Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62D—CHEMICAL MEANS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES OR FOR COMBATING OR PROTECTING AGAINST HARMFUL CHEMICAL AGENTS; CHEMICAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN BREATHING APPARATUS
  • A62D1/00—Fire-extinguishing compositions; Use of chemical substances in extinguishing fires
  • A62D1/0028—Liquid extinguishing substances
  • A62D1/0035—Aqueous solutions
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62D—CHEMICAL MEANS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES OR FOR COMBATING OR PROTECTING AGAINST HARMFUL CHEMICAL AGENTS; CHEMICAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN BREATHING APPARATUS
  • A62D1/00—Fire-extinguishing compositions; Use of chemical substances in extinguishing fires
  • A62D1/0007—Solid extinguishing substances
  • A62D1/0014—Powders; Granules

Definitions

• This invention relates to fire retardant compositions which are specially adapted for aerial application, to combat or prevent the spread of wildfires.
• Fire retardant compositions are typically manufactured as dry or liquid "concentrates”. These concentrates are shipped and stored in such form until just prior to use. Then, the concentrate is mixed with water to form the final diluted "mixed" fire retardant composition. This mixed retardant composition is then pumped in the tanker aircraft for transport to and dropping at the wildfire site. In some instances a dry concentrate is first mixed with an initial quantity of water to provide an intermediate liquid concentrate and this intermediate liquid concentrate is then further diluted just before use to the final diluted mixed form.
• liquid ammonium polyphosphates may be too dilute in their commercial forms for application as fire retardants but, other retardants, such as those noted above, may be mixed with a liquid ammonium polyphosphate until a minimum acceptable concentration is obtained.
• Ammonium polyphosphate is often called polyammonium phosphate, and commonly contains other ammonium phosphate such as pyro and metaphosphates, and the alkali metal equivalents thereof, as well as a blend of phosphate polymers.
• the fire retardant components may also include thickening agents, which include standard thickeners such as galactomannan guar gum compositions and derivatives thereof attapulgite clay, carboxymethylcellulose and derivaties thereof, and the like.
• the thickening agent is employed to maintain the viscosity of the diluted mixed fire retardant composition, for example, at between about 50 centipoise and about 2000 centipoise for aerial application.
• the fire retardant components, in the concentrate or in the final diluted mixed form may also typically include various adjuvants such as corrosion inhibitors, flow conditioners, spoilage inhibitors, stabilizers and the like, and carriers for these adjuvants, in accordance with art recognized principles.
• a fugitive color liquid fire retardant composition for aerial application to ground vegetation which achieves these objectives.
• Our composition comprises fire retardant components, a colorant and a liquid carrier, typically an aqueous carrier.
• the fire retardant components include a fire suppressing salt and has a first hue.
• the colorant comprises a fugitive component and a non-fugitive component.
• the non-fugitive component of our colorant is present in an amount sufficient to improve the aerial visibility of the composition when it is first applied to the vegetation. However, the non-fugitive component is present in less than an amount which prevents the composition from thereafter fading to the first hue, i.e., the hue of the fire retardant composition components without the colorant.
• a concentrate composition for preparing the liquid composition described above by dilution thereof with the aqueous carrier.
• the concentrate composition comprises the fire retardant components and the colorant.
• the concentrate is a dry composition. In another embodiment the concentrate is a liquid, suitable for later dilution with water to form the final mixed liquid fire retardant composition.
• the "fugitive component” is a dye or a dye which is dispersed in a matrix (i.e., a pigment), which fades over time and under ambient field conditions to a colorless or less highly colored hue.
• a matrix i.e., a pigment
• fluorescent pigments fluorescent dyes encapsulated in a resin integument
• Typical examples of prior art fugitive dyes and pigments include C.I.
• the colorant is present in an amount which provides a color ("second hue") to the composition which is different from the color of the composition without the colorant ("first hue”).
• the second hue contrasts with the hue of the vegetation (normally green and/or brown).
• the second hue is red, orange or pink.
• the non-fugitive component is included in the colorant in an amount sufficient to provide improved aerial visibility of the composition when it is first aerially applied to the vegetation. However, the amount of the non-fugitive component is less than the amount which would prevent the fire retardant composition from fading to the first hue after application.
• red iron oxide pigments as the non-fugitive component.
• Yellow iron oxide pigments and white pigments, such as titanium dioxide can also be employed.
• dolored pigments such as red or yellow iron oxide do not fade appreciably, the amounts of such pigments in the fire retardant compositions are small enough that the overall composition ultimately fades to a neutral color, i.e., substantially the same color which the composition would have exhibited if no colorant had been added.
• the initial color (second hue) of the resultant fire retardant composition will be red. If a red fugitive component and yellow iron oxide (non-fugitive component) are employed, the second hue will be orange. If a red fugitive component and a white non-fugitive component are employed, the second hue will be pink. Any of these second hues may provide sufficient contrast with the hue of the ground vegetation to provide acceptable aerial visibility. At present, we prefer to employ red iron oxide in combination with a red fugitive component to form the colorant.
• a colored non-fugitive component can be employed if the base composition is highly viscous or if the composition is applied on less highly colored vegetation or terrain, e.g., chapparal. It appears that the maximum quantity of colored non-fugitive component is higher when using a clay thickener than when using a gum thickener in the fire retardant composition. In general, it appears that the colored non-fugitive pigment can be no more than approximately 20-30 wt.% of the total colorant. The maximum amount of the total colorant employed will be less than the amount which would prevent the compositions from fading to a neutral color. These amounts can be determined by routine tests by persons skilled in the art having regard for this disclosure.
• both a dye and a pigment in the same fire retardant composition is disclosed by the U.S. Patent No. 3,960,735, issued June 1, 1976 to Kathleen P. Lacey.
• both "red iron oxide” and "6BL dye” are included in a fire retardant concentrate composition.
• the primary coloring agent, red iron oxide was present in an amount which was far in excess of that which would permit the composition to fade to the hue which it would exhibit if the dye/iron oxide had not been added, i.e., the Lacey '735 compositions were not "fugitive".
• the 6BL dye was added to the composition of Example III for the purpose of supplementing the red color of the iron oxide, i.e., making the composition "redder", because the iron cyanide blue corrosion inhibitor of Lacey (Col. 2, lines 5 et seq.) and the red iron oxide otherwise provided a "purplish" composition.
• a prior art composition was known and used in the United States prior to our present invention which may have included a colorant consisting of a mixture of a dye and a small quantity of TiO 2 , encapsulated in a polymeric matrix.
• This prior composition was manufactured and shipped as a dry powder "concentrate" which was then diluted with water for field application.
• the quantity of TiO 2 in this product was only about 40-50 ppm in the final diluted concentrate, far less than the amount required to provide the enhanced visibility achieved by the present invention.
• the determination of whether the hue of the fugitive composition (second hue) fades to the hue of the composition without any colorant (first hue) can be determined by the method described in Section 4.3.7.2 of Specification 5100-304a (February 1986), "USDA Forest Service Specification for Specification for Long Term Retardant, Forest Fire Aircraft or Ground Application".
• This example illustrates the practice of the invention in the manufacture of fugitive compositions of the general type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,983,326.
• a blended dry powder concentrate is prepared in accordance with Example 4B of the '326 patent.
• the dry concentrate is mixed with water to form an intermediate low-viscosity liquid concentrate, which is then further diluted to form a high-viscosity final mixed fire retardant composition having improved aerial visibility in comparison to the same compositions without the iron oxide pigment and has acceptable "fugitive" fading characteristics.
• Table F depicts the weight percentages of the components of the dry concentrate, intermediate liquid or so-called "fluid" concentrate and the final diluted mixed retardant composition.
• Bayferrox Red Iron Oxide 130M 0.40 0.09 LIQUID CARRIER Water none balance TOTAL 100.00 100.00 wt% in liquid concentrate wt% in diluted mixed retardant FIRE RETARDANT COMPONENTS Ammonium Polyphosphate Liquid (Simplot 10-34-0) 90.70 22.98 Attapulgite Clay (Floridin AA Special) 4.00 1.01 Sodium Ferrocyanide (Wego Technical) 3.90 0.99 COLORANT Fugitive Pigment (Day-Glo #122-9180) 1.00 0.25 Non-Fugitive Pigment (Mobay Corp.
• compositions illustrates the practice of the invention by the manufacture of liquid concentrate products from ammonium polyphosphate liquids, using non-fugitive components other than red iron oxide. These compositions have acceptable aerial visibility and fugitive fading characteristics.
• the compositions are prepared in accordance with the procedure of Example 1, with the components listed in Table J and Table K. Wt.% in concentrate Wt.% in solution Ammonium Polyphosphate (11-37-0) 90.6 20.26 Attapulgite Clay 3.5 0.78 Corrosion inhibitor 4.5 1.01 Water None balance Fugitive pigment 1.0 0.22 Titanium dioxide 0.4 0.09 Wt.% in concentrate Wt. % in solution Ammonium Polyphospate (10-34-0) 90.7 22.83 Attapulgite Clay 4.0 1.01 Corrosion inhibitor 3.9 0.99 Water None balance Fugitive pigment 1.0 0.25 Yellow iron oxide 0.4 0.10
• compositions illustrates the practice of the invention by the manufacture of dry concentrate products from ammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate, using non-fugitive components other than red iron oxide. These compositions have acceptable aerial visibility and fugitive fading characteristics.
• the compositions are prepared in accordance with the procedure Example 2, with the components listed in Tables L-O. Wt.% in concentrate Wt.% in solution Ammonium sulfate 94.47 - 82.21 14.70 Diammonium phosphate 4.56 - 3.97 0.71 Guar gum 0 - 4.47 0 - 0.8 Stabilizer(s)/corrosion inhibitor(s)/spoilage inhibitor(s), defoamer(s), etc.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
• Fireproofing Substances (AREA)
• Protection Of Plants (AREA)
• Ventilation (AREA)
• Cultivation Of Plants (AREA)
• Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)

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• 1994
  • 1994-07-21 AU AU74739/94A patent/AU676762B2/en not_active Expired
  • 1994-07-21 WO PCT/US1994/008226 patent/WO1996003477A1/fr not_active Ceased
• 1995
  • 1995-07-14 EP EP99100007A patent/EP0911067B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-07-14 DE DE69533524T patent/DE69533524T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-07-14 ES ES99100007T patent/ES2229560T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-07-14 ES ES95304934T patent/ES2136801T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-07-14 DE DE69512330T patent/DE69512330T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-07-14 PT PT99100007T patent/PT911067E/pt unknown
  • 1995-07-14 EP EP95304934A patent/EP0693304B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-07-18 CA CA002154122A patent/CA2154122C/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime

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