Why is carbon dioxide used in some fire extinguishers?

Answer 1

ANSWER:Its because a fire requires three things to exist. Fuel, a heat source and water. If you diminish or remove any of the three items listed, the fire dies down and goes out. Corbon dioxide mixes with and displaces the amount of water available that the fire needs to sustain itself. Its similar to placing a glass over a lit candle. The candle is starved of the available water and the flame dies.

Answer 2

Most dry chemical fire extinguishers are pressurized to around 150 psi but some rely on a CO2 cartridge to pressurize the fire suppressant inside. Without CO2, the suppressant wouldn't come out.

Some fire extinguishers are filled with high pressure CO2 and the CO2, by itself, serves as the fire suppressant. CO2, as it expands, absorbs considerable heat. The gas is also heavier than air and will not support combustion so it displaces the oxygen that the fire needs to burn.

CO2 is not very effective against burning solids because the heat can cause the solids to re-kindle. Blowing a CO2 extinguisher into a trash can full of burning paper can cause the still-burning paper to become scattered and spread the fire. Since CO2 displaces oxygen, using it in an unventilated space can also suffocate people.

Bear in mind that the horn of the CO2 fire extinguisher becomes very cold and can cause moisture to condense. If you are fighting an electrical fire, that moisture can conduct electricity and possibly electrocute you.

Answer 3

Yes, a carbon-dioxide type of fire extinguisher contains ONLY carbon dioxide. Other extinguishers might use compressed nitrogen or other inert gases as propellants, as well as compressed carbon dioxide.

Answer 4

because fire needs oxygen to burn ,if you use carbon dioxide on the fire,then it will not be able to burn due to the lack of oxygen.Thus the fire will go out.

Answer 5

Because Co2 is the thing that puts out fires in fire extinguishers.