Influence of Environmental Factors on the Stability of Glue-based Automatic Fire Suppression Materials and Exploration of Storage Conditions

 

In the field of modern fire safety, glue-based automatic fire suppression materials have gradually become an important means of fire protection due to their unique fire extinguishing mechanism and application advantages. These materials usually exist in a gel-like form and can quickly respond when a fire occurs, suppressing the spread of the fire through physical or chemical actions. However, their stability is significantly affected by various environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and light. A thorough understanding of the influence mechanisms of these environmental factors is crucial for ensuring the effectiveness and reliability of the materials in practical applications. At the same time, clarifying the optimal storage conditions can maximize their service life and ensure that they can play a role in extinguishing fires at critical moments.

Influence Mechanism of Temperature on the Stability of Glue-based Automatic Fire Suppression Materials

Change in Chemical Reaction Rate

Temperature is a key factor affecting the rate of chemical reactions. For the chemical substances in glue-based automatic fire suppression materials, an increase in temperature will accelerate the movement speed of molecules, increase the collision frequency and energy between molecules, and thus accelerate the progress of chemical reactions. For example, some components in the material may undergo thermal decomposition reactions, and the decomposition rate will increase at high temperatures, resulting in a reduction of the effective fire extinguishing components and a decrease in the fire extinguishing efficiency of the material. For instance, certain flame retardant components containing nitrogen and phosphorus may decompose prematurely at high temperatures and fail to inhibit combustion when a fire occurs.

Change in Physical Properties

1. Viscosity Change: Temperature changes will significantly affect the viscosity of the glue. Generally speaking, when the temperature rises, the intermolecular forces weaken, and the viscosity of the glue decreases, making it more fluid; when the temperature decreases, the molecular activity weakens, the viscosity increases, and it may even solidify or crystallize. For automatic fire suppression materials, an appropriate viscosity is crucial for their transportation and uniform distribution in the fire extinguishing device. If the viscosity change exceeds the appropriate range, it may lead to the material being unable to be sprayed normally or blocked in the pipeline, affecting the fire extinguishing effect. For example, in a high-temperature environment, the viscosity of the glue decreases, which may lead to leakage in the storage container; when the temperature is low, the viscosity increases, making it difficult to spray from the nozzle.
2. Thermal Expansion and Contraction: The material will expand when heated and contract when cooled. This phenomenon of thermal expansion and contraction may cause changes in the internal structure of the material and produce stress concentration. When the material is in a temperature-fluctuating environment for a long time, problems such as cracking and delamination may occur, damaging its integrity and stability, and further affecting its fire extinguishing performance. For example, in some outdoor fire extinguishing devices, the large temperature difference between day and night causes the material to undergo repeated thermal expansion and contraction, which is likely to cause damage.

Acceleration of the Aging Process

High temperature will accelerate the aging of the material, making its performance decline faster over time. During the aging process, the molecular chain may undergo changes such as breaking and cross-linking, changing the chemical structure and physical properties of the material. For example, in high-molecular polymer-based glues, the molecular chain breaks at high temperatures, and the molecular weight decreases, resulting in a decrease in the strength, flexibility and other properties of the material, reducing the reliability and service life of fire extinguishing.

 

Influence Mechanism of Humidity on the Stability of Glue-based Automatic Fire Suppression Materials

Moisture Adsorption and Chemical Reaction

1. Hydrolysis Reaction: Many chemical components in glue-based automatic fire suppression materials will undergo hydrolysis reactions with moisture. For example, certain organic ester components will hydrolyze under the action of water to form corresponding acids and alcohols, changing the chemical composition and properties of the material. The hydrolysis reaction may also produce acidic substances, which will corrode the metal parts of the fire extinguishing device and affect the normal operation of the equipment.
2. Promotion of Other Chemical Reactions: The presence of moisture may provide conditions for other chemical reactions and accelerate the deterioration of the material. For example, in a high-humidity environment, some metal salt catalysts may dissolve in water, triggering unnecessary reactions of other components in the material and reducing the fire extinguishing effect.

Change in Physical Properties

1. Expansion Caused by Moisture Absorption: The material may expand after absorbing moisture, changing its volume and density. This will not only affect the filling and distribution of the material in the fire extinguishing device but also exert pressure on the structure of the device, resulting in problems such as damage to the seals and deformation of the pipeline. For example, some fire extinguishing materials containing water-absorbing resins may expand significantly in volume after absorbing moisture, which may break the storage container.
2. Reduction of Adhesion: For glue-based materials that need to adhere to the surface of an object to play a fire extinguishing role, humidity will reduce their adhesion to the substrate. Water molecules form a separation layer between the material and the substrate, weakening the intermolecular forces, so that the material is difficult to effectively adhere to the surface of the burning object when a fire occurs, reducing the fire extinguishing effect.

Microbial Growth

A high-humidity environment is conducive to the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. Microorganisms grow on the surface or inside of the material, which may decompose the organic components in the material and produce metabolites, changing the chemical properties and physical structure of the material, leading to the deterioration of the material’s performance and shortening its service life. For example, some glues containing natural organic components are easily eroded by microorganisms and will show phenomena such as mildew and foul smell in a high-humidity environment.

 

Influence Mechanism of Light on the Stability of Glue-based Automatic Fire Suppression Materials

Photochemical Reaction

1. Photodegradation: The high-molecular polymers in glue-based automatic fire suppression materials may undergo photodegradation reactions under light. After the molecular absorbs the photon energy, the molecular chain breaks, resulting in a decrease in molecular weight and a deterioration of performance. For example, polymers containing unsaturated bonds are prone to breakage of the unsaturated bonds under ultraviolet radiation, causing the material to lose its original strength and flexibility and affecting its fire extinguishing performance.
2. Photooxidation: Light will accelerate the oxidation process of the material, that is, the photooxidation reaction. In the presence of oxygen, the molecules in the material interact with photons to generate free radicals, and the free radicals react with oxygen to form oxidation products such as peroxides, further causing the breaking and cross-linking of the molecular chain and leading to the aging and performance degradation of the material. For example, for some materials containing antioxidants, the consumption of antioxidants is accelerated under light, and they cannot effectively inhibit the oxidation reaction, causing the material to age rapidly.

Change in Color and Transparency

Light may cause changes in the color and transparency of the material. Color changes may affect the judgment of the material’s state, and a decrease in transparency may affect the observation of the internal situation of the fire extinguishing device. Moreover, these changes in optical properties are often accompanied by changes in the chemical structure and physical properties of the material. For example, a darkening of the color may mean that the material has undergone carbonization or oxidation, which will reduce the stability and fire extinguishing effect of the material.

 

Synergistic Influence of Comprehensive Environmental Factors

In practical applications, environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and light usually do not act alone but interact with each other and act synergistically on glue-based automatic fire suppression materials. For example, when high temperature and high humidity exist simultaneously, the hydrolysis reaction and thermal decomposition reaction may promote each other, accelerating the deterioration of the material’s performance; the combined action of light and high temperature will intensify the photochemical reaction and thermal aging, making the material age faster. Therefore, when studying the stability of the material and determining the storage conditions, the comprehensive influence of multiple environmental factors must be considered.

 

Storage Conditions for Extending the Service Life of Glue-based Automatic Fire Suppression Materials

Temperature Control

1. Storage Temperature Range: Determine the appropriate storage temperature range according to the characteristics of the material. Generally speaking, most glue-based automatic fire suppression materials are suitable for storage in an environment with a temperature of 5°C – 25°C. In this temperature range, the chemical reaction rate can be effectively slowed down, the effects of thermal expansion and contraction and aging can be reduced, and the physical and chemical properties of the material can be maintained stable.
2. Avoidance of Temperature Fluctuation: Try to reduce the temperature fluctuation in the storage environment and use heat insulation and constant temperature equipment, such as constant temperature warehouses and insulated boxes. A stable temperature environment can prevent the material from being damaged due to repeated thermal expansion and contraction and extend its service life.

Humidity Control

1. Humidity Range: It is more appropriate to control the relative humidity of the storage environment at 40% – 60%. By using dehumidifiers, desiccants and other equipment, keep the environment dry, prevent the material from absorbing moisture and undergoing problems such as hydrolysis and expansion, and avoid the growth of microorganisms.
2. Moisture-proof Packaging: Carry out moisture-proof packaging for the material, use moisture-proof bags, sealed containers and other packaging materials to reduce the contact between moisture and the material, and further protect the material from the influence of humidity.

Light Control

1. Storage in the Dark: Store the material in a dark environment, such as using opaque packaging materials or storing it in a dark warehouse. Avoid direct sunlight and other strong light sources to reduce the occurrence of photochemical reactions and prevent photodegradation and photooxidation of the material.
2. Ultraviolet Protection: If it is impossible to completely avoid light, ultraviolet protection measures can be taken, such as installing ultraviolet filter films in the storage place and using packaging materials added with ultraviolet absorbers to reduce the damage of ultraviolet rays to the material.

Other Storage Precautions

1. Storage Location: Store the material in a well-ventilated place away from fire sources and heat sources to avoid local increases in temperature and humidity due to poor ventilation and prevent damage to the material caused by fire.
2. Regular Inspection: Regularly inspect the stored materials, check whether the packaging is intact and whether there are signs of deterioration in the materials, such as color changes, the generation of peculiar smells, and changes in viscosity. Discover problems in a timely manner and take corresponding measures to ensure that the materials maintain good performance during storage.

Conclusion

Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and light have a significant impact on the stability of glue-based automatic fire suppression materials through different mechanisms. Temperature changes the chemical reaction rate and the physical properties of the material, humidity triggers hydrolysis, affects physical properties and causes the growth of microorganisms, and light causes photochemical reactions and changes in optical properties. Multiple environmental factors act synergistically to accelerate the deterioration of the material’s performance. In order to extend the service life of the material, it is necessary to strictly control the storage conditions, including an appropriate temperature and humidity range, storage in the dark, good ventilation, and regular inspections. By deeply understanding the influence mechanisms of environmental factors and optimizing the storage conditions, the stable performance of glue-based automatic fire suppression materials during storage and use can be ensured, and they can effectively play a role in extinguishing fires when a fire occurs, providing a reliable guarantee for fire safety. In future research, methods for modifying the material can be further explored to improve its tolerance to environmental factors, and more intelligent storage monitoring systems can be developed to monitor the state of the material in real time to ensure fire safety.

For more about the influence of environmental factors on the stability of glue-based automatic fire suppression materials and exploration of storage conditions, you can pay a visit to Deepmaterial at https://www.adhesivesmanufacturer.com/ for more info.