Water-enhancing, fire-suppressing hydrogels
The present application provides water-enhancing, fire-suppressing hydrogels that are formulated to minimize toxicity and negative environmental impact. The present application provides a composition comprising: (i) at least one thickening agent; (ii) at least one liquid medium; and, optionally, (iii) one or more suspending agents, wherein the composition consists of >75%, by weight, consumer-grade components and wherein the composition is a concentrate that can be mixed with water or an aqueous solution to form a fire-suppressing, water-enhancing hydrogel. Each of the at least one thickening agent, suspending agent and liquid medium can be non-toxic and biodegradable. Also provided are the fire-suppressing, water-enhancing hydrogel and methods of production and use thereof during fire fighting or fire prevention.
1. A composition comprising:
(a) 10-75 wt % of at least one naturally-sourced thickening agent comprising a gum or a combination of a gum and a starch;
(b) 15-90 wt % of at least one liquid medium, wherein each of said at least one liquid medium is an edible oil; and
(c) at least one suspending agent,
wherein the composition consists of >75%, by weight, consumer-grade components and wherein mixture of said composition with water or an aqueous solution forms a fire-suppressing, water-enhancing hydrogel.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises up to 10 wt % of said at least one suspending agent.
3. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additives, each of which is non-toxic and biodegradable.
4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein said one or more additive comprises a salt, an antimicrobial agent, an antifungal agent, an antioxidant, a colorant, a clay, a dispersing agent, or a combination of any two or more thereof.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one thickening agent, suspending agent and liquid medium is non-toxic and biodegradable.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a viscosity of ≥1000 cP, ≥2500 cP, ≥5000 cP, or ≥10 000 cP, when measured using a Brookfield LVDVE viscometer with a CS-34 spindle at 6.0 rpm.
7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one thickening agent and suspending agent is a solid or a liquid under ambient conditions.
8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the gum is guar gum, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, agar, locust bean gum, or a combination thereof.
9. The composition of claim 8 , wherein the gum is xanthan gum, guar gum, or a combination thereof.
10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the starch is cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca, rice starch, carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt, or a combination thereof.
11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the starch is cornstarch.
12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the suspending agent is a surfactant, emulsifier or both.
13. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the suspending agent is lecithin, lysolecithin, polysorbate, sodium caseinate, monoglyceride, fatty acid, fatty alcohol, glycolipid, protein, or a combination thereof.
14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the suspending agent is lecithin, or a combination of lecithin and a fatty alcohol.
15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the edible oil is a nut oil, seed oil, plant oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or combination thereof.
16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the edible oil is canola.
17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises xantham gum, guar gum, cornstarch, and canola oil.
18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises:
15-25 wt % xanthan gum;
10-20 wt % guar gum;
10-20 wt % cornstarch;
1-5 wt % lecithin; and
30-64 wt % canola oil.
19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition consists of >80%, >85%, >90%, >95%, >98% or 100%, by weight, consumer-grade components.
20. The composition of claim 19 , wherein the consumer-grade components are food-grade.
21. A method of making a water-enhancing, fire-suppressing hydrogel comprising:
(i) combining water or an aqueous solution with a composition comprising:
(a) 10-75 wt % of at least one naturally-sourced thickening agent comprising a gum or a combination of a gum and a starch;
(b) 15-90 wt % of at least one liquid medium, wherein each of said at least one liquid medium is an edible oil; and
(c) at least one suspending agent,
wherein the composition consists of >75%, by weight, consumer-grade components and wherein mixture of said composition with water or an aqueous solution forms a fire-suppressing, water-enhancing hydrogel; and
(ii) mixing the composition and aqueous solution to obtain an essentially homogenous gel.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the weight percent of the composition is selected to achieve a particular viscosity and/or surface adhesion in the hydrogel.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the composition's weight percent is from about 1 to about 5 wt %.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the step of combining comprises manual addition or direct, mechanical injection of the composition.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the water or aqueous solution is held in a tank external to, or on-board, a vehicle or portable device.
26. The method of claim 21 , wherein mixing occurs via manual agitation; mechanical agitation, circulation systems or by application of shear forces (for example, in a fire hose).