agent to prevent or reduce danger of fire, according to this invention, is absolutely possible according to the parameters referred to in this description.
Experts in this area can easily implement the process for the manufacturing of the wetting material solution by using this description. It is necessary to mention that the solutions under this invention are ecological agents that are used without any damaging effects on the man and environment.
Any standard wetting agent on the market under various commercial brand names can be used as a wetting agent. Also, low foam wetting agents can be used, or rather alcoxylated oxo-alcohols C 13 - C 15 obtained by alcoholation of ethylene and propylene oxide or some other effective wetting agents.
Experiments have proved that those agents are hard to be homogenized and they are diluted in solutions MgCl 2 *6H 2 0, as well as in solutions of other earth alkyl halogenides of higher concentrates. After a certain period of time stratification occurs and the wetting agent floats on the surface of the rest of the solution. This is why it is necessary, each time before use, to mix the complete solution and homogenize it. In order to avoid it, the quoted examples use supplement B - isopropyl alcohol (CH 3 ) 2 CHOH that effectively removes this occurrence.
In accordance with good testing results concerning different materials, application of the invention concerned is recommended for "A" category fire extinction and prevention. Due to its good effectiveness it is particularly recommended for extinguishing large fires, or for prevention of fires on the localities where there is a major possibility of fires. Combination of different measures, construction of fire fighting zones and barriers in fire directions it is possible, by using the agent according to the invention especially if it is used with modern substances that are now used by fire departments, to prevent or considerably reduce fire effects. Use of the agent according to this invention allows an efficient fire fighting barrier that fully substitutes preventive (controlled) burning or clearing of areas, which, as a rule, has long-time damaging effects on the terrain where those measures have been applied.