Ignition-suppressing agent and manufacturing method therefor

Abstract

Provided are an ignition-suppressing agent having functions of suppressing and preventing fire occurrence, and a manufacturing method therefor. The ignition-suppressing agent has a porous particle structure which is formed by shaping a mixed powder containing waste glass powder and a foaming agent into a particulate form and then subjecting same to a foaming process, wherein the porous particle structure has a plurality of pores formed in the inner portion and on the surface thereof and includes an inert gas within the pores.

Description

Fire suppressant and method for producing the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire suppressant having a function of suppressing and preventing fire occurrence and a method for producing the same, and more specifically, to a fire suppressant capable of suppressing and preventing the ignition of a flammable material with a risk of rapid ignition, such as a spent battery, and a method for producing the same.

[0002] The recent rapid increase in the use of rechargeable secondary batteries has also increased the risk of fire. Lithium-ion batteries, widely used in electric vehicles, mobile phones, drones, and other devices, offer advantages in energy storage capacity and output. However, they are also known to carry a high risk of accidents caused by rapid overheating and explosion, known as thermal runaway.

[0003] In particular, the risk of ignition of these secondary batteries increases under various conditions, including internal short circuits, external impact, external heat sources, electrical abnormalities, and corrosion. Therefore, both new and used batteries require careful handling. Conventional fire prevention structures and fire extinguishing devices (e.g., Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0037664) have been unable to address the potential hazards of these highly flammable materials.

[0004] Meanwhile, other industrial facilities, such as solar power plants, also generate large amounts of waste, and various methods for their disposal are being explored. For example, the tempered glass used in solar panels can be melted down and recycled, or dismantled and reused in its original form. However, this does not necessarily limit the utilization of waste resources. Furthermore, technological development for fire suppression related to rapidly igniting materials, which has been on the rise recently, should also be considered.

[0005] This invention was developed with the support of a national research and development project, and information on the national research and development project supporting this invention is as follows.

[0006] Assignment ID: 2022003170

[0007] Assignment Number: 2022003170007

[0008] Ministry Name: Ministry of Environment

[0009] Project Management (Professional) Organization Name: Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute

[0010] Research Project Name: Green Innovation Enterprise Growth Support Program (Commercialization)

[0011] Research Project Name: Development of Resource Recycling Process Technology for Waste Solar Panels and Commercialization of the Technology

[0012] Project execution organization name: Wonkwang S&T Co., Ltd.

[0013] Research Period: April 1, 2022 - December 31, 2024

[0014] <Reference prior art literature>

[0015] (Patent Document 1) Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0037664, (March 22, 2024)

[0016] The technical task of the present invention, which was developed to solve these problems, is to provide a fire suppressant capable of suppressing and preventing the ignition of flammable materials with a risk of rapid ignition, such as waste batteries, and a method for producing the same, and at the same time, to provide a technology for more effective utilization of waste resources (such as tempered glass from waste solar panels). In addition, the present invention provides a fire suppressant and a method for producing the same, which prevent fires in flammable materials with a risk of rapid ignition by controlling ignition conditions rather than extinguishing the fire after it has occurred, thereby suppressing the ignition itself.

[0017] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0018] The fire suppressant according to the present invention is a fire suppressant in which a mixed powder containing waste glass powder and a foaming agent is formed into particles and then a porous particle structure is formed through a foaming process, wherein the porous particle structure has a plurality of pores formed on the inside and the surface, and contains an inert gas inside the pores.

[0019] The above inert gas can be fixed inside the pores by physical adsorption.

[0020] The above pores can be formed to have a size 1.5 to 10 times the molecular size of the inert gas.

[0021] The above inert gas is nitrogen, and the size of the pores may be 0.5 to 4 nm.

[0022] The above porous particle structure can maintain the oxygen concentration inside the pores within 10%.

[0023] The above porous particle structure may include a first particle structure in which the internal pore structures are independently formed to form an independent pore structure with the pores separated from each other, and a second particle structure in which the internal pore structures are connected to each other to form a connected pore structure in which the pores are connected to each other.

[0024] The above inert gas can be fixed to the second particle structure by physical adsorption.

[0025] The first particle structure and the second particle structure are formed to have different sizes and can be mixed with each other to form the porous particle structure.

[0026] The method for manufacturing a fire retardant according to the present invention comprises the steps of: forming a mixed powder by mixing waste glass powder and a blowing agent; combining the mixed powder to form a non-porous particle body in the form of particles; heating the non-porous particle body to form a porous particle structure having a plurality of pores formed on the inside and surface; and adsorbing an inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure.

[0027] The step of adsorbing the inert gas may include a step of positioning the porous particle structure inside a vacuum chamber and maintaining the inside of the vacuum chamber in a vacuum state, and a step of injecting the inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure by injecting the inert gas into the inside of the vacuum chamber in a vacuum state.

[0028] The step of forming the above porous particle structure can form the size of the pores of the porous particle structure to be 1.5 to 10 times the molecular size of the inert gas.

[0029] The above inert gas is nitrogen, and the size of the pores may be 0.5 to 4 nm.

[0030] The step of adsorbing the above inert gas can maintain the oxygen concentration inside the pores of the porous particle structure to within 10%.

[0031] The step of forming the above porous particle structure may include a step of forming a first particle structure in which the internal pore structures are independently formed to form an independent pore structure with the pores separated from each other, and a step of including a second particle structure in which the internal pore structures are connected to each other to form a connected pore structure in which the pores are connected to each other.

[0032] The step of forming the above porous particle structure can be performed by forming the first particle structure and the second particle structure to have different sizes.

[0033] The step of adsorbing the above inert gas can adsorb the inert gas into the pores of the second particle structure.

[0034] Another method for manufacturing a fire retardant according to the present invention comprises the steps of recovering tempered glass from waste solar panels; forming glass powder by crushing the tempered glass; forming a mixed powder by mixing the glass powder and a blowing agent; forming the mixed powder in a slurry form and solidifying it in a droplet form to form a nonporous particle body in a particle form; heating the nonporous particle body to form a porous particle structure having a plurality of pores formed on the inside and the surface; and adsorbing an inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure, wherein the step of forming the porous particle structure forms the pores of the porous particle structure to have a size of 1.5 to 10 times the molecular size of the inert gas, and maintains an oxygen concentration inside the pores of the porous particle structure to be 10% or less.

[0035] The step of forming the above porous particle structure may include a step of forming a first particle structure in which the internal pore structures are independently formed to form an independent pore structure with the pores separated from each other, and a step of including a second particle structure in which the internal pore structures are connected to each other to form a connected pore structure in which the pores are connected to each other.

[0036] The step of forming the above porous particle structure can be performed by forming the first particle structure and the second particle structure to have different sizes.

[0037] The step of adsorbing the above inert gas can adsorb the inert gas into the pores of the second particle structure.

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively suppress and prevent the ignition of flammable materials with a risk of rapid ignition, such as waste batteries. The present invention prevents fires in flammable materials with a risk of rapid ignition by controlling ignition conditions through the material properties of the ignition suppressant itself, thereby suppressing ignition. Therefore, it is an effective alternative even in situations where separate fire extinguishing equipment is difficult to install. When combined with fire extinguishing equipment, it can create a synergistic fire prevention effect that is effective in both suppressing and extinguishing fires. Furthermore, since there are no specific restrictions on the application of the ignition suppressant, it can be used universally in various situations. Moreover, it also provides a technology for more effective utilization of waste resources (such as tempered glass from waste solar panels), thereby being effective in terms of resource recycling and environmental conservation.

[0039] Figure 1 is an example of applying a fire suppressant according to the present invention to transporting waste batteries.

[0040] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal pore structure of the fire suppressant granules (porous particle structure) of Figure 1.

[0041] Figure 3 is an operational diagram showing the inert gas discharge action by heat of each porous particle structure of Figure 2.

[0042] Figure 4 is an operational diagram showing the discharge action of an inert gas for the porous particle structure laminated structure of Figure 3.

[0043] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the fire suppression action of the present invention in the event of a fire.

[0044] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a fire suppressant according to the present invention.

[0045] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another method for manufacturing a fire suppressant according to the present invention.

[0046] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined solely by the claims. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0047] Hereinafter, a fire suppressant and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. First, the fire suppressant will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, and then, based on the description, a method for manufacturing the fire suppressant will be described in detail in at least two specific forms.

[0048] The fire suppressant of the present invention may be particles having a diameter of several to several tens of millimeters, and the pores may be in the nanometer range, so the size of the pores may be exaggerated in the drawings. The size and shape of the gas molecules may also be exaggerated and simplified in the drawings for effective explanation.

[0049] Fig. 1 is an example of applying a fire suppressant according to the present invention to transport waste batteries, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal pore structure of the fire suppressant granules (porous particle structure) of Fig. 1.

[0050] Referring to Fig. 1, the fire suppressant (1) according to the present invention is composed of a porous particle structure (10, 20) in which a plurality of pores (101) are distributed on the surface and inside. The fire suppressant (1) may be a porous particle and can be loaded together with an ignition source (such as a spent battery) in a spent battery (A) transport container (B) to prevent fire. The fire suppressant (1) includes an inert gas contained inside the pores (101).

[0051] Referring to FIG. 2, the fire suppressant (1) includes an inert gas (100) (e.g., nitrogen) in a plurality of pores (101) distributed on the surface and inside of the porous particle structure (10, 20). The inert gas (100) molecules are fixed by physical adsorption inside the micropores (101) and are discharged from the pores (101) when heated, thereby blocking the space between the fire suppressants (1) and preventing the inflow of oxygen. Therefore, even if the temperature of the ignition body (such as a spent battery) rises to a temperature corresponding to the ignition point, the combustion conditions are not met, so ignition can be suppressed. According to the present invention, when the temperature rises, the inert gas (100) is automatically discharged from the ignition suppressant (1) covering the ignition body to seal the space around the ignition body (see FIG. 3), so that it is extremely effective in suppressing and / or extinguishing fire and is also easy to use.

[0052] The fire suppressant (1) of the present invention is configured as follows. The fire suppressant (1) is a fire suppressant (1) in which a mixed powder containing waste glass powder and a foaming agent is formed into a particle form and then a porous particle structure (10, 20) is formed through a foaming process, wherein the porous particle structure (10, 20) has a plurality of pores (101) formed on the inside and the surface and contains an inert gas (100) inside the pores (101). That is, the fire suppressant (1) of the present invention is formed as a porous particle structure (10, 20) in which an inert gas (100) is accommodated inside the pores (101).

[0053] The porous particle structure (10, 20) constituting the fire retardant (1) is made by regenerating waste glass powder, making it effective for resource recycling and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, since the interior is hollow due to the foaming process, it is lightweight and easy to handle.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the porous particle structure (10, 20) may be composed of two types. The porous particle structure (10, 20) may include a first particle structure (10) in which the internal pore structures are independently formed to form an independent pore structure in which the pores (101) are separated [see (b) of FIG. 2], and a second particle structure (20) in which the internal pore structures are connected to each other to form a connected pore structure in which the pores (101) are connected [see (a) of FIG. 2]. The first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) may be formed to have different sizes and may be mixed with each other to form the porous particle structure (10, 20). The fire suppressant (1) means including the porous particle structure (10, 20) and an inert gas (100) embedded in the particle structure. The first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) can control the capacity of the inert gas (100) by utilizing different pore structures, and can also provide an insulating effect that prevents heat transfer between the ignition source and the outside. Therefore, a more improved fire prevention effect can be expected. Hereinafter, the configuration and operational effects of the present invention will be described in more detail based on one embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] First, referring to Fig. 1, the porous particle structure (10, 20) constituting the fire suppressant (1) can be formed by mixing a first particle structure (10) and a second particle structure (20). The first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) have different sizes so that they can fill the empty space more effectively. For example, a first particle structure (10) having a smaller diameter than the second particle structure (20) having a relatively larger diameter can be inserted between the second particle structures (20) to minimize the empty space between the particle structures (see Fig. 4). The fire suppressant (1) can be loaded into a carrier (B) to shield the surrounding space of a ignition source such as a spent battery (A).

[0056] The first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) may be spherical or approximately spherical porous particles having a diameter of several millimeters to several tens of millimeters. However, the diameter of the particle structure can be adjusted if necessary, so the size need not be limited to the example. As described below, the size of each particle structure can be adjusted during the foaming process, and the internal pore structure can also be changed.

[0057] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) can be formed as a foam having a plurality of pores (101) on the surface and inside. The first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) can be formed from foamed glass, and, if necessary, may include other additives or mixtures in addition to glass. In particular, a particle structure having micropores (101) can be manufactured as an example by mixing waste glass powder (e.g., tempered glass powder recovered from waste solar panels, etc.) and a foaming agent, forming the mixture into a particle form (e.g., droplets), and then foaming at a high temperature (e.g., several hundred degrees Celsius).

[0058] The first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) may each have different pore structures. The pore (101) structure can be controlled in the foaming process and the process of mixing the foaming agent and the glass powder, and the pore (101) structure and the size of each particle structure can be controlled by controlling the amount of the foaming agent, the mixing time and speed of the foaming agent, the adjustment of the additives, the foaming temperature, the heating speed, the foaming time and cooling temperature, the cooling speed, and the cooling time. As illustrated, the first particle structure (10) may have internal pore (101) structures that are independently formed to form independent pore (101) structures in which the pores (101) are separated from each other, and the diameter may be relatively small. The second particle structure (20) may have internal pore (101) structures that are interconnected to form connected pore (101) structures in which the pores (101) are connected, and the diameter may be relatively large. Therefore, they can have different physical properties due to differences in pores (101).

[0059] The first particle structure (10) can have excellent insulation performance due to the independent pore (101) structure. That is, the independent pores (101) that are empty inside and separated from each other can act as an insulation layer to improve the insulation effect. Therefore, in a situation where there is a possibility of fire, heat transmission from a source of fire (e.g., a spent battery, etc.) to the outside can be suppressed through heat blocking using the first particle structure (10) (or vice versa). The first particle structure (10) can also partially include an inert gas (100) in the pores (101) formed on the surface, so that the inert gas (100) can be discharged under high temperature conditions.

[0060] The second particle structure (20) allows the inert gas (100) to more easily penetrate into the interior due to the interconnected pore (101) structure in which the pores (101) are interconnected. Therefore, since the capacity to accommodate the inert gas (100) is large, it functions as a storage for the inert gas (100). In fact, most of the inert gas (100) contained in the fire suppressant (1) can be stored in the second particle structure (20). The inert gas (100) can be fixed by physical adsorption in the interior of the second particle structure (20). Since the second particle structure (20) has a large diameter, the amount of pores (101) also increases dramatically, and since these pores have a interconnected pore (101) structure, it is extremely advantageous for capturing the inert gas (100). An inert gas (100) can be injected into the pores (101) of the particle structure through a pressure-induced injection process inside a vacuum chamber or a decompression chamber. The manufacturing process will be described in detail later.

[0061] The first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) have different diameters and can be separated using a sieve or the like. In particular, the concentration of the inert gas (100) can be continuously maintained by separating the second particle structure (20) that mainly captures the inert gas (100) and then reinjecting the inert gas (100). That is, the present invention is economical because it can be reused by recharging even after the inert gas (100) is discharged. In addition, the possibility of natural discharge of the inert gas (100) due to long-term use can be resolved by repeatedly recharging the second particle structure (20). If necessary, the first particle structure (100) and the second particle structure (20) can be formed so that they can be distinguished by color or the like in addition to size.

[0062] The size of the pores (101) of such porous particle structures (10, 20) may preferably be formed to be 1.5 to 10 times the molecular size of the inert gas (100) accommodated in the pores. More preferably, the inert gas (100) may be nitrogen, and the size of the pores (101) may be approximately 0.5 to 4 nm. Since the size of a nitrogen molecule is known to be approximately 3.6 angstroms (1 angstrom = 0.1 nm), the interaction between the nitrogen molecules and the particle structure can be increased with the size of the pores (101), so that the nitrogen molecules can be effectively fixed to the pores (101). If the pores are smaller than the above range, it may be difficult to capture inert gas (e.g., nitrogen) molecules, and if the pores are larger than the above range, it may be difficult to fix inert gas molecules, so it is highly preferable to apply pores (101) with a size within the above range.

[0063] The inert gas (100) can be fixed within the pores (101) by physical adsorption. For example, adsorption can be due to intermolecular attraction by van der Waals forces and can be enhanced by an increase in the interaction area within a porous structure with a large surface area. In addition, physical restraint by the porous structure of connected pores (101), adsorption to adsorption sites (e.g., micro-defect sites) formed on the surface or inside of the porous particle structure (10, 20) as a foam, etc. are also possible, so the inert gas within the pores (101) can be fixed in various ways including these. Since the inert gas (100) cannot easily escape once fixed within the pores until sufficient thermal energy is supplied, it can be utilized as a fire suppressant (1) in various situations. As described above, an inert gas (100) can be injected in large quantities into the connected pores (101) of the second particle structure (20) having a connected pore (101) structure.

[0064] Since the internal pores (101) of the porous particle structure (10, 20) are filled with an inert gas (100), the oxygen concentration inside the pores (101) can be substantially less than 10%. That is, the oxygen concentration inside the pores of the particle structure can be reduced by injecting an inert gas. This oxygen concentration is lower than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere (approximately 20%) and generally falls short of the conditions for maintaining combustion (e.g., an oxygen concentration of 15 to 16%), so it is extremely effective in suppressing ignition.

[0065] Such a fire suppressant (1) is made of a non-combustible material (molded from waste glass powder) and has a porous particle structure (10, 20) with a large number of pores (101) formed inside, so it is light, and not only does the oxygen concentration level be as low as 10% or less, but it also has an inert gas (100) that can be automatically discharged built into the pores (101) (particularly, the connecting pores of the second particle structure), so it can effectively suppress the ignition of a flammable material (e.g., waste batteries, etc.) in a situation where there is a risk of fire, as follows. The action and effect of the fire suppressant will be described in more detail below.

[0066] FIG. 3 is an operational diagram showing the inert gas discharge action by heat of each porous particle structure of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an operational diagram showing the inert gas discharge action for the porous particle structure laminated structure of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a usage diagram showing the fire suppression action of the present invention in case of a fire.

[0067] First, referring to FIG. 3, when heat (H) (e.g., heat generation due to an abnormality in a spent battery) is applied from the outside to the fire suppressant (1) of the present invention, the inert gas (100) inside expands (or increases in volume due to molecular motion of the gas) and escapes from the pores (101). The discharge temperature of the inert gas (100) is suitably lower than the ignition point of the ignition source (e.g., spent battery). In particular, when the temperature rises, a large number of inert gas (100) molecules that were fixed by physisorption in the second particle structure (20) having connected pores (101) are discharged out of the pores (101) and penetrate into the space around the fire suppressant (1), and at the same time, the first particle structure (10) blocks heat transfer around the ignition source with the insulating effect of the independent pore (101) structure, thereby preventing fire in another way. It is also possible to partially discharge the inert gas (100) from some of the first particle structures (10) to increase the concentration of the inert gas (100). That is, the present invention more effectively suppresses ignition and fire spread by combining the self-effect of the inert gas (100) discharged from the second particle structure (20) and the insulating effect of the first particle structure (10).

[0068] Referring to FIG. 4, this action can occur simultaneously in the entire stacked structure of the first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) that are stacked on top of each other. That is, as in (a) of FIG. 4, the mixture of the first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) that are stacked in a dense state effectively blocks the inflow of oxygen by itself because the large particle structure [the second particle structure (20)] and the small particle structure [the first particle structure (10)] are mixed to eliminate empty space, but when the ignition source (such as an internal abnormality of a spent battery) is overheated and heat (H) is transferred, as in (b) of FIG. 4, the inert gas (100) is discharged due to the temperature increase, and all the microscopic spaces between the particles are filled with the inert gas (100) without any gaps. Therefore, since it is impossible for oxygen (or air containing it) to actually enter the internal space covered with the fire suppressant (1) (the internal space where the ignition source is protected), fire is prevented extremely effectively.

[0069] This ignition suppression effect can be confirmed more specifically in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 illustrates a situation in which a spent battery (A) (incendant) loaded inside a carrier (B) is overheated. In a normal case, when the spent battery (A) overheats (e.g., due to various factors such as internal short circuit, external impact, external heat source, electrical abnormality, corrosion, etc.), thermal runaway cannot be prevented, easily leading to a large fire. However, the ignition suppressant (1) of the present invention surrounds the internal ignition (i.e., spent battery) on all sides to block the inflow of oxygen, thereby suppressing ignition. That is, the inert gas (100) (e.g., nitrogen) discharged from the pore (101) penetrates between the mixture of the first particle structure (10) and the second particle structure (20) to completely block even the minute oxygen inflow space, and the inert gas (100) discharged to the space between the carrier (B) and the cover (B1) forms a substantial inert gas (100) layer to generate positive pressure and block the inflow of oxygen, so that the inflow of oxygen toward the spent battery (A) is substantially eliminated. Therefore, even if the spent battery (A) is overheated to near the ignition point, the ignition of the spent battery (A) can be suppressed.

[0070] In addition, the first particle structure (10) can prevent the surrounding temperature from rising due to the insulating effect of the independent pore structure [see 101 of Fig. 3(b)]. That is, even if the temperature of the waste battery (A) increases, the first particle structure (10) can block heat transfer and prevent heat from spreading around the source of fire (e.g., the waste battery). Therefore, even in a space where combustible materials are present, fire can be suppressed, preventing a major accident from occurring.

[0071] Therefore, the present invention can prevent ignition (or explosion accompanied therewith) of a waste battery (A) and suppress a fire by simultaneously blocking the inflow of oxygen to the ignition source and preventing heat diffusion to the surroundings. In this way, if the ignition inhibitor (1) of the present invention is placed around the ignition source, ignition of the ignition source can be suppressed, thereby drastically reducing the risk of a fire accident. Therefore, the present invention can prevent casualties and also prevent large-scale accidents in factories that handle hazardous materials with a high risk of ignition, such as waste batteries (A). In addition, since heat diffusion is blocked, a fire can be suppressed even in the presence of flammable materials, and since ignition of the ignition source is suppressed in this way, it can be of great help in extinguishing a fire.

[0072] As described below, the fire suppressant (1) of the present invention can be manufactured using waste resources. Therefore, it also benefits resource recycling and environmental conservation. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the method for manufacturing the fire suppressant of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0073] The manufacturing method described below is related to the method for manufacturing the aforementioned fire suppressant, so for matters related thereto, refer to the aforementioned matters without separate explanation.

[0074] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a fire suppressant according to the present invention.

[0075] First, referring to FIG. 6, the method for manufacturing a fire retardant of the present invention may include a step (S100) of mixing waste glass powder and a blowing agent to form a mixed powder, a step (S200) of combining the mixed powder to form a non-porous particle body in the form of particles, a step (S300) of heating the non-porous particle body to form a porous particle structure having a plurality of pores formed on the inside and the surface (see 10 and 20 of FIG. 1), and a step (S400) of adsorbing an inert gas (see 100 of FIG. 2) into the pores of the porous particle structure (see 101 of FIG. 2). Through these steps, waste glass can be recycled to manufacture a fire retardant (see 1 of FIG. 1) and supply it to various places. Each step is described in more detail as follows.

[0076] The raw material for the fire retardant is waste glass powder. Waste glass powder can be sourced from a variety of sources that handle waste glass, so there's no need to limit the source. In this example, the waste glass powder isn't limited to a single type; waste glass from one or more different processes can be mixed and used. Additives or mixtures can also be added to enhance physical and chemical properties, if necessary.

[0077] Waste glass powder should preferably be finely ground to a specific particle size using a grinder or similar device. A finer powder allows for the formation of finer pores during foaming, so the particle size of waste glass powder can be considered a variable controlling pore size. Taking this into account, waste glass powder can be processed to an appropriate size for use.

[0078] Mixing waste glass powder with a foaming agent (e.g., calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, etc.) forms a mixed powder. The foaming agent need not be limited to the examples (calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate), and various ingredients capable of foaming molten glass at high temperatures may be optionally and additionally used. Additives (such as substances that increase mechanical strength or enhance bonding properties) or mixtures may also be added, if necessary. In this manner, a mixed powder is formed by mixing waste glass powder and a foaming agent (S100).

[0079] Thereafter, the mixed powder is combined to form a non-porous particle in the form of particles (S200). The non-porous particle may be a molded product in an intermediate stage before foaming, and may be formed into a particle form by combining the mixed powder without foaming. For example, the mixed powder may be mixed with a solvent or binder to form a slurry, and then cooled in water or air to solidify into a droplet form. In this way, the mixed powder can be combined before foaming, and can be formed into a particle form through appropriate molding. In this way, the non-porous particle is formed first.

[0080] Thereafter, the non-porous particle body is heated to form a porous particle structure (see 10 and 20 in Fig. 1) having a large number of pores formed inside and on the surface (S300). The non-porous particle body can be foamed by controlling the foaming temperature, heating rate, and foaming time under high-temperature conditions, and can be solidified into a foamed state by cooling it by controlling the cooling temperature, cooling rate, and cooling time after foaming. In particular, since the pores (see 101 in Fig. 2) can be controlled on both sides of the preceding step (S100) of mixing the aforementioned foaming agent and glass powder and the subsequent foaming process, it is preferable to perform these processes under more appropriate conditions. In the aforementioned mixing process, the material properties can be controlled by controlling the particle size of the waste glass powder, the amount of the foaming agent, the mixing time and rate of the foaming agent, and the additives, and in the foaming process, the pores can be changed by controlling the foaming temperature, heating rate, foaming time, and cooling temperature, cooling rate, and cooling time.

[0081] For example, the foaming temperature can be between 700 and 900 degrees Celsius, and the foaming temperature, heating rate, and foaming time can be controlled by considering the amount of foaming agent mixed in the preceding process and the size of the pores finally formed. When a sufficient amount of foaming agent and foaming time are combined at a foaming temperature, the connected pore structure of the second particle structure (see 20 in FIG. 2) described above can be realized, and when a relatively short foaming time and a small amount of foaming agent are combined, the independent pore structure of the first particle structure (see 10 in FIG. 2) described above can be realized. Therefore, in the step of forming a porous particle structure (S300), separate molding of the first particle structure and the second particle structure is possible. That is, the step of forming a porous particle structure may include a step of forming a first particle structure in which the internal pore structures are independently formed to form an independent pore structure with the pores separated from each other [see 101 in Fig. 2(b)], and a step of forming a second particle structure in which the internal pore structures are connected to each other to form a connected pore structure with the pores connected to each other [see 101 in Fig. 2(a)]. In each step, the heating temperature, heating rate, and heating time may be different from each other.

[0082] In addition, since the amount of the foaming agent and the foaming time can affect the size of the particle structure after foaming in addition to the pore structure, it is also possible to form the first particle structure and the second particle structure with different sizes in the porous particle structure forming step [i.e., foaming process]. That is, the first particle structure can be formed to have a relatively small diameter together with the independent pore structure by reducing the foaming amount and time, and the second particle structure can be formed to have a relatively large diameter together with the connected pore structure by increasing the foaming amount and time. However, since the size of each particle structure can also be adjusted in the non-porous particle body (droplet, etc.) forming process (S200), it is desirable to organically adjust the two steps (S200, S300) to control the sizes of the first particle structure and the second particle structure.

[0083] In this porous particle structure forming step, the pores (see 101 in Fig. 2) can be adjusted to a size favorable for the physisorption of the inert gas as described above. That is, as described above, the pore size of the porous particle structure is preferably 1.5 to 10 times the size of the inert gas molecule adsorbed inside the pores, and more preferably, the inert gas is nitrogen and the pore size can be 0.5 to 4 nm. However, since the pore size may change correspondingly when the inert gas is changed, it is not necessary to understand the example in a limited manner. In this way, after adjusting the pores in the porous particle structure forming step, the inert gas can be adsorbed more effectively in the subsequent process.

[0084] Thereafter, an inert gas (see 100 in FIG. 2) is adsorbed into the pores of the porous particle structure (S400). Since the inert gas can be fixed inside the pores by physisorption as described above, a process of contacting the porous particle structure and the inert gas in the chamber under conditions favorable for adsorption can be used. For example, the step of adsorbing the inert gas may include a step of positioning the porous particle structure inside a vacuum chamber and maintaining the inside of the vacuum chamber in a vacuum state, and a step of injecting an inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure by injecting the inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure.

[0085] Hereinafter, a more detailed description thereof will be given. A vacuum chamber capable of forming a vacuum (not shown) may be a decompression chamber capable of reducing pressure to a vacuum state and may be equipped with a decompression mechanism (such as a vacuum pump). In addition, a controlled pipeline structure capable of introducing an inert gas in a decompression state (e.g., a transport pipe including a shut-off valve, etc.) may be included. In the chamber decomposed into a vacuum, a porous particle structure may be placed with its surface exposed using a tray, etc., and an inert gas may be sucked into such a chamber at a negative pressure to increase the density of the inert gas in the chamber. When the inert gas comes into contact with the porous particle structure (see 10 and 20 in FIG. 1) in a high concentration state for a sufficient period of time, the inert gas molecules may penetrate into the pores of the porous particle structure and be fixed by the physical adsorption described above. In particular, as described above, by allowing a large number of inert gas molecules to penetrate into the pores of the second particle structure (see 20 in Fig. 2) having a connected pore structure and adsorbing and fixing them, a larger amount of inert gas can be included in the fire suppression composition. However, since the first particle structure can also be additionally or together with the second particle structure and placed in a vacuum chamber to perform the adsorption process, it is necessary to understand that it is possible to include an inert gas in some of the pores (e.g., those formed on the surface) of the first particle structure (see 10 in Fig. 2).

[0086] However, since most inert gases are accommodated in the second particle structure having a connected pore structure in which a large number of pores are interconnected, in processes such as recharging to maintain the inert gas concentration of the fire suppressant (see 1 in Fig. 1), the desired effect can be achieved simply by separating and recharging only the second particle structure. Accordingly, the selection process for recharging can also be advantageous by distinguishing the sizes of the first and second particle structures.

[0087] In this way, when an inert gas is adsorbed inside the pores, most of the pores of the porous particle structure are filled with the inert gas, so the oxygen concentration inside the pores of the porous particle structure is reduced. That is, in the step of adsorbing the inert gas (S400), by injecting the inert gas into the pores, the oxygen concentration inside the pores can be maintained low to less than 10%, thereby suppressing the oxygen supply and preventing ignition. That is, in the inert gas adsorption process (S400), it is possible to manufacture a fire suppressant that extremely reduces the oxygen concentration inside the pores, lowering it even lower than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere (approximately 20%) and lowering it even lower than the conditions for maintaining combustion (e.g., oxygen concentration 15-16%). Therefore, the present invention can be more effective in fire suppression because it includes an inert gas and has a low oxygen concentration.

[0088] In this way, waste glass powder can be used to manufacture a fire retardant. Next, a method for manufacturing a fire retardant using tempered glass from solar panels is described in more detail.

[0089] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another method for manufacturing a fire suppressant according to the present invention.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 7, another method for manufacturing a fire suppressant according to the present invention is directly linked to the waste treatment process of solar panels. In such a case, the method for manufacturing a fire retardant includes a step of recovering tempered glass from waste solar panels (S1000), a step of forming glass powder by crushing the tempered glass (S2000), a step of forming a mixed powder by mixing the glass powder and a blowing agent (S3000), a step of forming the mixed powder into a slurry and solidifying it into a liquid crystal form to form a non-porous particle body in the form of particles (S4000), a step of heating the non-porous particle body to form a porous particle structure having a plurality of pores formed on the inside and the surface (S5000), and a step of adsorbing an inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure (S6000), wherein the step of forming the porous particle structure (S5000) forms the pores of the porous particle structure to have a size of 1.5 to 10 times the molecular size of the inert gas, and the oxygen concentration inside the pores of the porous particle structure can be maintained at 10% or less. These steps have similar and different aspects from the manufacturing method using the waste glass described above, so the differences will be described in more detail below through comparison with the above-described example.

[0091] First, tempered glass, which is the main material of the fire retardant, can be recovered from solar waste panels (discarded solar panels) provided from solar power generation facilities or waste solar power treatment facilities. Tempered glass (a protective glass plate applied to the front of solar panels) can be recovered without being crushed by using a peeling process using a scraper, and this process can be performed by a peeling device (not shown) equipped with a scraper. If the tempered glass has already been separated, the separated tempered glass can be provided directly. Since the manufacturing process of the present invention uses tempered glass recovered from waste solar panels, it can be combined with a waste solar power treatment process to directly manufacture a fire retardant using the recovered tempered glass. Therefore, by applying the present invention, it is possible to produce a fire retardant simultaneously with the waste solar panel treatment in a waste solar power treatment facility. In this way, tempered glass is first recovered from waste solar panels (S1000).

[0092] Thereafter, the recovered tempered glass is crushed into glass powder (S2000). Since tempered glass has high hardness, various types of crushing devices (e.g., double rollers) that crush the glass by applying pressure can be utilized. The crushed glass can then be finely divided into pieces using a grinder device, etc. that grinds and particles the glass pieces. As mentioned above, the particle size of the glass powder can affect the size and shape of the pores during foaming, so it may be desirable to finely grind the glass powder considering this. For this purpose, refer to the manufacturing method of the previous example and the description of the fire retardant described above.

[0093] Thereafter, glass powder and a foaming agent are mixed to form a mixed powder (S3000), the mixed powder is formed into a slurry and solidified into droplets to form a non-porous particle body in the form of particles (S4000). This step may be an intermediate step before foaming and may be substantially the same as the corresponding steps (S100, S200) of the aforementioned manufacturing method. Therefore, for related content, refer to the manufacturing method of the previous embodiment.

[0094] Thereafter, the non-porous particle body is heated to form a porous particle structure having a plurality of pores formed inside and on the surface (S5000), and an inert gas is adsorbed into the pores of the porous particle structure (S6000), and the size of the pores of the porous particle structure is formed to be 1.5 to 10 times the molecular size of the inert gas, and the oxygen concentration inside the pores of the porous particle structure is maintained within 10%. At this time, the porous particle structure forming step may include a first particle structure forming step in which the internal pore structures are independently formed to form an independent pore structure in which the pores are separated, and a second particle structure forming step in which the internal pore structures are connected to each other to form a connected pore structure in which the pores are connected, and the sizes of the first particle structure and the second particle structure may be formed differently. In addition, by adsorbing the inert gas into the pores of the second particle structure having the connected pore structure, a larger amount of the inert gas can be accommodated in the fire retardant. These steps are also substantially the same as the corresponding steps (S300, S400) of the manufacturing method described above, so the related contents refer to the manufacturing method of the previous embodiment.

[0095] That is, in the case of this embodiment, the difference is that the waste glass powder is formed from the tempered glass of waste solar panels, thereby organically linking and integrating the waste solar panel processing process and the manufacturing process of the fire inhibitor (see 1 in Fig. 1). This manufacturing method is very effective in preventing explosion accidents of flammable materials with a high risk of rapid ignition, such as secondary batteries, through the production of the fire inhibitor, while also processing waste solar panels, thereby exhibiting a synergistic effect that saves resources, saves lives from fire accidents, and protects related facilities. In this way, it is entirely possible to apply the present invention in a way that is directly linked to the waste solar panel processing process.

[0096] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical concept or essential features thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

[0097] [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1: Fire suppressant 10: First particle structure

[0099] 20: Second particle structure 101: Pores

[0100] 100: Inert gas A: Spent battery

[0101] B: Carrier B1: Cover

[0102] H: Heat

[0103] The present invention prevents fires in highly flammable materials by controlling ignition conditions through the material properties of the ignition inhibitor itself, making it an effective alternative even in situations where separate fire extinguishing equipment is difficult to install. Furthermore, when combined with fire extinguishing equipment, it can produce a synergistic fire prevention effect that is effective in both ignition suppression and extinguishment, making it particularly effective in suppressing and preventing ignition of materials at risk of rapid ignition, such as waste batteries. Therefore, the present invention has high applicability in battery-related fields and other industries handling various flammable materials.

Claims

1. In a fire retardant in which a mixed powder containing waste glass powder and a foaming agent is formed into a particle form and then a porous particle structure is formed through a foaming process, The above porous particle structure has a plurality of pores formed on the inside and the surface. A fire retardant containing an inert gas inside the pores.

2. In paragraph 1, The above inert gas is a fire retardant that is fixed inside the pores by physical adsorption.

3. In paragraph 2, The above pores are formed with a size 1.5 to 10 times larger than the molecular size of the inert gas.

4. In paragraph 3, The above inert gas is nitrogen, and the pore size is 0.5 to 4 nm.

5. In paragraph 1, The above porous particle structure is a fire retardant in which the oxygen concentration inside the pores is maintained at 10% or less.

6. In paragraph 1, The above porous particle structure is, A first particle structure in which the internal pore structure is formed independently to form an independent pore structure with the pores separated from each other, A fire retardant comprising a second particle structure in which internal pore structures are interconnected to form a connected pore structure in which the pores are connected to each other.

7. In paragraph 6, The above inert gas is a fire suppressant fixed to the second particle structure by physical adsorption.

8. In paragraph 7, A fire suppressant in which the first particle structure and the second particle structure are formed to have different sizes and are mixed together to form the porous particle structure.

9. A step of forming a mixed powder by mixing waste glass powder and a foaming agent; A step of combining the above mixed powders to form a non-porous particle body in the form of particles; A step of heating the non-porous particle body to form a porous particle structure having a plurality of pores formed on the inside and surface; and A method for producing a fire retardant, comprising a step of adsorbing an inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure.

10. In paragraph 9, The step of adsorbing the above inert gas is: A step of positioning the porous particle structure inside a vacuum chamber and maintaining the inside of the vacuum chamber in a vacuum state; A method for manufacturing a fire retardant, comprising a step of injecting an inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure by injecting the inert gas into the vacuum chamber in a vacuum state.

11. In paragraph 9, The step of forming the above porous particle structure is: A method for manufacturing a fire retardant by forming the pore size of the porous particle structure to be 1.5 to 10 times the molecular size of the inert gas.

12. In paragraph 11, A method for manufacturing a fire retardant in which the above inert gas is nitrogen and the pore size is 0.5 to 4 nm.

13. In paragraph 9, The step of adsorbing the above inert gas is: A method for producing a fire retardant that maintains the oxygen concentration inside the pores of the porous particle structure within 10%.

14. In paragraph 9, The step of forming the above porous particle structure is: A step of forming a first particle structure in which the internal pore structure is formed independently and an independent pore structure is formed in which the pores are separated from each other, A method for manufacturing a fire retardant, comprising a step of including a second particle structure in which internal pore structures are interconnected to form a connected pore structure in which the pores are connected to each other.

15. In paragraph 14, The step of forming the above porous particle structure is: A method for manufacturing a fire suppressant in which the sizes of the first particle structure and the second particle structure are formed differently from each other.

16. In paragraph 14, The step of adsorbing the above inert gas is: A method for producing a fire suppressant by adsorbing the inert gas into the pores of the second particle structure.

17. Step of recovering tempered glass from waste solar panels; A step of forming glass powder by crushing the above-mentioned tempered glass; A step of forming a mixed powder by mixing the above glass powder and a foaming agent; A step of forming the above mixed powder into a slurry form and solidifying it into a droplet form to form a non-porous particle body in the form of particles; A step of heating the non-porous particle body to form a porous particle structure having a plurality of pores formed on the inside and surface; and Comprising a step of adsorbing an inert gas into the pores of the porous particle structure, The step of forming the above porous particle structure is: The size of the pores of the porous particle structure is formed to be 1.5 to 10 times the molecular size of the inert gas, A method for producing a fire retardant that maintains the oxygen concentration inside the pores of the porous particle structure within 10%.

18. In paragraph 17, The step of forming the above porous particle structure is: A step of forming a first particle structure in which the internal pore structure is formed independently and an independent pore structure is formed in which the pores are separated from each other, A method for manufacturing a fire retardant, comprising a step of including a second particle structure in which internal pore structures are interconnected to form a connected pore structure in which the pores are connected to each other.

19. In paragraph 18, The step of forming the above porous particle structure is: A method for manufacturing a fire suppressant in which the sizes of the first particle structure and the second particle structure are formed differently from each other.

20. In paragraph 18, The step of adsorbing the above inert gas is: A method for producing a fire suppressant by adsorbing the inert gas into the pores of the second particle structure.

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