Accession Number:

AD0423709

Title:

SUPPRESSION OF PENTABORANE FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

Descriptive Note:

Rept. for 15 Jul 1962-14 Jul 1963

Corporate Author:

ROCKETDYNE CANOGA PARK CA

Personal Author(s):

• Thompson, R. J.

Report Date:

1963-09-01

Pagination or Media Count:

87.0

Abstract:

The prevention of pentaborane fires and explosions in air by chemical techniques was investigated. Two types of apparatus were employed a diffusion burner and a heterogeneous shock tube. Water, organic liquids, and aqueous solutions were studied in the diffusion burner with a lifted flame at various pentaborane concentrations. Methyl iodide was the best material found, and was the only material which put out the flame at the higher pentaborane concentrations. A solution of iodine in carbon tetrachloride and dimethyl sulfide also showed some promise as fire extinguishants. No nitrogen compounds, phosphorus compounds, or aqueous solutions were found to show any promise. The effects of liquid and solid suppressants on the propagation of detonations in pentaborane-air mixtures were investigated in a heterogeneous shock tube. The response of the pentaborane-air mixtures to shock initiation in this apparatus was found to be very complex. Three types of responses were noted. A high- surface area, silica-alumina powder was the only material found to give significant suppression of explosion in this apparatus.

Descriptors:

• *FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
• *PENTABORANES
• ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS
• HAZARDS
• DECONTAMINATION
• CHEMICALS
• EXPLOSIONS
• OXIDES
• SAFETY
• DIFFUSION
• FIRES
• FLAMES
• SILICON COMPOUNDS
• LIQUID ROCKET FUELS
• HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS
• LIQUID ROCKET PROPELLANTS
• DETONATIONS
• SHOCK TUBES
• FIRE SAFETY

Subject Categories:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Safety Engineering

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE