JP7697375B2 - Fire prevention methods and extinguishing agents - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fire prevention method and a fire extinguishing body.

In recent years, technological advances have made our lives more comfortable, but at the same time, we require large amounts of energy to create that comfort. High levels of safety are required when handling energy in each scenario, such as when it is densely packed, stored, transported, or used.

Taking automobiles as an example, there is a risk of ignition or fire when mining fossil fuels, refining gasoline from fossil fuels, transporting gasoline, burning gasoline in the engine, etc. Taking electronics as an example, there is a similar risk of ignition or fire when transferring electrical energy through power lines, when adjusting electrical energy at substations or transformers, when using electrical equipment in homes or factories, or when temporarily storing electrical energy in batteries, etc.

To address the problem of ignition and fire, Patent Document 1 proposes the use of fire extinguishing liquid and a fire extinguisher. Patent Document 2 proposes an automatic fire extinguishing device dropped from a helicopter. Patent Document 3 proposes an aerosol fire extinguishing device.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-276440 JP 2015-6302 A JP 2017-080023 A

All of the prior art techniques propose methods for dealing with a fire after a certain amount of time has passed. However, from the perspective of minimizing damage caused by a fire, it is desirable to carry out some kind of fire-extinguishing operation (initial fire-extinguishing) soon after the fire breaks out.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a new fire prevention method that can prevent the outbreak and spread of fire. Another aim of the present invention is to provide a fire extinguishing body for use in such a fire prevention method.

One aspect of the present invention provides a fire prevention method that includes a step of placing a fire extinguishing body in advance at least vertically above an object that is at risk of catching fire, and the fire extinguishing body includes a base material and a fire extinguishing agent, in that order, from the object side. With such a fire prevention method, a hole is opened in the base material when a fire breaks out from the object or by heat generated before the fire breaks out, allowing the fire extinguishing agent to fall to the source of the fire or heat. This makes it possible to prevent the fire from spreading to the surrounding area at an early stage.

One aspect of the present invention provides a fire extinguishing body that includes a base material and a fire extinguishing agent in this order, and is used such that the base material faces an object that may ignite. Such a fire extinguishing body can be suitably used in the above-mentioned fire prevention method.

In the fire extinguishing body of the present invention, the substrate may be a resin substrate.

The fire extinguishing body of the present invention may further comprise another substrate on the extinguishing agent. The fire extinguishing body of the present invention may further comprise a design layer on at least one surface of the other substrate.

In the fire extinguishing body of the present invention, the fire extinguishing agent may be sealed by a substrate and another substrate.

The extinguishing body of the present invention may further comprise an adhesive layer between the substrate and the extinguishing agent and/or between the other substrate and the extinguishing agent. The extinguishing body of the present invention may further comprise an adhesive layer or a bonding layer on the outside of the substrate and/or the other substrate.

In the fire extinguishing body of the present invention, the extinguishing agent may be a powder-based extinguishing agent, a water-based extinguishing agent or a foam-based extinguishing agent.

In the fire extinguishing body of the present invention, the other base material may satisfy at least one of a tensile strength of 20 N/cm or more and a melting point of 500°C or more.

In the fire extinguishing body of the present invention, the other substrate may comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon, glass, stainless steel, aluminum and ceramic.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a new fire prevention method capable of preventing the occurrence and spread of a fire. Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fire extinguishing body used in such a fire prevention method. The advantages of the present invention are briefly summarized below.
・Damage caused by the spread of fire can be kept to a minimum, meaning that fire can be extinguished in its early stages.
- After a person confirms that a fire has started, there is no need to carry a fire extinguisher to the area near the fire to carry out firefighting activities.
- Since it can be installed more easily than automatic fire extinguishing devices and other equipment, there are fewer restrictions on where it can be installed and it can be applied wherever necessary.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fire extinguishing mechanism using a fire extinguishing body. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

<Fire extinguishing body>
Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to one embodiment. The fire extinguishing body 10 includes a substrate 1 and a fire extinguishing agent 2 in this order. As described below, the fire extinguishing body is used such that the substrate side of the fire extinguishing body faces an object that may ignite. The fire extinguishing body may be in a sheet form. As shown in Fig. 1, the fire extinguishing agent 2 may be provided on at least a part of the upper surface of the substrate 1, but may be provided on the entire upper surface of the substrate 1.

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fire extinguishing mechanism using a fire extinguishing body. First, the fire extinguishing body 10 is placed in advance on the object X that is likely to ignite (Figure 2(a)). In this state, if a fire breaks out from the object X, a hole is made in the base material 1 (for example, a hole is made by melting) (Figure 2(b)). The fire extinguishing agent 2 falls from this hole to the source of the fire (Figure 2(c)). This completes the extinguishing process (Figure 2(d)). Note that in Figure 2, the end face of the object X and the end face of the fire extinguishing body 10 (base material 1) are drawn to be flush with each other, but the two do not necessarily have to be flush with each other. For example, the fire extinguishing body 10 may be provided so as to cover the top and side surfaces of the object X. Also, it is not necessary for a fire to break out from the object X, and a hole may be made in the base material 1 due to the heat generated before the fire breaks out.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment. The fire extinguishing body 20 includes a substrate 1, a fire extinguishing agent 2, and another substrate 3 in this order. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment. The fire extinguishing body 30 includes a substrate 1, a fire extinguishing agent 2, and another substrate 3 in this order, and further includes an adhesive layer 4 between the substrate 1 and the fire extinguishing agent 2 and between the other substrate 3 and the fire extinguishing agent 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment. The fire extinguishing body 40 includes a substrate 1, a fire extinguishing agent 2, and another substrate 3 in this order, and the peripheries of the substrate 1 and the other substrate 3 are joined together by a sealing portion 5. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fire extinguishing body according to another embodiment. The fire extinguishing body 50 includes a substrate 1, a fire extinguishing agent 2, an adhesive layer 4, and another substrate 3 in this order, and the peripheries of the substrate 1 and the other substrate 3 are joined together by a sealing portion 5.

The thickness of the extinguishing body is not necessarily limited because it varies depending on the layer structure, but from the viewpoint of being able to maintain fire extinguishing performance while being thin enough to accommodate a small installation space, it can be, for example, 2 to 20 mm. Also, from the viewpoint of fire extinguishing performance and ease of handling, the area of the main surface of the extinguishing body (the surface when viewed from above in the vertical direction) can be, for example, 9 to 620 ^cm2 .

(Base material)
Considering that the temperature of the flame is generally about 700°C to 900°C, the material of the substrate can be selected from resin substrates. For example, the material of the substrate can be polyolefin (LLDPE, PP, COP, CPP, etc.), polyester (PET, etc.), fluororesin (PTFE, ETFE, EFEP, PFA, FEP, PCTFE, etc.), PVC, PVA, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, polyamide, polyimide, etc. These resins can be perforated by heat. In addition, by selecting a transparent material, it becomes easier to inspect the appearance of the extinguishing body and check the replacement time. The substrate may contain a fire extinguishing agent described later. From the viewpoint of adjusting the water vapor permeability, the substrate may be provided with a vapor deposition layer (alumina vapor deposition layer or silica vapor deposition layer) having water vapor barrier properties.

The substrate may be composed of one or more resin layers. The materials of each layer may be the same or different. When the substrate is composed of two or more resin layers, one of the layers may be an extinguishing agent support layer for supporting the extinguishing agent. By forming the extinguishing agent on the extinguishing agent support layer in advance, handling of the extinguishing agent becomes easier.

The thickness and breaking strength of the substrate can be appropriately selected depending on the amount of heat, impact, allowable space, etc., at the time of fire outbreak. For example, a thick substrate can provide strength and rigidity, and can have a highly flat form, making handling easier. A thin substrate can be provided so that the extinguishing body can be placed in a narrow space, and a hole can be made in a short time, shortening the time to start extinguishing the fire. The thickness of the substrate can be, for example, 4.5 to 100 μm, and may be 12 to 50 μm. The substrate may be a laminate of multiple substrates. The substrate and the object may be bonded by an adhesive layer, which will be described later.

(Fire extinguishing agent)
The extinguishing agent is not particularly limited, and those having the four elements of extinguishing (removal action, cooling action, suffocation action, negative catalytic action) can be appropriately used according to the state of the object. The extinguishing agent includes general extinguishing agents (powder-based extinguishing agents, water-based extinguishing agents, or foam-based extinguishing agents), as well as sand (standard sand), dry ice, water, and the like. An example of a universal extinguishing agent is ABC extinguishing agents, and an example of an extinguishing agent for oil and electrical fires is BC extinguishing agents. When the object is a lithium ion battery, BC extinguishing agents, water-based extinguishing agents, and other extinguishing agents for lithium ion batteries are used. If the extinguishing agent is a powder-based extinguishing agent, it may be mixed with a binder as necessary and placed on the substrate, or it may be placed in a packaging bag and placed on the substrate. If the extinguishing agent is a water-based or foam-based extinguishing agent, it may be made into a gel or placed in a packaging bag and placed on the substrate. However, from the viewpoint of stably retaining the extinguishing agent, it is preferable that an adhesive layer is provided between the substrate and the extinguishing agent, and it is preferable that the extinguishing agent is sealed by another substrate or a sealing portion.

The amount of extinguishing agent can be appropriately selected depending on the type of the object, the fire power at the time of ignition, the extinguishing time, the allowable space, etc. The larger the amount of extinguishing agent, the better the fire extinguishing ability and the shorter the extinguishing time, but the larger the volume, the more limited the space in which the extinguishing body can be placed. The thickness of the extinguishing agent can be, for example, 2 to 19.5 mm. The amount of the extinguishing agent can be, for example, 0.2 to 5 g/ ^cm2 or 0.4 to 3.9 g/ ^cm2 .

(Other substrates)
As shown in Fig. 3, the extinguishing body may further include another substrate (sealing substrate) on the extinguishing agent. By using another substrate, the extinguishing agent can be stably held. This improves vibration resistance and makes it easier to place the extinguishing body on the target even if the upper surface of the target is inclined. Furthermore, deterioration of the extinguishing performance of extinguishing agents that are hygroscopic, such as ABC extinguishing agent and BC extinguishing agent, can be suppressed.

Examples of the material of the other substrate include the materials exemplified as the material of the substrate described above. In addition, the other substrate is preferably a substrate having heat resistance and impact resistance (high-strength heat-resistant substrate). It is preferable that the high-strength heat-resistant substrate has at least one of a tensile strength of 20 N/cm or more and a melting point of 500°C or more. In consideration of cost, such a substrate may include materials such as carbon, glass, stainless steel, aluminum, and ceramics. Examples of the high-strength heat-resistant substrate include those containing woven fabrics (cloths) of these fibers. By having the other substrate have heat resistance and impact resistance, it is possible to prevent holes from being made in the other substrate side due to heat or impact at the time of ignition. This makes it possible to prevent the extinguishing agent from being ejected in the opposite direction to the target object. The thickness of the other substrate may be, for example, 0.1 to 1 mm, and may be 0.2 to 0.5 mm. The other substrate may contain an extinguishing agent. From the viewpoint of adjusting the water vapor permeability, the other substrate may be provided with a vapor deposition layer (alumina vapor deposition layer or silica vapor deposition layer) having water vapor barrier properties.

(Adhesive layer)
As shown in Fig. 4, the extinguishing body may further include an adhesive layer. In Fig. 4, an adhesive layer 4 is illustrated between the substrate 1 and the extinguishing agent 2 and between the other substrate 3 and the extinguishing agent 2, but the adhesive layer 4 may be provided at least one between the substrate 1 and the extinguishing agent 2 and between the other substrate 3 and the extinguishing agent 2. In addition, in the same figure, the other substrate 3 and the adhesive layer 4 for adhering it may not be provided. Furthermore, in Fig. 4, the end face of the extinguishing agent 2 and the end face of the adhesive layer 4 are drawn to be flush with each other, but the two do not necessarily need to be flush with each other. For example, the adhesive layer 4 may be provided so as to protrude outside the end face of the extinguishing agent 2.

By providing an adhesive layer between the substrate and the extinguishing agent, the extinguishing agent can be stably held on the substrate. Also, by providing an adhesive layer between another substrate and the extinguishing agent, it becomes easier to fix the other substrate. However, if the other substrate and the extinguishing agent are too closely attached, the extinguishing agent will be difficult to drop even if a hole is made in the substrate due to ignition or the like. The adhesion between the other substrate and the extinguishing agent (for example, when it has a sheet-like form) is preferably between 0.5 N/cm and 1 N/cm.

The adhesive layer can be appropriately selected depending on the type of substrate, other substrate, extinguishing agent, etc. The adhesive layer can be formed from a material such as a heat seal material, adhesive, or pressure sensitive adhesive. The thickness of the adhesive layer can be, for example, 1 to 100 μm (1 to 30 μm or 30 to 100 μm depending on the material used).

(Sealing part)
As shown in Fig. 5, the extinguishing body may further include a sealing portion. That is, the extinguishing body may include a sealing portion that joins the peripheries of the base material and the other base material. By providing the sealing portion, the base material and the other base material are joined, and the extinguishing agent is sealed. This prevents the extinguishing agent from coming into contact with air, and deterioration of the extinguishing performance of the extinguishing agent can be suppressed. In addition, since the movement of the extinguishing agent is hindered by the sealing portion, the extinguishing agent is more likely to fall toward the target object.

The sealing portion may be formed from the material exemplified in the adhesive layer described above. The peripheries of the substrate and the other substrate may be joined together using the material exemplified in the adhesive layer described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the extinguishing body has an adhesive layer between the extinguishing agent and the other substrate, the extinguishing agent can be sealed with the same material at the adhesive layer and the sealing portion. The sealing portion may be formed from other ultraviolet curable sealing materials. When the substrate and/or the other substrate itself has heat sealability, the sealing portion may be formed by heat fusing the substrate. That is, the sealing portion may be a heat-sealed portion of the substrate and/or the other substrate. When the sealing portion is a heat seal material, the heat seal material is formed on the entire surface of the other substrate, and only the outer periphery of the extinguishing agent is heat-sealed, thereby sealing the extinguishing agent. By providing the sealing portion, the extinguishing agent can be sealed without bonding the extinguishing agent to the other substrate.

<Fire extinguishing body manufacturing method>
As described above, the method of manufacturing the extinguishing body is not particularly limited. The above layers are appropriately laminated, and the periphery of the substrate is joined and sealed by heat sealing or adhesive, etc., as necessary, to manufacture the extinguishing body. The method of providing the extinguishing agent may be adjusted according to the embodiment. For example, when using an extinguishing agent that is sealed in a packaging bag in advance, the packaging bag can be attached to the substrate with an adhesive layer, etc. In the case of a powder-based extinguishing agent, a mixture of the extinguishing agent and an appropriate amount of binder can be applied to the substrate to obtain the extinguishing body. When applying the extinguishing agent, the substrate on which the extinguishing agent-containing layer is provided may be a resin layer (one of the multiple layers constituting the substrate) as an extinguishing agent support layer. In addition, the substrate and another substrate may be overlapped and three sides sealed to manufacture a bag, and the bag may be filled with the extinguishing agent, and the remaining side may be sealed to obtain the extinguishing body.

<Fire prevention method>
The fire prevention method includes a step of placing the above-mentioned fire extinguisher in advance at least in the vertical upper part of an object that may catch fire. By placing the fire extinguisher at least in the vertical upper part of the object, the fire extinguishing agent can be reliably dropped onto the ignited object. Note that the fire extinguisher does not need to be placed only in the vertical upper part of the object. For example, as long as the fire extinguishing agent is present at least in the vertical upper part of the object, the fire extinguisher 10 itself may be provided so as to cover the upper surface (vertical upper part) and side surfaces (surfaces having a certain angle (e.g. 90°) with respect to the upper surface) of the object.

(Objects that may ignite)
The object is not particularly limited as long as it is something that may ignite and on which the above-mentioned fire extinguishing body can be placed, for example, electric wires, distribution boards, control panels, storage batteries (lithium ion batteries, etc.), building materials such as wallpaper for building materials and ceiling materials, boxes for collecting lithium ion batteries (recycling boxes), trash cans, automobile-related parts, electrical outlets, electrical outlet covers, and other parts.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, from the viewpoint of more easily installing the fire extinguishing body in a place where there is a risk of ignition, an adhesive layer or a bonding layer may be provided on the outside of the base material 1 or the other base material 3. A release film may further be provided so as to cover the adhesive layer or the bonding layer. The release film is peeled off when the fire extinguishing body is used, and may be made of resin or paper. In addition, the fire extinguishing body may be in the form of a shrink film or a stretch film by selecting and processing (e.g., stretching or thinning) the thermoplastic resin constituting the base material 1 and the other base material 3.

The extinguishing body may further include a design layer. The design layer may be formed by printing or printing. Specific examples of the design include solid patterns in white and gray tones, such as wood grain patterns and tile patterns that are conscious of the living space, as well as pictures, patterns, designs, and character patterns. By providing a design layer, the design can be enhanced, the extinguishing body can be made to blend in with the surrounding environment, and the strength of the extinguishing body can be increased. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a fire extinguishing body with a design layer. The fire extinguishing body 60 shown in this figure has an adhesive layer 6 (or adhesive layer) and a release film 7 in this order on the outside of the base material 1, and a design layer 8 on the side of the other base material 3. For example, when the texture of a tile ground or the like is to be created by the design layer, it is preferable to provide the design layer 8 on the outer surface 3a of the other base material 3, as shown in FIG. 7. If the other base material 3 is transparent, a design layer may be provided on the inner surface 3b of the other base material 3. The design layer may have a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure.

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples (Reference Examples) , but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

<Preparing materials>
(Substrate and other substrates)
LLDPE film: MC-S #100 (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello Co., Ltd.)
OPP film: U-1 #50 (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals Tocello Co., Ltd.)
Aluminum foil: 8079 40 μm (manufactured by Toyo Aluminum Co., Ltd.)
(Fire extinguishing agent)
Standard sand: Toyoura silica sand (manufactured by Toyoura Silica Mining Co., Ltd.)
ABC fire extinguishing agent (Morita Miyata Kogyo Co., Ltd.)
BC(K) fire extinguishing agent (Morita Miyata Kogyo Co., Ltd.)

<Preparation of fire extinguishing body>
Example 1
32.5 g of standard sand was weighed as a fire extinguishing agent and evenly placed on an 8 cm x 8 cm MC-S #100. This produced a fire extinguishing body. The amount of standard sand was adjusted so that the base material area was 0.55 g/ ^cm2 .

(Examples 2 to 3)
A fire extinguisher was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the materials used were changed as shown in Table 1.

Example 4
Two sheets of MC-S #100 were stacked together and three sides were heat sealed (conditions: 150°C, 0.6 MPa for 10 seconds) to prepare an LLDPE bag. Standard sand was placed in the bag, and the remaining side was heat sealed to prepare a fire extinguishing body. The amount of standard sand was adjusted to 0.55 g/ ^cm2 relative to the substrate area.

(Examples 5 to 9)
Except for changing the materials used as shown in Table 1, the fire extinguishing bodies were produced in the same manner as in Example 4. For Examples 7 to 9, the bags were produced by bonding the substrates together using an adhesive instead of heat sealing.

(Comparative Examples 1 to 2)
As reference samples, LLDPE film or PP film was used as is.

<Fire extinguishing performance evaluation>
The extinguisher of the embodiment was brought close to a lit candle from above the candle in the vertical direction, with the candle and the base material of the extinguisher facing each other. At that time, the extinguisher was brought close so that the distance between the tip of the candle flame and the base material of the extinguisher was 5 mm or less. Then, it was evaluated whether the candle flame could be extinguished. The same operation was performed for the film of the comparative example. The results are shown in Table 1.

The present invention can be particularly suitably used in components used in industrial materials such as building materials, automotive components, aircraft components, and electronics components.

1...substrate, 2...fire extinguishing agent, 3...other substrate (sealing substrate), 4...adhesive layer, 5...sealing portion, 6...adhesive layer, 7...release film, 8...design layer, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60...fire extinguishing body, X...target object.

Claims (11)

The method includes a step of placing a fire extinguisher in advance at least vertically above an object that may ignite,
The fire extinguishing body comprises, from the target side, a substrate, an adhesive layer for adhering and holding the extinguishing agent layer on the substrate , and the extinguishing agent layer , in this order. The fire extinguishing body comprises, in this order, a substrate, an adhesive layer for adhering and holding a fire extinguishing agent layer on the substrate , and a fire extinguishing agent layer , and is placed in advance on an object that may ignite with the substrate side facing the object. The fire extinguishing body according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is a resin substrate. The fire extinguishing body according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising an adhesive layer or a bonding layer on the outside of the base material. The fire extinguishing body according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising another substrate on the fire extinguishing agent layer . The fire extinguishing body according to claim 5, further comprising a sealing portion that joins the periphery of the base material and the other base material. The fire extinguishing body according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising an adhesive layer between the other substrate and the fire extinguishing agent layer . The fire extinguishing body according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising an adhesive layer or a bonding layer on the outside of the other substrate. The fire extinguishing body according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a design layer on at least one surface of the other substrate. The extinguishing agent according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the other base material has at least one of a tensile strength of 20 N/cm or more and a melting point of 500°C or more. The fire extinguisher according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the other substrate comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon, glass, stainless steel, aluminum, and ceramic.

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