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Liu H, Zhang T, Zhang M, Zhang C, Guo Z, Zhang Y, Chen H, Wu Y, Zhang G. Preparation and thermal responsiveness of microencapsulated fluorinated liquids for automatic fire extinguishing. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27454. [PMID: 38463842 PMCID: PMC10924043 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Most early-stage fires originating in small confined spaces may not be effectively mitigated by automatic fire-extinguishing systems. Leveraging the unique controlled release capability and barrier properties of microcapsules presents a promising avenue for developing multifunctional and intelligent fire-extinguishing agents tailored for early-stage fire suppression. This paper introduces two types of microcapsules that integrate automatic detection and fire extinguishing functions, utilizing fluorinated liquids specifically perfluoro(2-methyl-3-pentanone) and 1,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5 decafluoro-3-methoxy-4(trifluoromethyl)-pentane as core materials. The preparation process was optimized, and the thermal response of the microcapsules was evaluated by directly incorporating them into combustible materials. The results indicated a correlation between the preparation method, coating efficiency, and thermal stability of microcapsules with the core-wall materials. When the fluoride solution in the core material reaches the thermal response threshold temperature, the gas pressure generated during vaporization and phase change can break through the shell, enabling early active fire protection. Beyond a specific threshold of additive microcapsules in the material, the material exhibits self-extinguishing potential during combustion. In cases where the additive amount falls short of achieving self-extinguishing, the fire-resistant performance of materials can be enhanced through various measures. For instance, reducing the amount of fire-extinguishing agents, delaying the ignition time of fuel, and lowering the heat release rate during combustion are effective strategies. Moreover, the degree of improvement is related to the additional amount and the type of core-wall materials. The thermal-response mechanism of microcapsules constitutes a comprehensive mechanism with physical and chemical effects. The finding of this research offer a new technical approach for microencapsulating high-boiling-point gas extinguishing agents, facilitating intelligent and precise prevention of early fires resulting from combustible materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Emergency Rescue Technology, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
| | - Tianwei Zhang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Emergency Rescue Technology, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Fire and Emergency Rescue, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
| | - Man Zhang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Hazardous Chemicals Safety and Control Technology, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, North China Institute of Science and Technology, Langfang, 065201, Hebei, China
| | - Cunwei Zhang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Emergency Rescue Technology, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Fire and Emergency Rescue, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
| | - Zidong Guo
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Emergency Rescue Technology, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Fire and Emergency Rescue, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
| | - Yuhai Zhang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Emergency Rescue Technology, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
| | - Haoran Chen
- Guangzhou Liurui Firefighting Technology Co.,Ltd., Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Yunchen Wu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Fire and Emergency Rescue, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
| | - Guiyun Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Fire and Emergency Rescue, China People’s Police University, Langfang, 065000, Hebei, China
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Li C, Bian H, Ding D, Huang F, Zhu Z. Enhancing safety in small confined spaces with thermally triggered fire-extinguishing microcapsules from microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2024. [PMID: 38263799 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00911d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Fires in small confined spaces have problems such as difficulty extinguishing, fast burning speed, long duration, strong concealment, and untimely warning. Perfluorohexanone-based fire-extinguishing microcapsule technology provides an important solution to overcome these problems. However, due to the poor solubility and high volatility of perfluorohexanone, the preparation of perfluorohexanone fire-extinguishing microcapsules (FEMs) with a high encapsulation rate, good homogeneity, and low processing costs is still a great challenge. Here, we propose a microfluidic flow-focusing technique to realize efficient encapsulation of perfluorohexanone. It is shown that FEMs can spray fire-extinguishing agents at high speeds in the presence of external heat, and only one FEM is needed to extinguish a candle flame much larger than its size. Meanwhile, the extension of FEMs to two-dimensional fire-extinguishing patches (FEPs) has achieved significant results in suppressing fire and preventing fire spread, which is expected to further expand its application in various fire suppression scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Li
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
- Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230088, China.
| | - Hairui Bian
- Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230088, China.
| | - Dang Ding
- Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230088, China.
| | - Fangsheng Huang
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
- Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230088, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Zhu
- Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230088, China.
- Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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