Carbon dioxide flames

Dehydration or Chemical Theory. In the dehydration or chemical theory, catalytic dehydration of ceUulose occurs. The decomposition path of ceUulose is altered so that flammable tars and gases are reduced and the amount of char is increased ie, upon combustion, ceUulose produces mainly carbon and water, rather than carbon dioxide and water. Because of catalytic dehydration, most fire-resistant cottons decompose at lower temperatures than do untreated cottons, eg, flame-resistant cottons decompose at 275—325°C compared with about 375°C for untreated cotton. Phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid [8014-95-7] are good examples of dehydrating agents that can act as efficient flame retardants (15—17). 

Because PTFE resins decompose slowly, they may be heated to a high temperature. The toxicity of the pyrolysis products warrants care where exposure of personnel is likely to occur (120). Above 230°C decomposition rates become measurable (0.0001% per hour). Small amounts of toxic perfiuoroisobutylene have been isolated at 400°C and above free fluorine has never been found. Above 690°C the decomposition products bum but do not support combustion if the heat is removed. Combustion products consist primarily of carbon dioxide, carbon tetrafluoride, and small quantities of toxic and corrosive hydrogen fluoride. The PTFE resins are nonflammable and do not propagate flame. 

The combustible components of the gas are carbon monoxide and hydrogen, but combustion (heat) value varies because of dilution with carbon dioxide and with nitrogen. The gas has a low flame temperature unless the combustion air is strongly preheated. Its use has been limited essentially to steel (qv) mills, where it is produced as a by-product of blast furnaces. A common choice of equipment for the smaller gas producers is the WeUman-Galusha unit because of its long history of successful operation (21). 

A flame-ionization, total hydrocarbon analyzer determines the THC, and the total carbon content is calculated as methane. Other methods include catalytic combustion to carbon dioxide, which may be deterrnined by a sensitive infrared detector of the nondispersive type. Hydrocarbons other than methane and acetylene are present only in minute quantities and generally are inert in most appHcations. 

Although neither inflammable nor self-igniting, sodium peroxide is highly inflammable when mixed with oxidi2able substances. Such mixtures bum violendy, even ia the absence of air. Tme sodium peroxocarbonates can be formed under the influence of atmospheric moisture and carbon dioxide. At temperatures >50° C and when exposed to pressure or friction, these peroxocarbonates can decompose and generate flame. 

Commercial Hquid sodium alumiaates are normally analyzed for total alumiaa and for sodium oxide by titration with ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid [60-00-4] (EDTA) or hydrochloric acid. Further analysis iacludes the determiaation of soluble alumiaa, soluble siHca, total iasoluble material, sodium oxide content, and carbon dioxide. Aluminum and sodium can also be determiaed by emission spectroscopy. The total iasoluble material is determiaed by weighing the ignited residue after extraction of the soluble material with sodium hydroxide. The sodium oxide content is determiaed ia a flame photometer by comparison to proper standards. Carbon dioxide is usually determiaed by the amount evolved, as ia the Underwood method. 

Chemica.1 Properties. Reviews of carbonyl sulfide chemistry are available (18,23,24). Carbonyl sulfide is a stable compound and can be stored under pressure ia steel cylinders as compressed gas ia equiUbrium with Hquid. At ca 600°C carbonyl sulfide disproportionates to carbon dioxide and carbon disulfide at ca 900°C it dissociates to carbon monoxide and sulfur. It bums with a blue flame to carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Carbonyl sulfide reacts... 

Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer Latex. Vinyhdene chloride polymers are often made in emulsion, but usuaUy are isolated, dried, and used as conventional resins. Stable latices have been prepared and can be used direcdy for coatings (171—176). The principal apphcations for these materials are as barrier coatings on paper products and, more recently, on plastic films. The heat-seal characteristics of VDC copolymer coatings are equaUy valuable in many apphcations. They are also used as binders for paints and nonwoven fabrics (177). The use of special VDC copolymer latices for barrier laminating adhesives is growing, and the use of vinyhdene chloride copolymers in flame-resistant carpet backing is weU known (178—181). VDC latices can also be used to coat poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bottles to retain carbon dioxide (182). 

Solutions of these fire retardant formulations are impregnated into wood under fliU cell pressure treatment to obtain dry chemical retentions of 65 to 95 kg/m this type of treatment greatly reduces flame-spread and afterglow. These effects are the result of changed thermal decomposition reactions that favor production of carbon dioxide and water (vapor) as opposed to more flammable components (55). Char oxidation (glowing or smoldering) is also inhibited. 

Diehlorotriphenylantimony has been suggested as a flame retardant (177,178) and as a catalyst for the polymerization of ethylene carbonate (179). Dihromotriphenylantimony has been used as a catalyst for the reaction between carbon dioxide and epoxides to form cycHc carbonates (180) and for the oxidation of a-keto alcohols to diketones (181). 

Flame Temperature. The adiabatic flame temperature, or theoretical flame temperature, is the maximum temperature attained by the products when the reaction goes to completion and the heat fiberated during the reaction is used to raise the temperature of the products. Flame temperatures, as a function of the equivalence ratio, are usually calculated from thermodynamic data when a fuel is burned adiabaticaHy with air. To calculate the adiabatic flame temperature (AFT) without dissociation, for lean to stoichiometric mixtures, complete combustion is assumed. This implies that the products of combustion contain only carbon dioxide, water, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur dioxide. 

The radiation from a flame is due to radiation from burning soot particles of microscopic andsubmicroscopic dimensions, from suspended larger particles of coal, coke, or ash, and from the water vapor and carbon dioxide in the hot gaseous combustion products. The contribution of radiation emitted by the combustion process itself, so-called chemiluminescence, is relatively neghgible. Common to these problems is the effect of the shape of the emitting volume on the radiative fliix this is considered first. 

Fire Hazards - Flash Point Not pertinent Flammable Limits in Air (%) 4.0 - 75.0 Fire Extinguishing Agents Let fire burn shut off gas supply Fire Extinguishing Agents Not To Be Used Carbon dioxide Special Hazards of Combustion Products Not pertinent Behavior in Fire Bums with an almost invisible flame Ignition Temperature (deg. F) 1,065 Electrical Hazard Class I, Group B Burning Rate 9.9 mm/min. 

The chemical reactions that occnr in flames transform an initial reactant mixtnre into final reaction prodncts. In the case of fnel-oxygen combns-tion, the final prodncts are principally water vapor and carbon dioxide, althongh nnmerons other prodncts snch as carbon monoxide may be formed, depending on the reactant composition and other factors. If the ratio of fnel-to-oxygen is stoichiometric, the final reaction prodncts, by definition, contain no excess fnel or oxygen. Theoretically, this means that partial oxidation prodncts snch as CO (itself a fnel) are not formed. In reality, partial oxidation prodncts snch as CO or OH are formed by high tem-peratnre reactions. For example, the molar stoichiometric reaction of methane is written ... 

Nozzles can be installed on the flame arrester honsing for injecting snuffing steam, carbon dioxide, or a suppressant into the arrester to extinguish a standing flame on the arrester element. 

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