- Author
- Wanigarathne, P. C. | Krauss, R. H. | Chelliah, H. K. | Davis, R. J.
- Title
- Fire Suppression by Particulates Containing Metallic Compounds.
- Coporate
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville
- Sponsor
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Distribution
- For more information contact: Center for Global Environmental Technologies, New Mexico Engineering Research Institute, University of New Mexico, 901 University Blvd., SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4339 USA. Telephone: 505-272-7250, Fax: 505-272-7203. WEB: http://nmeri.unm.edu/cget/confinfo.htm
- Book or Conf
- Halon Options Technical Working Conference. Proceedings. HOTWC 2000. Sponsored by: University of New Mexico, Fire Suppression Systems Assoc., Fire and Safety Group, Great Lakes Chemical Corp., Halon Alternative Research Corp., Hughes Associates, Inc., Kidde Fenwal, Inc., Kidde International, Modular Protection, Inc., Next Generation Fire Suppression Technology Program, Sandia National Laboratories, Summit Environmental Corp., Inc. and 3M Specialty Materials. May 2-4, 2000, Albuquerque, NM, 393-402 p., 2000
- Keywords
- halon alternatives | fire suppression | sodium bicarbonate | flame extinction | simulation | decomposition | absorption | potting | halons
- Identifiers
- particle seeder; encapsulation of Fe(CO)5; summary of the elemental analysis
- Abstract
- Fire suppression mechanisms by chemically active particulates (especially those due to alkali metal bicarbonates) have been investigated for a considerable period of time, but have received renewed interest because of the ban on production of Halon 1301. Some recent studies have indicated that on a mass basis, fine sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) powder is about 2-10 times more effective in suppressing fires than the now banned Halon 1301, while iron pentacarbonyl vapor is known to be about 60 times more effective. The exact chemical and physical models that describe the suppression mechanism of such compounds are not well established and development of a comprehensive method of testing these detailed models is the focus of the present investigation. This effort has been pursued along two paths, (a) model development effort based on relatively well studied sodium bicarbonate particles and (b) development of super effective fire suppressing particles, where a highly effective metallic compound (e.g., iron pentacarbonyl) is encapsulated in a porous solid particle (e.g., zeolite X).