Flame suppressant aerosol generant

• US 7,407,598 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Mark L., Posson, Philip L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anthony; Joseph D.
• Application Number:
  US10/835,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20050242319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 252/5, 252/6
• US Class Current: 252/5
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 1/06 containing gas-producing, chemically-reactive components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 149/115 Organic fuel

Abstract

The present invention is directed to pyrotechnic aerosol fire suppression compositions that burn rapidly, but coolly. The rapid burning of the compositions of the present invention produces a voluminous flame-suppressive aerosol that is useful in suppressing and/or extinguishing both small and large fires. The compositions of the invention contain at least one oxidizer and a fuel component comprising at least one organic acid salt, which combination produces a rapid burning composition that burns at low temperatures with little or no flame.

Claims

1. A pyrotechnic aerosol fire suppression composition consisting essentially of:

an oxidizer represented by the formula M(XO_x)_y, wherein M is selected from a Group IA atom, a Group IIA atom, and a Group IIIA atom, wherein XO_x is a bromate;

a fuel component comprising melamine cyanurate, a Group IA or Group IIA salt of an organic acid, or a mixture thereof, wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of cyanuric acid, isocyanuric acid, hydroxyacetic acid, and mixtures thereof; and

optionally a binder selected from the group consisting of a silicate, a cellulose derivative, a cellulose ether, an alginic binder, a gum, a gel, a pectin, a starch, a polyvinyl compound, and a mixture thereof, and optionally a polyol selected from the group consisting of a glyceroI and a gycol;

wherein the oxidizer is present in a greater amount by weight percent than the fuel component, and wherein the combustion products consist essentially of H₂O, CO₂, nitrogen, a halide salt and a carbonate salt.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of lithium, potassium, sodium, strontium, magnesium, and aluminum.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein M(XO_x)_y is selected from the group consisting of sodium bromate, potassium bromate, and mixtures thereof.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the oxidizer is present in an amount of about 60 percent or less by weight of the total composition.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the fuel component is selected from the group consisting of melamine cyanurate, potassium cyanurate, potassium isocyanurate, potassium hydroxyacetate, magnesium cyanurate, magnesium isocyanurate, magnesium hydroxyacetate, and mixtures thereof.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein fuel component is present in an amount of about 40 percent or less by weight of the total composition.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of oxidizer to fuel component is from about 3:

2 to about 4;

1.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the combustion products consist essentially of about 5 percent to about 15 percent H₂O, about 10 percent to about 30 percent CO₂, about 0.5 percent to about 15 percent nitrogen, about 40 percent to about 90 percent potassium bromide, and about 10 percent to about 30 percent potassium carbonate by total weight of the combustion products.

9. A pyrotechnic aerosol fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of:

an oxidizer represented by the formula M(XO_x)_y, wherein M is selected from a Group IA atom, a Group IIA atom, a Group IIIA atom, X is selected from the group consisting of Br and I, x is 1-4, and y is 1-3, wherein the oxidizer is present in an amount of about 70 percent or less by weight of the composition; and

a fuel component comprising melamine cyanurate, a Group IA or Group IIA salt of an organic acid or a mixture thereof, wherein the fuel component is present in an amount of about 50 percent or less by weight of the composition, wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of cyanuric acid, isocyanuric acid, hydroxyacetic acid, and mixtures thereof,

wherein the combustion products consist essentially of H₂O, CO₂, nitrogen, a halide salt, and a carbonate salt.

10. The composition of claim 9, wherein the oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of sodium bromate, potassium bromate, and mixtures thereof, and the fuel component is selected from the group consisting of melamine cyanurate, potassium cyanurate, potassium isocyanurate, potassium hydroxyacetate, magnesium cyanurate, magnesium isocyanurate, magnesium hydroxyacetate, and mixtures thereof.

11. The composition of claim 9, wherein the weight ratio of the oxidizer to the fuel component is from about 3:

2 to about 4;

1.

12. The composition of claim 9, wherein the pyrotechnic aerosol fire suppressant composition has a bum rate of about 5 to about 60 seconds per inch.

13. The composition of claim 9, wherein the pyrotechnic aerosol fire suppressant composition further comprises a binder.

14. The composition of claim 9, wherein the pyrotechnic aerosol fire suppressant composition is in the form of at least one shaped solid unit, wherein the at least one shaped solid unit is a cylinder, a slab, a block or a cone.

15. The composition of claim 14, wherein the at least one shaped solid unit is arranged within a vessel or casing having at least one opening or vent and an ignition assembly.

16. The composition of claim 9, wherein the combustion products consist essentially of about 5 percent to about 15 percent H₂O, about 10 percent to about 30 percent CO₂, about 0.5 percent to about 15 percent nitrogen, about 40 percent to about 90 percent potassium bromide, and about 10 percent to about 30 percent potassium carbonate by total weight of the combustion products.

17. A pyrotechnic aerosol fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of:

an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of sodium bromate, potassium bromate, and mixtures thereof;

a fuel component selected from the group consisting of melamine cyanurate, potassium cyanurate, potassium isocyanurate, potassium hydroxyacetate, magnesium cyanurate, magnesium isocyanurate, magnesium hydroxyacetate, and mixtures thereof, and

an optional binder present in an amount of about 2 percent to about 20 percent by weight of the composition,

wherein the weight ratio of the oxidizer to the fuel component is from about 3;

2 to about 4;

1, and wherein the combustion products consist essentially of H₂O, CO₂, nitrogen, a halide salt, and a carbonate salt.

18. The composition of claim 17, wherein the pyrotechnic aerosol fire suppressant composition has a burn rate of about 5 to about 60 seconds per inch.

19. The composition of claim 17, wherein the oxidizer is potassium bromate and the fuel component is selected from the group consisting of potassium cyanurate, magnesium cyanurate, and mixtures thereof.

20. The composition of claim 17, wherein the fuel component is present in an amount of about 25 percent or less by weight of the composition.

21. The composition of claim 17, wherein the composition has a heat of combustion of about 300 calories per gram to about 500 calories per gram.

22. The composition of claim 17, further comprising a binder present in an amount of about 2 percent to about 20 percent by weight of the composition.

23. The composition of claim 17, wherein the combustion products consist essentially of about 5 percent to about 15 percent H₂O, about 10 percent to about 30 percent CO₂, about 0.5 percent to about 15 percent nitrogen, about 40 percent to about 90 percent potassium bromide, and about 10 percent to about 30 percent potassium carbonate by total weight of the combustion products.