CFC-Free Aqueous Fire Extinguishing Agent for Hydrophobic Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fire extinguishing agents, including water, face challenges such as low wettability and permeability, leading to insufficient cooling and delayed firefighting, with environmental and health concerns exacerbated by the increasing frequency of fires and decreasing water resources.
Innovation Solution
A CFC-free and phosphorus-free aqueous fire extinguishing agent comprising sulfosuccinic acid ester and a wetting agent, which enhances the wettability and permeability of water, allowing for rapid temperature reduction and improved firefighting efficiency while being non-toxic and biodegradable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If water is used as a fire extinguishing agent, then environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness are improved, but wettability and permeability are insufficient due to high surface tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces surfactants as intermediary substances that mediate between water and hydrophobic burning substances. The surfactant molecules reduce water's surface tension and enable water to wet and penetrate hydrophobic surfaces, thereby resolving the contradiction between using environmentally friendly water and achieving effective wettability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of water by adding surfactants, which alter water's surface tension and wettability characteristics. This parameter change enables water to effectively contact and penetrate hydrophobic burning substances while maintaining its environmental friendliness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If water is used as a fire extinguishing agent, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but cooling function is insufficient due to low permeability
Solution Approach 1:
The surfactant acts as an intermediary that enables water to penetrate into the interior of burning substances. By improving permeability, the surfactant allows water to reach deeper regions of the burning material, enhancing the cooling function while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes water's permeability parameter through surfactant addition, enabling water to penetrate hydrophobic burning substances more effectively. This enhanced permeability improves the cooling function by allowing water to reach and cool the interior regions of burning materials.
3Productivity
If conventional fire extinguishing agents are used, then firefighting effectiveness is improved, but environmental and health problems worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the inherent limitation of water (high surface tension and poor wettability) into a benefit by using surfactants to modify water's properties. This approach maintains the environmental friendliness of water while achieving the firefighting effectiveness previously only attainable with harmful conventional agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of water by adding surfactants, transforming water from an ineffective fire extinguishing agent (due to high surface tension) into an effective one. This parameter change enables water to achieve firefighting effectiveness comparable to conventional agents while avoiding their environmental and health hazards.
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 agent effectively extinguishes fires on hydrophobic substances, reduces water consumption, minimizes smoke and emissions, and mitigates environmental and health hazards, offering improved firefighting efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
due to the high surface tension of water (72.8 mN/m, 20° C.), the affinity of water to many substances is very low under normal circumstances. In other words, the wettability of water is low
Implementation Method 2
the wettability of water is low; thus, it is not easy for water to contact many substances, especially the surface of hydrophobic substances
Implementation Method 3
accelerates temperature reduction of the burning substances
Implementation Method 4
water can be vaporized rapidly to form steam in flames so as to extinguish fire directly by cooling
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method for extinguishing fire, comprising: (A) preparing a CFC-free and phosphorus-free aqueous fire extinguishing agent using a composition comprising 1-70 wt % of a sulfosuccinic acid ester; 1-30 wt % of a wetting agent; and rest in water; (B) diluting the CFC-free and phosphorus-free aqueous fire extinguishing agent by water to form an aqueous solution; and (C) spraying the aqueous solution to a space containing a burning substance. The present invention not only enhances the wettability and permeability of water, but also increases its affinity to burning substances; accelerates cooling of burning substances; inhibits further combustion; reduces water for firefighting; reduces smoke and emission; mitigates environmental problems caused by haze substances from combustions on the ground and in the air and all possible related health hazards. The CFC-free and phosphorus-free aqueous fire extinguishing agent is biodegradable, non-toxic to human and environment, and easy to use.