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A fire retardant is a substance that helps to delay or prevent combustion. Fire retardants are commonly used in fire fighting. Water is the most commonly used fire retardant, but the phrase typically refers to chemical retardants. It can also refer to a coating over an object, such as a spray retardant to christmas trees from burning. Combustion or burning is a complex sequence of chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat or both heat and light in the form of either a glow or flames. ...
This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ...
Home fires damage over 390,500 homes, and cause just under 6 billion dollars in damage annually. [1] Because of the importance of prevention, fire retardation has become a very important industry.
How do fire retardants work? In general, fire retardants reduce the flammability of materials by either blocking the fire physically or a chemical reaction to stop the fire.
Physical There are several ways in which the combustion process can be retarded by physical action: - By cooling: Some chemical reactions actually cool the material down.
- By forming a protective layer: This protects the remaining material.
- By dilution: Some retardants release water and/or carbon dioxide while burning. This may dilute the radicals in the flame enough for it to go out.
One example is commonly used the fire retardant, aluminum hydroxide. Not only does it break down to give off water vapor, but also absorbs a vast amount of heat as it does so, cooling the material, and the residue of alumina (Al2O3) forms a protective layer. It provides protection in three ways at once. Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...
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Chemical action - Reactions in the gas phase: chemical reactions in the flame (i.e. gas phase) can be interrupted by fire retardants. However, there are situations where the released gas might be more dangerous when this type of retardant is involved. Generally, this class of retardents uses halogens such as bromine or chlorine.
- Reaction in the solid phase: This kind of flame retardant works by breaking down the plastics polymer so it melts and flows away from the flame. Although this allows materials to pass certain flammability tests, there is argument over if the fire safety is truly improved by the production of flammable plastic droplets.
- Char Formation: Solid phase flame retardants are those which cause a layer of carbon char to form on the polymer surface. This carbon char layer is much harder to burn and prevent further burning.
- Intumescents: These types of retardant materials add chemicals which cause swelling up behind the protective char layer, providing much better insulation behind the protective barrier. In additions to being added to plastics, these are available as paints for protecting wooden buildings or steel structures.
The halogens are a chemical series. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number bromine, Br, 35 Chemical series halogens Group, Period, Block 17, 4, p Appearance gas/liquid: red-brown solid: metallic luster Atomic mass 79. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number chlorine, Cl, 17 Chemical series halogens Group, Period, Block 17, 3, p Appearance yellowish green Atomic mass 35. ...
Plastic covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. ...
Char may mean: A piece of charred substance A character Certain fish in the genus Salvelinus The Char 2C, a tank Char (StarCraft) Tea This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Insulation must not be confused with insolation (the latter word has an o where the former has a u). Insulation is any material used to reduce or “slow down†or “resist†the flow of energy. ...
Uses Fire retardants are used in many places to make every day life safer. Download high resolution version (1036x2017, 1184 KB)Fire extinguisher for A, B, and C fires (Carbon Dioxide based). ...
Download high resolution version (1036x2017, 1184 KB)Fire extinguisher for A, B, and C fires (Carbon Dioxide based). ...
Fire extinguishers Many different types of fire extinguishers exist. Size and complexity range from small extinguishers meant to be carried in a car up to whole-building chemical extinguishers. Fire extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a device used to put out a fire, often in an emergency situation. ...
Surface coating It is possible to coat an object with a fire retardant. The classic example of this is the Christmas tree. As the tree dries out it can be accidentally lit on fire putting the home at risk. A coating of a specialised fire retardant can prevent the starting of the fire and slow it down if it does start.
In addition many large sky-scrapers use a coating around main structural elements to prevent catastrophic weakening during a fire. It is believed that one of the reasons why the twin towers collapsed on 9/11 was due to the airplane impact removing portions of the fire-insulation layer. The Twin Towers can refer to: Buildings: The former World Trade Center in New York City Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur Time Warner Center in New York Wembley Stadium in London, England, which had Twin Towers before being demolished in 2003 Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, California...
The date that commonly refers to the attacks on United States citizens on September 11, 2001 (see the September 11, 2001 Attacks). ...
 An Air National Guard C-130 Hercules drops fire retardant on wildfires in Southern California An ANG C-130 fights wildfires in Southern California. ...
An ANG C-130 fights wildfires in Southern California. ...
Shield of the United States Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG) is part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Air Force (USAF). ...
Lockheed C-130H Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop aircraft that serves as the main tactical airlifter for military forces worldwide. ...
Forest-fire fighting One way that a chemical fire retardant would be used is at a wildfire to try and prevent its spread. A fire retardant would not actually be put directly on the fire in an attempt to extinguish it. But instead, it would be put around a fire's edges to contain it, this would allow crews time to work to put the fire out while the retardant slowed or prevented further spread. The Old Fire burning in the San Bernardino Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, brush fire, bushfire (in Australasia), or hill fire, is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in wildland areas, but which can also consume...
In a forest or wild fire situation in a remote area, a fire retardant would usually be dropped from a plane or helicopter. For example, it would be used on fires up on mountains where there is limited or no ground access. Fire retardants that are commonly used are considered to pose little risk to humans or the environment.
The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors. ...
Textiles Most clothing intended for children in the United States is required to pass fire-retardant tests for safety reasons.
Home furniture In many locations mattresses are now treated with fire retardant or built with fire-resistant material. Many new foams self-extinguish.
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