Patented Aug. 6, 1935 2,010,729

PATENT QFFIQE

Albert Langlois, Fall River, Mass. : v ,- NlorDrawing. Application February 2, 1934, ‘Serial No. 709,534 6 Claims. (Cl. 23—8) '- inventionv relates tor?re extinguishing whereupon it decomposes with theliberation of great quantities of non-combustible gas. ' " compositions and it comprises a powdered mix I also providev in my composition ?uxing agents, ,tu’retof; bicarbonate, , namely, borax. At the high temperature of the bori'cjacid_;_and boraxto which I advantageously ?re, the borax will act as a ?ux and combine; sit-5 '1 add; pulverizedirice and ultra-marine blue, the with the solid decomposition product of the bi . .resulting mixture being one which-is adaptedto I v‘be cast upon a ?re such as, for example, burning carbonate and the . The resulting molten mass is ?uid and forms a ?lm on the sur " .g-asolineoroil. .. - face of the oil or gasoline. Since,’ at the same 7 are a number of ?reextinguishing com time, evolution of is taking place pm -pounds in solid powdered form available, but from undeco-mposed , the ",lthese generally suffer from a number of dis dvantages. 'In the'?rst place, their action is ,jminute bubbles of gas become disseminated I -_~wnot“a1ways immediate because they generally through the molten borax whereby a ?ne foam ..,-consist ‘of a. gas evolving-material such as bicar ' like, though very thin, layer forms on the surface of the burning oil. . . V "15 is ‘ bonate or: carbonate which does not decompose V I also include in my composition a relatively at very low temperatures. Therefore, some little large quantity of boric» . This helps in pre time-‘often,elapsesbefore the ?re extinguishing venting any spontaneous reaction between the ' 4 compound begins'to evolve carbon dioxide. Prac ,sodium bicarbonate and the tartrate while the tically all of the present types of compositions ,?re extinguishing. compound is kept in packages 20 .for this purpose contain sodium carbonate or prior to use. The acid also assists in the de bicarbonate. In the case of 'the bicarbonate, carbon dioxide is liberated fairly rapidly, but not composition of the tartrate to at “immediately; sodium carbonate gives up its car the time the composition is brought in contact with the ?ames. I also believe, although I have .- bon dioxide content less readily. Very few of 'not been able to satisfy myself conclusively, that 25 FY 25 the present-day_ solid ?re extinguishing, com pounds are‘ at all suitable for extinguishing oil the boric acid displays considerable ?uxing ac and gasoline‘ ?res. Present-day practice in con tion as well. At least it melts at the temperature nection with this problem generally requires the of the ?re and tends to form a ?lm-like coating use of an extinguishing compound in a liquid over the burning surface, which coating be comes blown up or aerated with ?ne bubbles of 30 .Y "30 state, such for example as “?re foam” and other I ' compositions which ‘develop a blanket of, heavy carbon dioxide. ._.foam upon the burning surface of the oil. One mixture I have found very suitable for the I have now discovered that it is possible to purpose of the present invention is as follows: M I , create an enveloping air-excluding foam-like Parts by weight 35 , 35 layer upon burning oil or gasoline from solid Sodium bicarbonate ______48 "extinguishing compositions. My invention makes ’ Potassium bitartrate ______41/2 use of the dual action of sodium bicarbonate and Boric acid ______12 a tartrate whereby I am able to get an immediate Borax ______1% evolution of carbon dioxide at temperatures much 40 lower than the decomposition temperature of the To this mixture I ?nd it advantageousv to add 6 parts by weight of pulverized rice and 1 part . p , sodium bicarbonate alone. At the same time I yalso provide in my composition an excess of by weight of ultra-marine blue. . 7 sodium bicarbonate so that after the reaction These proportions may vary within reasonable limits, but I prefer that the composition shall ‘ ‘between the bicarbonate and the tartrate has ex 45 4 ' hausted the available tartrate, a further evolution contain a major quantity of sodium bi-carbonate, of carbon dioxide from the surplus sodium ,bi that the potassium'bitartrate shall be consider carbonate takes place. ably less than the bicarbonate, and that the boric This means that immediately upon throwing acid shall be less than the bicarbonate but con Y my ?re extinguishing compound upon the ?ames, siderably more than the bitartrate. A relatively 50 carbon dioxide is evolved by reaction between the small amount of borax is su?icient since not very bicarbonate and the tartrate. During the course much of it is required to give an adequate ?ux of this preliminary evolution of carbon dioxide ing action. - ‘ from this reaction, the sodium bicarbonate itself As pointed out above, when the composition is is being heated up to decomposition temperature thrown upon the ?ames, the bicarbonate reacts w 52; 2,010,725‘ I L .7 ‘I I ‘ with the tartrate according toitherfollowing re; quantity of sodium bicarbonate, a, somewhat" action: I ' lesser quantity oi.’ boric' acid, and ‘a still smaller‘ NaHCO3 +KH (C4H406) amount of'the ; , v . KNatC-zHiOs) +H20+CO2 : My composition is usedin the ordinary man ner ofjus‘ing-powdered ?re extinmlishing com-3 This reaction,.as stated above, occurs atrelaa' positions. _ 'The powder is simply’ thrown upon tively low temperature'so there is an immediate the ?ames','usually from a package or, cylindrical evolution of. carbon dioxide. As the sodium bi—‘ carbonate is heated up, it too decomposes, even metal container. - 3 or 7 a r 7, ; .~: v'10 tuallyryielding carbon dioxide and; sodium oxide. Having thus described what I’ "10 At the same time the \boric acid is reacting with 1. A ?re extinguishing’ctmsasmasampmmg the sodium’ potassium tartrate to liberate] free? tartaric acid which in turn decomposes to car-_ ‘a dry powdered mixture 01’ sodiumibicarbonate', - bon dioxide and water; and‘thej'boric acid also potassium ibitartrate, boric acid” and box-ax; the, ' ' 15 ‘mixture being’ adapted jfor casting upon'a ?re; '15 combines‘ with the sodium and potassium" oxides in its dry powdered condition. ‘i _ _ to give borates. These borates melt’ and form '2, Ar?re extinguishing composition comprising v a ?lmor layer on, the burning oil; which ‘layerl (a; ‘dry powdered 1'mixture containing a] major contains very fine microscopic bubbles of carbon» quantity of sodium bicarbonate, a somewhat less dioxide gas. ‘ r 20 ,r I ,?nd'it, advantageousjto incorporate pulver enquarititybf boric acid, a somewhat lesser quan-vv I ized‘ rice as noted‘ above. “This‘material appears " ’ '9‘1'tity bdraxcthemlxture of 'potassium bitartratm?nd being‘ adapted!“ a mount ' to act as‘fahygrosc'opic vagent to? prevent the 'upon’a?re' in its'dryr‘powdqred ‘condition. < 5 ' {powdered ‘composition from becomingiumpy due " f' ' 3- 4 me ‘cxtinwéhlns'wmw?onz mpdm‘ 125 ‘to’ absorption of moisture. _. Moreover, itjialso 48 parts by weight'di' sodium bicarbonate, 12 parts ‘ i’un‘ctions to assist in the formation of the blanket by weight 91' boric acidy~4w m widow-01*?" “if carbon 'dioxide‘and the foam formed there ‘Potassium mtarh-Mgtnem?z 71% from‘; jUltra'i-marineiblue, v‘noted above, gives ‘ weight of box-ax. ' added'fweig‘ht'or body to‘ the powdered composi jtion and} makes it’ far‘ more effective, especially 4.-A ?re extinguishing commid?urml a j r ""30 ‘when used on gasoline-?res; ‘ i‘ v o ,7 ii-‘inclucun'gr pulverized rice *and ’ titre-Me ‘ As ‘stated abo'vej the proportions of ingredients 'blue'.'"I "5, 3A nre‘extine‘uishing 7' '_ y, composition’, vr is ‘in; '‘claim. v'ca‘n‘vary materially- fromwthose speci?callyre "clrte'd. j'lfhe sodiumjbicarbonate’canwvary from including pulverized "rice ‘and 140 to‘60" parts, the tartratefrom 3' to." 10 parts,’ blu'?fg6. -A fire extinguishinga o my , a;. in‘claim '35. the boric acid from about 6 to 20 parts, and the borax from‘ about "1' to 3}‘ or 4 parts. However, ,3,’ ; including pulverized“ rice I ultra-marine it is desirable‘ to' maintain fat all times a' greater; "bluet , it