Fluorocarbon-free, environmentally friendly, natural product-based, and safe fire extinguishing agent
View Patent ↗A safe, environmentally-friendly, fluorocarbon-free temperature suppressing composition includes water in combination with a sugar alcohol in solution with the water and having a general formula H(HCHO) n+1 H. Sorbitol is a preferred sugar alcohol (n=5) but sugar alcohols having n=3 to 4 or 6 to 11 may be used. The composition provides a heat absorption greater than the water alone and the sugar alcohol alone. Other sugar alcohols having the general formula H(HCOH) n+1 HC, where n=10, may also be used. The composition may further include a wetting agent, an emulsifying agent, a viscosity adjusting agent, a preservative or biocide, or a freeze suppression agent. The composition affords levels of protection suited to a variety of applications including possibility of damage from exposure to excessive heat, combustion or explosion such as may be experienced in military combat.
1. A method for suppressing a fire, the method comprising the steps of:
deploying from a storage means a temperature suppressing composition, the temperature suppressing composition being halogen-free and capable of extinguishing a Class D fire and including at least one sugar alcohol in solution with water, the at least one sugar alcohol remaining as a solubilized sugar alcohol at the moment of its deployment from the storage means; and
applying temperature suppressing composition to at least one of a physical object at risk and a person at risk because of the fire.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one sugar alcohol is a sugar alcohol having a general formula H(HCHO) n+1 H.
3. A method according to claim 2 , “n” is in a range of 3 to 4.
4. A method according to claim 2 , “n” is equal to 5.
5. A method according to claim 2 , “n” is in a range of 6 to 11.
6. A method according to claim 1 , the at least one sugar alcohol is a sugar alcohol having a general formula H(HCHO) n+1 HC, “n” is equal to 10.
7. A method according to claim 1 , the at least one sugar alcohol is in a range of 7 to 70% of the total quantity of the temperature suppressing composition by weight.
8. A method according to claim 1 , the at least one sugar alcohol is in a range of 70 to 83% of the total quantity of the temperature suppressing composition by weight.
9. A method according to claim 1 , the at least one sugar alcohol is in a range of 65 to 70% of the total quantity of the temperature suppressing composition by weight.
10. A method according to claim 1 , the at least one sugar alcohol is in a range of 0.1 to 7% of the total quantity of the temperature suppressing composition by weight.
11. A temperature suppressing composition comprising:
water; and
a first and a second sugar alcohol in solution with the water;
the temperature suppressing composition being halo gen-free and having a heat absorption greater than the water alone and the first and second sugar alcohols alone;
the first and second sugar alcohol each being a sugar alcohol having a general formula H(HCHO) n+1 H, wherein “n” is a different value for the first sugar alcohol than for the second sugar alcohol;
the temperature suppressing composition being substantially instantaneously deployable from a storage means.
12. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 11 , the value of “n” for at least one of the first and second sugar alcohols being in a range of 3 to 4.
13. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 11 , the value of “n” for at least one of the first and second sugar alcohols being equal to 5.
14. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 11 , the value of “n” for at least one of the first and second sugar alcohols being in a range of 6 to 11.
15. A method for suppressing a fire, the method comprising the steps of
deploying from a storage means a temperature suppressing composition, the temperature suppressing composition being halogen-free and capable of extinguishing a Class D fire and consisting essentially of at least one sugar alcohol in solution with water, the at least one sugar alcohol remaining as a solubilized sugar alcohol at the moment of its deployment from the storage means; and
applying temperature suppressing composition to at least one of a physical object at risk and a person at risk because of the fire.
16. A temperature suppressing composition comprising:
water;
a first sugar alcohol being in solution with the water;
means for preventing crystallization of the first sugar alcohol;
the temperature suppressing composition being halogen-free, the first sugar alcohol in solution with the water having a heat absorption greater than the water alone and the first sugar alcohol alone;
the temperature suppressing composition being substantially instantaneously deployable from a storage means.
17. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 16 , wherein the first sugar alcohol is a sugar alcohol having the general formula H(HCHO) n+1 H.
18. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 17 , wherein the preventing means is a second sugar alcohol, having a general formula H(HCHO) n+1 H.
19. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 18 , wherein the first sugar alcohol is a different sugar alcohol than the second sugar alcohol.
20. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second sugar alcohols being no greater than about 49% of the total quantity of the temperature suppressing composition by weight.
21. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second sugar alcohols being no greater than about 20% of the total quantity of the temperature suppressing composition by weight.
22. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 16 , the temperature suppressing composition being capable of extinguishing a Class D fire.
23. A temperature suppressing composition according to claim 11 , the temperature suppressing composition being capable of extinguishing a Class D fire.