Extinguishing agent for non-self-igniting chloro-silane(s) - comprises inert gas contg. at least 1 per cent alkane, up to a limit determined by flammability of mixt.

摘要

Extinguishing and inerting agent (I) for extinguishing chlorosilanes (II) which do not undergo spontaneous ignition consists of inert gas(es) contg. at least 1% methane, ethane, propane, cyclopropane, n-pentane, iso-pentane, n-hexane, iso-hexane or a mixt. thereof, the upper limit of the amt. of alkane (III) being determined by the flammability of the mixt. USE/ADVANTAGE - The invention provides a cheap, halon-free fire extinguishing agent for chlorosilanes which are difficult to extinguish, the concn. of (I) required to extinguish burning (II) (esp. HSiCl3) is so low that it can be used outside a closed container (contrast prior-art mixts. based on CO2 or nitrogen and contg. halo-hydrocarbon or certain organosilicon cpds. In an example, a mixt. of (I) and air was passed through a vertical glass tube, in the middle of which was a small cup (dia. 10 mm.) contg. HSiCl3, with a wick to bring the chlorosilane in contact with the gas stream, when the gas concn. was constant, the vapour was ignited electrically and was extinguished again by the gas stream after time T. The concn. of (I) in the gas stream required to produce this effect in the same time was 81% for N2 alone, and 56% for a mixt. of methane andN2 in the vol. ratio 0.06, corresp. results for CO2 and propane/CO2 (ratio 0.05) were 73% and 51%. The max. possible concn. of the above hydrocarbons (vol.% of (I)) below which the mixt. is non-flammable at any dilution in air, was in the range 4-13% in N2 and 6-18% in CO2 (depending on the alkane).