Performance Evaluation of Inulin‐Modified Propellant for Fire Safety Applications

ABSTRACT Traditional aerosol‐forming composites consist of a combination of potassium chlorate/nitrate and synthetic resins, such as epoxy, polyurethane, phenol‐formaldehyde, and melamine‐formaldehyde. The application of these synthetic organic resins has been restricted due to their severe flammability and accompanying life‐threatening work hazard, despite their good mechanical and adhesive capabilities. The combustion flame of these compositions can reach temperatures of up to 2100°C, which might result in secondary fire hazards in explosive environments, such as oil‐producing platforms and ship engine rooms. This study aimed to investigate the ability of naturally occurring polysaccharide inulin to reduce the exothermicity of potassium nitrate/chlorate‐based pyrotechnic composites. In the present work, we newly developed a pyrotechnic composition (PyC) that employed inulin as a reducer instead of synthetic resin. Its thermal characteristics, fire‐extinguishing efficacy, and combustion behavior were compared to traditional PyCs based on phenolic resin. Although the fire suppressing performance of the novel and old PyCs is equivalent, the newly created composition demonstrated a 71% lower combustion flame temperature, a faster burn rate, and a lower calorific value. Several techniques, including HRXRD, SEM, FTIR, and EDX, were used to characterize the physical and chemical properties of the discharged aerosol in order to comprehend the fire‐extinguishing mechanism.