What chemicals can be found inside a fire extinguisher?

Answer 1

The content inside fire extinguisher, besides a pick-up tube and a valve, is made up of several commercially recognized and approved suppressant materials such as:

water, water with additives (such as foams like AFFF, FFFP, etc.) Dry Chemicals such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate and other salts in combination, gasses like CO2 and streaming gasses like Halon, FM 200, FE 36, etc.

For specific fire class usage such as class D (metals) and class K (cooking media, i.e., vegetable oils and fats) extinguishers may contain wet chemical compounds of potassium salt for K ratings and Dry Chemical formulations that contain mica and other salts that may suppress or control flammable metals (class D).

Answer 2

That depends entirely on what type of extinguisher it is.

Air pressurized water extinguishers contain compressed air and water, the former forcing out the latter up through an uptake tube and out the hose. For use at low temperatures, an antifreeze might be added to the water

Foam extinguishers are similar to air pressurized water extinguishers, but the water is mixed with foaming agents and small holes are added near the top of the uptake tube to aerate the extinguishing agent.

Dry chemical extinguishers contain a powdered agent (bicarbonate of soda, ammonium phosphate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, &c.) and a compressed gas, usually nitrogen. The latter propels the former out the nozzle or hose.

Carbon dioxide extinguishers contain liquefied carbon dioxide under high pressure.

Halon and other clean agent extinguishers contain a variety of chemicals of varying risk to the ozone layer.

Dry powder extinguishers are typically buckets containing the extinguishing agent (sodium chloride mixed with thermoplastic, powdered copper, graphite, sodium carbonate, &c.) which are shoveled onto the burning metal. Sometimes these agents are placed in containers more typical of what we think of as a fire extinguisher.

Kitchen or type-K extinguishers are similar to foam extinguishers, but contain a soap-like emulsifier that brings the burning lipids into solution with the water.

Dry chemical and dry powder extinguishers are also available in cartridge-operated forms where a large amount of powder is contained in the main body of the extinguisher, and gas cartridges are attached to pressurize the unit. This allows the unit to be recharged more quickly an on site, not requiring special equipment. In this case, the pressurized gas is typically carbon dioxide, and is stored in a separate container, punctured at the start of use.

Answer 3

Modern fire extinguishers normally use one of three agents, Carbon Dioxide, Dry Chemical, or Halon. It depends on the intended use and class of fire they are designed to suppress.

Water-type fire extinguishers (using compressed air) are, by far, the most prevalent fire extinguishers in use for "ordinary" combustibles. They are inexpensive to fill, charge and maintain and are non-toxic. However, they cannot be used safely on live electrical fires or on flaming liquid fires.

Answer 4

Depending on the type of anticipated fire, an extinguisher may be filled with (inter alia): water, carbon dioxide, halon gas or foam.

For instance, you do not use water on an electrical fire, as water is a conductor of electricity (albeit a poor one). Halon gas is effective at consuming oxygen, thereby depriving the fire of that gas; but it follows halon can be dangerous in, say, a car or aircraft cockpit, as it can deprive the driver/pilot of air to breathe. The same applies to CO2. Halon is also dangerous to the ozone layer, and is being phased out.

Answer 5

There are many different types of fire extinguishers, and the most are water and foam extinguishers. Some of them are made of carbon dioxide too, so decide which one you want to concentrate on.

Answer 6

Most fire extinguishers contain one of a family of chemicals called hyddrofluorocarbons plus pressurized carbon dioxide as a propelling agent. Hydrofluorocarbons function by making oxygen less available to the fire, and fires cannot burn without oxygen.

Answer 7

there is co2 in the form of foam which forms a layer around the fire and cuts off the supply 0f o2.

Answer 8

Water and pressurized air, sometimes with anti-freeze chemical in the water.

Answer 9

CO2