Food-Safe Firefighting Agent Composition Using Boron and Xanthan Gum
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fire suppressants and retardants are often toxic, environmentally harmful, and ineffective against high-temperature fires, with issues such as low solubility, solidification in cold weather, and rapid biodegradation, necessitating the development of safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Innovation Solution
Compositions comprising xanthan gum, boric acid, borax, propylene glycol, ammonium lauryl sulfate, decyl glucoside, and citric acid, which form a durable foam and enhance boron solubility, providing effective fire suppression and retardation across various fire classes without using toxic chemicals, and are suitable for use in different applications including Class A, B, and K fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fire suppressants are used, then fire suppression effectiveness is achieved, but toxicity and environmental harm increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using food-safe ingredients (boric acid, borax, propylene glycol, surfactants) instead of conventional toxic fire suppressant chemicals. This parameter substitution maintains fire suppression effectiveness while eliminating toxicity and environmental harm, achieving both reliability and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite firefighting composition by combining multiple food-safe ingredients (boric acid, borax, propylene glycol, and surfactants) into a unified formulation. This composite approach integrates the fire-retardant properties of boron compounds with the foam-forming capabilities of surfactants, achieving effective fire suppression without toxic chemicals.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If non-fluoroprotein based foaming agents are used, then environmental safety is improved, but foam robustness against high temperature fires deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition by incorporating boric acid and borax (boron compounds) into the non-fluoroprotein foam formulation. These additives change the physical and chemical parameters of the foam, enhancing its thermal stability and robustness against high-temperature fires while maintaining environmental safety and food-safe status.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite foam system by combining non-fluoroprotein surfactants with boron compounds (boric acid, borax). This composite formulation integrates the eco-friendly foam-forming properties of non-fluoroprotein agents with the heat-resistant characteristics of boron-based fire retardants, achieving both environmental safety and foam robustness.
3Reliability
If borax or boric acid alone are used, then fire retardant properties are achieved, but solubility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges boric acid and borax into a single formulation, leveraging their complementary solubility characteristics. Borax provides alkalinity that enhances the solubility of boric acid, creating a stable, soluble composite solution that maintains fire retardant properties while overcoming the individual solubility limitations of each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The formulation uses the alkaline nature of borax as a chemical intermediary to increase the solubility of boric acid. The borax acts as a mediator that creates a pH environment favorable for dissolving boric acid, thereby achieving a soluble fire-retardant composition without requiring additional solubility-enhancing additives.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If non-fluoroprotein based surfactants are used, then environmental friendliness is improved, but low-temperature stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the formulation parameters by incorporating boric acid and borax into the non-fluoroprotein surfactant system. These boron compounds change the physical parameters of the surfactant solution, lowering its freezing point and preventing solidification in cold weather, thereby improving low-temperature stability while maintaining environmental friendliness.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If environmentally friendly fire suppressants are used, then safety is improved, but biodegradation rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition by incorporating boron compounds (boric acid, borax) which have inherently low biodegradation rates. This parameter change allows the formulation to maintain safety and environmental friendliness while achieving the desired persistence and stability, as boron compounds are naturally resistant to rapid biodegradation.
6Object-affected harmful factors
If food-safe ingredients are used, then non-toxicity is achieved, but fire suppression effectiveness against high-temperature fires deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite formulation combining food-safe surfactants (ammonium lauryl sulfate, decyl glucoside) with boron compounds (boric acid, borax). This composite approach integrates the non-toxic foam-forming properties of surfactants with the high-temperature fire-retardant characteristics of boron, achieving both non-toxicity and effectiveness against high-temperature fires.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by incorporating specific ratios of boric acid, borax, and surfactants. This parameter optimization ensures that the food-safe ingredients achieve sufficient fire suppression effectiveness against high-temperature fires while maintaining their non-toxic and environmentally safe properties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The compositions effectively suppress and retard fires by blocking oxygen, promoting char formation, and inhibiting combustion, while being safe for use in food and agricultural settings, and are listed as NSF and OMRI certified, demonstrating their safety and efficacy in firefighting and fire prevention applications.
Implementation Method 1
non-fluoroprotein based foaming agents have difficulty producing a robust enough foam
Implementation Method 2
promoting char formation
Implementation Method 3
effectively suppress and retard fires by blocking oxygen
Data Source
AI summary
A composition for a food safe firefighting agent includes: xanthan gum, water, and a surfactant.