Modification of Freezing Point for Hydrogel Extinguishant and Its Effect on Comprehensive Properties in Simulated Forest Fire Rescue

Ziwei Han, Peiyao Chen, Meifang Hou, Qianqian Li, Guijin Su, Jing Meng, Bin Shi and Jie Deng
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Ziwei Han: College of Ecological Technology and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201400, China
Peiyao Chen: Tianjin Fire Research Institute of MEM, Tianjin 300381, China
Meifang Hou: College of Ecological Technology and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201400, China
Qianqian Li: Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology and Health Effects, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Guijin Su: Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology and Health Effects, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Jing Meng: Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology and Health Effects, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Bin Shi: Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology and Health Effects, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Jie Deng: Tianjin Fire Research Institute of MEM, Tianjin 300381, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: Hydrogels, as an emerging extinguishant, exhibit outstanding performance in forest fire rescues. However, the near-zero freezing point limits their application at low temperatures. Herein, a sensible candidate commercial extinguishant was selected for analysis, and its freezing point was modified based on the evaluation of water absorption rate, agglomeration, viscosity, and water dispersibility. Notably, the introduction of different antifreeze and flame retardant exhibited a significant disparate impact on the viscosity representative factor. Ten orthogonal experiments were performed to optimize the specific formulation. When ethylene glycol, urea and ammonium bicarbonate, and xanthan gum were applied as antifreeze, flame retardant, and thickener, with the addition amounts of 5 mL, 0.08 g and 0.04 g, and 0.12 g, respectively, the hydrogel extinguishant with 1% ratio in 50 mL of ultra-water featured the remarkable performance. Compared with the original extinguishant, the freezing point of the modified sample decreased from −0.3 to −9.2 °C. The sample’s viscosity was improved from 541 to 1938 cP, and the flame retardance time was more than 120 s. The results of corrosion and biotoxicity show that the optimized hydrogel extinguishant satisfies the national standards. This understanding provides a deeper insight into the application of low-temperature extinguishants in forest fires.

Keywords: hydrogel extinguishant; modification; freezing point; formula optimization; environmental-friendly (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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