Labile bromine fire suppressants
View Patent ↗A class of fire suppressant compounds which have labile bromine atoms bound to atoms other than carbon have been discovered to be more effective at suppressing fires than Halon 1211 and Halon 1301. Moreover, this class of fire suppressant compounds hydrolyze or oxidize rapidly in the troposphere and as a consequence thereof, they have minimal ozone depletion potential.
1. A fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of: at least one brominated, non-carbon compound in a liquid state selected from the group consisting of PBr 3 POBr 3 , SOBr 2 , BrF 3 , BrF 5 , PBr 5 , TiBr 4 , SiBr 4 , IBr, CuBr, NOBr, BrF, and BBr 3 , which is combined with ; and a propellant combined with the compound for propelling the composition such that the ozone depletion potential of sufficient bromine atoms are liberated from the composition to suppress a fire, wherein the composition is less than 0.1 has no ozone depletion potential.
2. The fire suppressant composition of claim 1 wherein ozone depletion potential is defined on a scale where the ozone depletion caused by CFl 3 is 1.0.
3. A The fire suppressant composition consisting of at least one labile brominated compound selected from the group consisting of PBr 3 , POBr 3 , SOBr 2 , BrF 3 , BrF 5 , TiBr 4 , SiBr 4 , IBr, CuBr, NOBr, BrF, BBr 3 , and BrCl, which is combined with a of claim 1 , wherein the propellant is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , N 2 , and compressed airand HCFC-123 (CF 3 CCl 2 H) .
4. The fire suppressant composition of claim 3 wherein ozone depletion potential of the propellant equals 0.016.
5. The composition of claim 1 wherein said brominated compound is PBr 3 .
6. The composition of claim 1 wherein said brominated compound is BBr 3 .
7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the propellant is nonflammable.
8. The composition of claim 7 wherein said brominated compound is PBr 3 .
9. The composition of claim 7 wherein said brominated compound is BBr 3 .
10. The composition of claim 1 wherein said brominated compound is not stable in, and said sufficient bromine atoms are liberated in, the presence of oxygen.
11. The composition of claim 10 wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
12. The composition of claim 1 wherein said brominated compound is not stable in, and said sufficient bromine atoms are liberated in, the presence of heat.
13. The composition of claim 12 wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
14. The composition of claim 1 wherein said brominated compound is not stable in, and said sufficient bromine atoms are liberated in, the presence of water.
15. The composition of claim 14 wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
16. The composition of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the volume of propellant to the volume of brominated compound is 7 to 2 .
17. The composition of claim 1 wherein the quantity of the composition required to suppress a fire is between 100 and 1000 times less than the quantity of CF 3 Br required to suppress the fire.
18. The composition of claim 5 wherein said brominated compound is not stable in, and said sufficient bromine atoms are liberated in, the presence of oxygen.
19. The composition of claim 18 wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
20. The composition of claim 5 wherein said brominated compound is not stable in, and said sufficient bromine atoms are liberated in, the presence of heat.
21. The composition of claim 20 wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
22. The composition of claim 5 wherein said brominated compound is not stable in, and said sufficient bromine atoms are liberated in, the presence of water.
23. The composition of claim 22 wherein said wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
24. The composition of claim 5 wherein the ratio of the volume of propellant to the volume of brominated compound is 7 to 2 .
25. The composition of claim 24 wherein the quantity of the composition required to suppress a fire is between 100 and 1000 times less than the quantity of CF 3 Br required to extinguish the fire.
26. The composition of claim 1 wherein the propellant is a non- flammable, pressurized gas.
27. The composition of claim 1 wherein the propellant is a deflagrating, solid, gas- generating cartridge.
28. The composition of claim 1 wherein the propellant is a pressurized liquid.
29. The composition of claim 5 wherein the propellant is a non- flammable, pressurized gas.
30. The composition of claim 5 wherein the propellant is a deflagrating, solid, gas- generating cartridge.
31. The composition of claim 5 wherein the propellant is a pressurized liquid.
32. A fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of PBr 3 in a liquid state and a propellant combined with the PBr 3 for propelling the composition to catalytically suppress a fire, wherein the composition has no ozone depletion potential.
33. The fire suppressant composition of claim 32 , wherein the propellant is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , N 2 , and compressed air.
34. The composition of claim 32 wherein the propellant is nonflammable.
35. The composition of claim 32 wherein the PBr 3 is not stable in the presence of oxygen.
36. The composition of claim 32 wherein the PBr 3 is not stable in the presence of heat.
37. The composition of claim 32 wherein the PBr 3 is not stable in the presence of water.
38. The composition of claim 32 wherein the ratio of the volume of propellant to the volume of PBr 3 is 7 to 2 .
39. The composition of claim 32 wherein the quantity of the composition required to suppress a fire is between 100 and 1000 times less than the quantity of CF 3 Br required to suppress the fire.
40. The composition of claim 32 wherein the propellant is a non- flammable pressurized gas.
41. The composition of claim 32 wherein the propellant is a deflagrating, solid, gas- generating cartridge.
42. The composition of claim 32 wherein the propellant is a pressurized liquid.
43. A fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of PBr 3 in a liquid state and a propellant combined with the PBr 3 for propelling the composition to an aircraft engine, such that sufficient bromine atoms are liberated from the composition to suppress a fire in the aircraft engine, wherein the composition has no ozone depletion potential.
44. The fire suppressant composition of claim 43 , wherein the propellant is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , N 2 , and compressed air.
45. The composition of claim 43 wherein the propellant is nonflammable.
46. The composition of claim 43 wherein the PBr 3 is not stable in the presence of oxygen.
47. The composition of claim 46 wherein said wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
48. The composition of claim 43 wherein the PBr 3 is not stable in the presence of heat.
49. The composition of claim 48 wherein said wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
50. The composition of claim 43 wherein the PBr 3 is not stable in the presence of water.
51. The composition of claim 50 wherein said wherein said liberated bromine atoms are sufficient to catalytically suppress the fire.
52. The composition of claim 43 wherein the ratio of the volume of propellant to the volume of PBr 3 is 7 to 2 .
53. The composition of claim 43 wherein the quantity of the composition required to suppress a fire is between 100 and 1000 times less than the quantity of CF 3 Br required to suppress the fire.
54. The composition of claim 43 wherein the propellant is a non- flammable, pressurized gas.
55. The composition of claim 43 wherein the propellant is a deflagrating, solid, gas- generating cartridge.
56. The composition of claim 43 wherein the propellant is a pressurized liquid.