To find out what goes into the making of your fire extinguisher, check out the rest of our article. If you have any questions about extinguishers, please let us know. What are fire extinguishers made of?
Fire extinguishers come with a variety of different extinguishing agents inside of them. Each different formula is designed to deal with a different class of fire.
Fire extinguisher powder comes in a variety of solutions. ABE powder is generally made out of a mix of monoammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate.
Wet chemical extinguishers generally contain potassium acetate with potassium citrate or potassium bicarbonate. Foam extinguishers are made up of foam, water, and air. The foam generally contains organic solvents, foam stabilisers, and corrosion inhibitors.
This one is pretty self-explanatory! This cylinder will have water inside, mixed with the gas propellant. These tanks contain carbon dioxide in a liquid form.
When this liquid is released into the air, it interacts with the oxygen molecules that are feeding the flame and neutralises them, cutting off the supply. If you have any other questions for our terrific technicians, please get in touch now.
To arrange a fire extinguisher inspection, call us today or fill in the online form for a free quote. Call Jim's Today. What is involved in testing and tagging? The phaseout of halons has led to a scramble by government and industry researchers to find environmentally suitable replacements.
None have been identified with all the positive qualities of halon and halon The trick is that the bromine and chlorine atoms in the halon molecule--the very ones that are so damaging to the stratospheric ozone--are also incredibly aggressive scavengers of hydrogen atoms, which are key to maintaining a combustion chain reaction. Indeed, bromine and chlorine atoms are released as halons decompose in the heat of the fire, establishing a catalytic cycle involving HBr and HCl; the cycle converts active hydrogen atoms to stable H 2 molecules, breaking the chain reaction.
Manufacturers have introduced new families of chemicals containing no chlorine or bromine, called hydrofluorocarbons HFCs ,that have physical properties similar to the halons and no ozone depletion potential. HFCs extinguish fires in a manner similar to CO 2 or N 2 --by absorbing heat and reducing the concentration of oxygen. The need to find halon replacements remains.
Researchers are actively pursuing diverse materials--including iron- and phosphorous-containing compounds and hydrofluorocarbons--with the ability to inhibit flames. They are also developing better means of discharging more conventional chemicals, such as H 2 O, N 2 and CO 2. For example, one idea is to use a solid propellant to generate an inert gas mixture--an approach identical to the systems in car air bags.
Such a system, when activated, would extinguish a fire just as one blows out a candle. Newsletter Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. One popular extinguisher material is pure carbon dioxide. In a carbon dioxide extinguisher, the carbon dioxide is kept in pressurized liquid form in the cylinder. When the container is opened, the carbon dioxide expands to form a gas in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide gas is heavier than oxygen, so it displaces the oxygen surrounding the burning fuel.
This sort of fire extinguisher is common in restaurants because it won't contaminate the cooking equipment or food. The most popular extinguisher material is dry chemical foam or powder, typically made of sodium bicarbonate normal baking soda , potassium bicarbonate nearly identical to baking soda , or monoammonium phosphate.
Baking soda starts to decompose at only degrees Fahrenheit 70 degrees Celsius , and when it decomposes, it releases carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide, along with the insulation of the foam, works to smother the fire. Most fire extinguishers contain a fairly small amount of fire-suppressant material -- you can use it all up in a matter of seconds.
For this reason, extinguishers are only effective on relatively small, contained fires. To put out a larger fire, you need much bigger equipment -- a fire engine , for example -- and the professionals who know how to use it. But for the dangerous flames that can pop up in your house, a fire extinguisher is an invaluable lifesaver. To learn more about fire extinguishers and other fire-fighting equipment, check out the links on the next page.
Class A extinguishers can put out fires from "ordinary combustibles" such as wood, plastic or paper. Class B can put out burning liquids such as gasoline or grease. Class C can put out electrical fires. Extinguishers marked A, B and C can put out all types. Class D extinguishers, designed to put out burning metal, are rare.
Check the letters and pictures on your extinguisher to find out what it can handle. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Home Improvement. Home DIY. Household Safety. How Fire Extinguishers Work.
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