Application Research of Fire-Extinguishing Polymer Composite (FEPC) in Mobile Power Outlets

With the increasing popularity of electrical equipment and power demand, mobile power outlets are widely used in daily life and industrial settings. However, due to their compact structure and limited heat dissipation conditions, mobile power outlets often catch fire due to overload or short circuits. This paper analyzes the ignition situation of sample power outlets under different overload powers and identifies two key points of ignition during the overload process based on the combustion triangle: combustible smoke (flammable gases, flammable vapors, and organic macromolecular particles) and high-temperature electric arcs. The effect of the number and position of fire-extinguishing polymer composite (FEPC) on sample power outlets during the overload process is tested. The experimental results show that when more than three 3 cm² pieces of FEPC are attached inside the power strip, the concentration of C₆F₁₂O released by the FEPC upon heating can reach the effective fire-extinguishing concentration. This effectively inhibits the ignition of plastic and its thermally decomposed combustible fumes by high-temperature electric arcs. When the FEPC is attached to the exterior of the power strip, the C₆F₁₂O released by the FEPC upon heating diffuses into the external environment. This results in the C₆F₁₂O concentration inside and around the power strip being significantly lower than the effective fire-extinguishing concentration, thereby rendering it ineffective in preventing fires. By investigating the influence of the number and placement of FEPC on power strips during overload conditions, this study aims to provide new insights into fire prevention in electrical outlets.