TESTS OF FIRE EXTINGUISHING ABILITY OF ALUMINUM HYDROGEL WHEN EXTINGUISHING MODEL NATURAL GROUND FIRES

Abstract

Extinguishing natural fires largely depends on the effective use of fire extinguishers by firefighters. Nevertheless, there are objective limits to the fire extinguishing ability of known substances and materials, which cannot be overcome by either tactical or technological methods. In the work, a method for extinguishing ground fires using aluminum hydrogels with different concentrations as fire extinguishing compositions is proposed, which makes it possible to simultaneously realize three extinguishing methods: cooling, insulation, and combustion inhibition. Investigation of fire extinguishing ability of the selected fire extinguishing compositions has been carried out according to a specially developed technique that simulates formation and development of ground natural fire in experimental plots. Extinguishing efficiency was assessed by comparing the results of the total cost of extinguishing agents to a unit of length of the edge of the fire and a unit of area of the fire. It was shown that the best fire extinguishing ability has an aqueous solution of aluminum hydrogel with a concentration of 3.5-7 g/l. Fire extinguishing ability of aluminum hydrogels was investigated. The obtained results were compared with the fire extinguishing ability of water and aqueous solutions of sodium carbonate (soda) and sodium sulfate. The use of other aqueous solutions (soda and sodium sulfate) has not shown significant contribution to fire extinguishing. Therefore, fire extinguishing effect is completely due to the chemical composition and physical and chemical properties of aluminum hydrogel. Based on the data obtained, aluminum hydrogel costs per unit length and area of the fire, its lowest concentration, which retains the fire extinguishing effect and the technological conditions for its preparation and use, have been determined