Factors affecting the burn rate and combustion temperature of fire-extinguishing aerosol-forming composite material

Aerosol-forming composites (AFCs) are used as potential Halon alternatives for fire-extinguishing applications. Burn rate and combustion temperature of AFCs have great impact on their performance parameters. AFCs were prepared using KNO3 and phenol formaldehyde resin with varying amount of n-CuO (1-15%), and for the first time, the effect of processing and environmental parameters on burn rate and combustion temperature was extensively studied. Increase in curing temperature (80-150 degrees C), duration of curing (2-8 h), and percentage of n-CuO (1-15%) increased burn rate (12.11-16.83 mm/s) and decreased combustion temperature (396-377 degrees C). Increase in loading pressure (82-413 MPa), humidity (10-95%), and particle size (20-40 to 150-250 mu m) decreased burn rate (17.45-11.46 mm/s). Developed high burn rate AFCs found promising to be used with condensed aerosol-based fire-extinguishing systems for fast extinguishment of fires.

Automated summary

Aerosol-forming composites (AFCs) have potential as alternatives to Halon for fire-extinguishing applications. The burn rate and combustion temperature of AFCs greatly impact their performance. This study extensively investigated the effects of processing and environmental parameters on burn rate and combustion temperature of AFCs prepared with KNO3 and phenol formaldehyde resin with varying n-CuO content (1-15%). Increasing curing temperature, curing duration, and n-CuO content increased burn rate and decreased combustion temperature. Increasing loading pressure, humidity, and particle size decreased burn rate. The developed high burn rate AFCs show promise for use with condensed aerosol-based fire-extinguishing systems for fast fire suppression.