Application of a novel a core-shell microstructured nanocomposites as a fire extinguishant using seawater

Water has unsurpassed capabilities in fire extinguishing. However, water scarcity is rapidly increasing in many regions and water shortage problems have led to find either new water resources or improve seawater treatment technologies. In this study, a new environment-friendly and high-efficiency powdered fire extinguishing agent with a core-shell structure is designed. The designed extinguishing agent is a colloidal powder with a 92% liquid content and is prepared through physical modification and high-speed shearing. Fumed silica is used for the external shell due to its chemical inertness, whereas seawater is used as the core due to its high extinguishing efficiency. Results show that the size of the prepared agent ranged between 100–200μm. The two fire extinguishing experiments of different scales demonstrate that the employing inorganic salts with seawater as the core can significantly increase the efficiency of the new powder in extinguishing gasoline and diesel fire compared with ultrafine and common ABC dry powders. The suppression mechanism of action is caused by the combined flame chemical and pyrolysis theories of the potassium compounds. This study would be of great theoretical significance and application value for improving the application scope of the seawater.