Application of Composite Dry Powders for Simultaneous Fire Extinguishment and Liquid Solidification of Methanol

Extinguishing methanol fires poses significant challenges due to methanol’s high toxicity, polarity, and fluidity. While conventional fire suppressants, such as alcohol-resistant firefighting foam, water mist and dry powders, can extinguish methanol fires, they fail to prevent the spread of liquid methanol, creating a risk of environmental contamination as the mixture of suppressants and methanol flows into surrounding soil and water resources. To address this issue, a novel kind of composite dry powder has been developed to effectively combat methanol pool fires. The powder can not only rapidly extinguish flames but also transform liquid methanol into gel-like substances, significantly reducing the hazards caused by the flow of harmful liquids. Laboratory experiments identify an optimal mass ratio of 0.16 between the composite powder and methanol to achieve complete flame extinction and liquid solidification. The superior performance of as-prepared composite powder could be mainly ascribed to the cooperation of metallic salts, polymers, and silica additives. Additionally, the powder is effective for extinguishing ethanol fires, making it a valuable tool for the emergency management of alcohol fires in leakage incidents.