Adding Automatic Fire Suppression Material in Glue Production: New Challenges for Production Processes and Equipment

 

In modern industrial production, glue, as a widely used basic material, the safety of its production process is of great significance. With the development of technology, the application of Automatic Fire Suppression Material in glue production has gradually attracted attention. This kind of material can automatically initiate the fire suppression mechanism when a fire breaks out, effectively reducing the fire risk and protecting the safety of personnel and property. However, adding automatic fire suppression material also brings a series of special requirements for the production process and equipment of glue.

Overview of Automatic Fire Suppression Material

Automatic fire suppression material is a kind of functional material that can automatically respond and suppress the spread of fire at the initial stage of a fire. Common automatic fire suppression materials include dry powder, gases (such as heptafluoropropane, carbon dioxide, etc.), foam, and new types of aerosols. These materials achieve the fire suppression effect through different fire suppression principles. For example, dry powder interrupts the combustion reaction through chemical inhibition, gases extinguish the fire by reducing the oxygen concentration or through a cooling effect, and foam extinguishes the fire by covering the surface of the burning substance to isolate oxygen.

When choosing a suitable automatic fire suppression material in glue production, multiple factors need to be considered. Firstly, it is the composition and properties of the glue. Different types of glues may have different compatibility requirements for fire suppression materials. For example, certain organic glues may react with some chemical fire extinguishers, affecting the performance of the glue. Therefore, a fire suppression material compatible with it needs to be selected. Secondly, the production environment and equipment characteristics will also affect the selection of automatic fire suppression materials. If the production workshop has limited space and dense equipment, a gas fire suppression system may be more suitable because it leaves no residue after fire suppression and causes less damage to the equipment. For large open-air production areas, a dry powder or foam fire suppression system may be more appropriate.

 

Special Requirements for the Production Process

Adjustment of the Mixing Process

When adding automatic fire suppression material in the glue production process, the first challenge is the mixing process. Since the physical properties such as particle size and density of the automatic fire suppression material may be quite different from those of the glue raw materials, how to ensure its uniform dispersion in the glue becomes a key issue. If the mixing is not uniform, it may lead to insufficient fire suppression performance in some parts of the glue, while in other parts, the excessive concentration of the fire suppression material may affect the normal performance of the glue.

To solve this problem, the mixing process parameters need to be optimized. For example, adjust the stirring speed and time, use high-speed stirring or extend the stirring time to improve the dispersion degree of the fire suppression material in the glue. At the same time, dispersants or surfactants can be considered to be added to reduce the interfacial tension between the fire suppression material particles and the glue, promoting their uniform dispersion. In addition, choosing the appropriate mixing equipment is also crucial. For example, using a mixer with high-efficiency dispersion function can better achieve the uniform mixing of the fire suppression material and the glue.

Control of Reaction Conditions

Some automatic fire suppression materials may have an impact on the chemical reaction process of the glue, so the reaction conditions need to be strictly controlled. For example, some fire suppression materials may have a catalytic effect, which will accelerate or change the curing reaction rate of the glue. In this case, parameters such as reaction temperature, pressure, and reaction time need to be readjusted to ensure that the performance of the glue is not affected.

Take polyurethane glue as an example. Its curing reaction usually needs to be carried out under specific temperature and humidity conditions. If the added automatic fire suppression material has a catalytic effect on the curing reaction, it may cause the glue to cure too quickly, affecting its construction performance and bonding strength. At this time, the reaction temperature needs to be lowered or the amount of the curing agent needs to be adjusted to balance the reaction rate and ensure the quality of the glue.

Quality Inspection and Monitoring

After adding the automatic fire suppression material, the quality inspection and monitoring of the glue have become more important. In addition to the routine glue performance inspection items, such as bonding strength, viscosity, and curing time, the inspection of fire suppression performance also needs to be added. For example, by simulating the fire scene, test the fire suppression effect of the glue under different fire source conditions to ensure that it meets the relevant safety standards.

At the same time, real-time monitoring of the glue quality during the production process needs to be strengthened. Use online detection technologies, such as viscosity sensors, temperature sensors, etc., to timely monitor the changes in the physical properties of the glue. Once an abnormality is found, the production process can be adjusted in a timely manner to ensure the stability of the product quality.

 

Special Requirements for Production Equipment

Corrosion Resistance Requirements

Some automatic fire suppression materials, such as certain chemical components in dry powder fire extinguishing agents, may have a certain degree of corrosiveness. When in long-term contact with these fire suppression materials, the metal parts of the production equipment are likely to be corroded, affecting the service life and performance of the equipment. Therefore, when selecting production equipment, its corrosion resistance needs to be considered.

The material of the equipment should be made of corrosion-resistant metal materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc., or the surface of the equipment should be treated with anti-corrosion measures, such as spraying anti-corrosion coatings. For the parts that are in direct contact with the fire suppression material, such as storage tanks, pipelines, sprinklers, etc., special attention should be paid to their corrosion resistance. In addition, regularly maintaining and inspecting the equipment, and promptly discovering and dealing with corrosion problems are also important measures to ensure the normal operation of the equipment.

Sealing Requirements

The automatic fire suppression system usually needs to be activated quickly when a fire breaks out to release the fire suppression material. In order to ensure that the fire suppression material can be properly stored during normal times, without leakage or failure, the sealing performance of the production equipment is crucial. If the equipment is not well sealed, it may lead to the leakage of the fire suppression material, which will not only cause waste but also affect the fire suppression effect and even pose a threat to the production environment and personnel safety.

A reliable sealing method should be adopted for the connection parts of the equipment, such as using gaskets, sealing rings, etc. For the containers storing the fire suppression material, ensure that their sealing performance is good and conduct regular sealing performance tests. At the same time, during the design and installation of the equipment, pay attention to avoiding potential leakage hazards, such as reasonably arranging the pipeline route and reducing unnecessary interfaces.

Cleaning and Maintenance Requirements

After the use of the automatic fire suppression material, it may remain on the surface and inside of the equipment. If these residues are not cleaned up in time, they may affect the normal operation of the equipment and even have an impact on the quality of the glue produced subsequently. Therefore, the production equipment needs to have good cleaning and maintenance performance.

The equipment should be designed with a reasonable cleaning structure to facilitate cleaning after the use of the fire suppression material. For example, cleaning ports should be set on the storage tanks and pipelines to facilitate internal cleaning. At the same time, select materials and surface treatment methods that are easy to clean to reduce the adhesion of residues. In daily maintenance, formulate a strict cleaning plan and conduct a comprehensive cleaning and maintenance of the equipment regularly to ensure that the equipment is always in good working condition.

Automatic Control and Linkage Requirements

In order to achieve the effective cooperation between the automatic fire suppression system and the glue production equipment, the production equipment needs to have the functions of automatic control and linkage. When a fire breaks out, the automatic fire suppression system can be automatically activated and, at the same time, trigger the corresponding protection measures of the production equipment, such as stopping production, cutting off the power supply, closing the material conveying pipeline, etc., to prevent the fire from further spreading.

This requires the production equipment to be equipped with an advanced automatic control system that can communicate and link with the automatic fire suppression system. Monitor the fire signals in the production environment in real-time through sensors. Once a fire is detected, the automatic control system can respond quickly and execute the predetermined protection procedures. At the same time, the automatic control system should also have the functions of fault diagnosis and alarm, promptly discovering and reporting the abnormal situations in the operation of the equipment so that the operators can handle them in a timely manner.

Adding automatic fire suppression material in the glue production process can significantly improve the safety of the production process, but it also puts forward many special requirements for the production process and equipment. In terms of the production process, it is necessary to optimize the mixing process, strictly control the reaction conditions, and strengthen quality inspection and monitoring. In terms of production equipment, it is necessary to meet the requirements of corrosion resistance, sealing, cleaning and maintenance, as well as automatic control and linkage. Only by fully considering and meeting these special requirements can we ensure that while improving the safety of glue production, the quality and production efficiency of the glue are not affected, and achieve a win-win situation between safe production and economic benefits.

For more about adding automatic fire suppression material in glue production: new challenges for production processes and equipment, you can pay a visit to Deepmaterial at https://www.adhesivesmanufacturer.com/ for more info.