WO2022157804A1

WO2022157804A1 - Process for preparing fire-extinguisher composition from weeds and compositions made thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2022157804A1
Application number: PCT/IN2022/050042
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tasneem Abbasi; S. Raja; S.A. Abbasi
Original assignee: Tasneem Abbasi; Raja s; Abbasi S A
Priority date: 2021-01-20
Filing date: 2022-01-20
Publication date: 2022-07-28

Abstract

The present invention relates to a simple and convenient process for preparing fire extinguishing composition from the freely available weeds. The process comprises soaking weed biomass in water for about 12-60 hours; and separating water containing extract of weed to obtain the fire-extinguisher composition. Also the invention relates to the fire-extinguisher composition prepared therefrom.

Description

PROCESS FOR PREPARING FIRE-EXTINGUISHER COMPOSITION FROM WEEDS AND COMPOSITIONS MADE THEREOF

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a process of preparation of an inexpensive and eco- friendly fire-extinguisher composition. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for preparation of a fire-extinguisher composition from freely available weeds, and fire-extinguisher compositions made therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A comprehensive survey of all registered patents, scientific papers, and reports reveals that over 1000 substances have been proposed as potential extinguishers/suppressants of different classes of fires. Generally, in large scale fires such as forest fires pure extinguishing water alone or with chemical extinguishing substance/composition is used. However, the use of such chemical extinguishing composition must be viewed critically from the ecological aspects. Most of the fire extinguishing substances is xenobiotics and their use in dousing fires has adverse effect on the environment. When forest fires or other large-scale fires are involved, it is required to use large quantities of fire extinguishers. This makes it important that a fire extinguisher should not only be effective and environment friendly, but also be inexpensive.

Joseph et al., (2014) proposed the applicability of potato starch and Oguike et al. (2013) proposed the use of palm oil as fire reducing and/or fire extinguishing materials. The potato starch is described as having potential to protect “cellulosic substrates such as hard and soft wood”, while the palm oil has been reportedly effective against peat fires which occur every year in Indonesia. But both potato starch and palm oil are multi-utility substances, either directly used as food or as raw materials for the making of other products. The process in Oguike (2013) has described extraction of the extinguisher additive from palm oil which involves the use of 150 ml of ethanol and 50 ml of absolute hydrochloric acid per 100 ml of palm oil, refluxing the mixture at 85°C for 18 hours, neutralizing the HC1 with calcium carbonate, etc. It is evident that this process consumes expensive chemicals and energy (besides palm oil which is a precious commodity) and leaves a huge carbon footprint to generate the so-called eco-fnendly additive. On the other hand, Joseph et al., (2014) have given no details of how they extract starch to make fire extinguisher from potato but it is not difficult to imagine that it would involve expensive steps from an engineering view point of meshing the potatoes, dispersing them in an appropriate liquid, separating the starch from it, etc.

Further, both of these non-toxic extinguishers based on palm oil and potato starch are food items and their large-scale use as fire extinguishers will not only be expensive but will compete with their more essential and pressing manner of utilization. The processes needed to make fire extinguishers from these substances, as described by their authors, are tedious, expensive and unfriendly to the environment. Moreover, the authors who have reported the potential of these substances in the making of fire extinguishers have not demonstrated their success under standard test conditions. Nor is there any detail available on how those easily perishable substances can be preserved for several months for use as fire extinguishers when their need would arise.

Hence, there is a need to provide an inexpensive and eco-friendly process of preparing a fire-extinguisher composition, which solves the problem of existing chemical-based fire-extinguishers that are not only expensive but also do not pollute the environment in their making and/or utilization.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, nontoxic, biodegradable, industry friendly, and easily scalable process of preparing fire- extinguisher composition from abundantly and widely available free-of-cost weeds.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a process to prepare a fire extinguisher which is as efficient as presently marketed Class A fire-extinguishers without any short comings.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to prepare a fire-extinguisher composition wherein the additives used in small quantities are also freely available and are inexpensive natural substances. It is another objective of the present invention to provide a process of preparing fire- extinguisher composition which requires very little energy input.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, and an eco- friendly fire-extinguisher composition.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In an embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for preparing a fire- extinguisher composition, comprising

(i) soaking weed biomass in water for about 12-60 hours; and

(ii) separating water containing extract of weed to obtain the fire-extinguisher composition.

In another embodiment, the process further comprises adding an additive to the water containing extract of weed.

In a preferred embodiment, the additive used in the process is a foaming agent selected from Sapindus mukorossi or Acacia concinna.

In a preferred embodiment, the weed biomass is present in amount of about 180 to 220 g per litre of water. In a more preferred embodiment, the weed biomass is present in amount of about 200 g per litre of water.

In yet another embodiment, the weed biomass is selected from biomass of Lantana camara, Eichhornia crassipes, Prosopis, Marsilia, or any combination thereof.

In an aspect, the present invention also relates to a fire-extinguisher composition prepared by the process comprising:

(i) soaking weed biomass in water for about 12-60 hours; and

(ii) separating water containing extract of weed to obtain the fire- extinguisher composition.

In another aspect, a fire-extinguisher composition comprises:

(a) an aqueous extract of weed; and (b) optionally an additive, wherein the ratio of weed to water is 1:4 -1:6 wt/vol. (g/L)

In a preferred embodiment, the aqueous extract of weed has surface tension lower to water, dynamic viscosity (DV) and thermal conductivity (TC) higher than water.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the present invention provides a fire- extinguisher composition as and when used in extinguishing Class A fires.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the invention. These drawings are offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

Figure 1: illustrates the fall in dynamic viscosity with rise in temperature of the fire extinguisher composition based on the aqueous extracts of different weeds, in comparison to water.

Figure 2: illustrates the fall in surface tension with rise in temperature of the fire- extinguisher composition based on aqueous extracts of different weeds, in comparison to water.

Figure 3: illustrates the rise in thermal conductivity with rise in temperature of the fire-extinguisher composition based on aqueous extracts of different weeds, in comparison to water.

Figure 4: illustrates the relative enhancement in thermal conductivity of the fire- extinguisher composition based on aqueous extracts of different weeds at 35 and 55°C relative to water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described in detail in connection with certain preferred and optional embodiments, so that various aspects thereof may be more fully understood and appreciated. The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings but are merely used by the applicant to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and/or in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.

It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

As used herein, the “weeds” are the wild plants that grow in the gardens or fields of crops and prevent the cultivated plants from growing properly.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing fire-extinguisher composition from the weeds, the process comprising,

(i) soaking the weed biomass in water for about 12-60 hours; (11) separating the water containing extract of weed to obtain fire- extinguisher composition.

In a preferred embodiment of the process, the weed biomass is soaked in water for about 48 hours to obtain the fire-extinguisher composition.

In another preferred embodiment of the process, the weed biomass is chopped or unchopped leaves, stems or the whole plant of the weed.

In another preferred embodiment of the process, about 200 g of weed biomass is soaked per litre of water.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the weed is selected from Lantana, Eichhomia, Prosopis; or Marsilia, or a combination thereof.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the process further comprises adding an additive to the water containing extract of a weed.

In a preferred embodiment, the additive is selected from a foaming agent not limited to Sapindus mukorossi or Acacia concinna. In yet preferred embodiment 0.5-2g per liter of dry powder of foaming agent is used.

The present invention provides a process of preparing fire-extinguisher composition from the widely available weeds which are usually free of cost.

In an embodiment, the fire-extinguisher composition as prepared shows surface tension (ST) lower to water, dynamic viscosity (DV) and thermal conductivity (TC) higher than water.

In another embodiment, the fire-extinguisher composition as prepared is stable for more than 1 year.

In another aspect, the present invention also relates to a fire-extinguisher composition of weeds prepared by the process as defined herein.

In yet another aspect, the fire-extinguisher composition comprises

(a) an aqueous extract of weed; and (b) optionally an additive, wherein the ratio of weed to water is 1 :4-l :6 (g/L).

In another embodiment, all ingredients used in preparing fire-extinguisher composition were inexpensive and environment friendly.

The advantages of the present invention include:

• Inexpensive, industry friendly, easily scalable and eco-friendly process of preparation.

• All the additives employed are used in small quantities and are freely available and are inexpensive natural substances.

• The process of preparation requires very little energy input as it is carried out at ambient temperature and pressure.

• The process is environment friendly and does not lead to any pollutant emission or waste disposal problem.

• Additionally, the invention serves the cause of environmental protection because it may result in the large-scale utilization of the weeds thereby reducing the harm to biodiversity they cause. The utilization will also exercise control over the unrestrained spread of the weeds.

• The fire-extinguisher composition as prepared is non-toxic and biodegradable.

Examples:

The present disclosure with reference to the accompanying examples describes the present invention. However, those of skill in the art should, in light of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is understood that the examples are provided for the purpose of illustrating the invention only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Lantana (Lantana camara), Eichhornia (Eichhornia crassipes), Prosopis (prosopis sp); and marsilia (Marsilia quadrifolia) are weeds which are well-established in India and are seen growing profusely in most parts of India. Eichhornia and Marsilea are aquatic while the other two are terrestrial. They constitute four of the most common weeds of the tropical/sub-tropical world.

In the present invention, Lantana (Lantana camara) and prosopis (Prosopis sp) were obtained from their naturally growing stands in and around the campus of Pondicherry University. Eichhomia (Eichhornia crassipes) which is a free-floating aquatic plant, and marsilia (Marsilia quadrifoli ), which is a rooted marshland plant were also obtained from ponds and marshes situated around the campus of Pondicherry University.

Example 1:

About 200 g of unchopped or chopped (4 ± 1 and 2 ± 0.5 cm pieces) leaves of Lantana camara, were soaked per litre of water for 12 h. Water containing extract of Lantana camara was separated to obtain the fire-extinguisher composition.

Example 2:

About 200 g of unchopped or chopped (4 ± 1 and 2 ± 0.5 cm pieces) leaves of Lantana camara, were soaked per litre of water for 24 h. Water containing extract of Lantana camara was separated to obtain the fire-extinguisher composition.

Example 3:

About 200 g of unchopped or chopped (4 ± 1 and 2 ± 0.5 cm pieces) leaves of Lantana camara, were soaked per litre of water for 48 h. Water containing extract of Lantana camara was separated to obtain the fire-extinguisher composition.

Example 4:

About 200 g of unchopped or chopped (4 ± 1 and 2 ± 0.5 cm pieces) leaves of Lantana camara, were soaked per litre of water for 60 h. Water containing extract of Lantana camara was separated to obtain the fire-extinguisher composition.

Example 5:

About 200 g of the whole plant of Eichhomia, unchopped or chopped into 6 cm pieces are soaked per litre of water for 48 h. Water containing extract of Eichhornia was separated to obtain the fire-extinguisher composition. Example 6:

Aqueous extract of Marsilia is prepared according to the process of Example 5.

Example 7:

Aqueous extract of Prosopis is prepared according to the process of Example 5.

Example 8:

Evaluation:

Surface Tension (ST) and Dynamic Viscosity (DV) have been the two parameters on which, classically, fire-extinguisher compositions have been screened relative to water for efficacy (Geyer, 1969; Takahashi, 1994; Koshiba et al., 2016). Additionally, and based on the concept that fluids which have higher increase in thermal conductivity (TC) with temperature are better heat transfer fluids, TC has also been used as a parameter for the screening of Class A fire-extinguishers because an extinguisher which can pick up heat at a faster rate with the rise in temperature is likely to extinguish fires more efficiently.

Hence, for Class A fire-extinguishers, the potential candidates i.e., aqueous extracts of weeds must have ST lower than water while DV and TC higher than water. Also, DV should not be more than twice that of water because spraying as well spreading of the formulation will get constrained.

It has been observed that the peak extraction occurs at 48h, therefore example 3 has been taken further for evaluation.

The aqueous or water extracts of weeds as prepared in Examples 3, and 5-7 have been evaluated for ST, DV and TC. These were measured with standard equipment following standardized protocols. The assessment data is presented in Figures 1-4.

ST measurements were done by using KRUSS surface Tensiometer with Wilhelmy Plate Technique (Korenko, M. and Simko, F., 2010). DV was measured with Rolling Bali Viscometer Antor Paar Lovis 2000 ME (Evjen et al., 2019). TC was measured with KD2 Pro Thermal Properties Meter equipped with KS-1 Sensor (Ma et al., 2008).

The pattern of change in dynamic viscosity (DV) with temperature of the fire- extinguisher composition based on different aqueous weed extracts (Example 3, 5-7) relative to water has been shown in Figure 1. For each of the compositions, DV is higher than water at all temperatures.

For all the compositions ST is significantly lower than that of water the gap being especially pronounced in case of Lantana and Eichhomia as shown in Figure 2.

The most important are the thermal conductivity (TC) findings relative to water (Figure 3). As may be seen, for the aqueous extracts of Lantana and Eichhornia, the TC raises dramatically with temperature. The change in TC in the extracts of Prosopis and Marsilia are also positive. However, the composition comprising the aqueous extracts of Lantana and Eichhomia are better than of Prosopis and Marsilia. The greater potential of the compositions comprising extracts of Lantana and of Eichhornia, in comparison to the extracts of the other two weeds is also reflected in Figure 4. They have much higher TC at ambient temperatures and the gap is seen to widen further at the higher temperature.

Hence, the composition comprising the extracts of Lantana and Eichhomia were tested further for their efficacy as fire-extinguisher composition according to the relevant IS 15683: 2006 (Clause 8.3). To pass the test the fire-extinguisher composition should “extinguish all flames and no flame should be visible 10 minutes after complete discharge of the extinguisher”. The compositions based on Lantana and Eichhornia passed this test while the water failed it.

The results of the tests are given in Table 1 below:

Table 1: Results of the fire extinguishing test carried out as per the relevant IS 15683:2006 (Clause 8.3) standards at the accredited agency M/s Akash Uni-safe Equipment, Pvt Ltd, Chennai

The above table confirms the fact that the fire-extinguisher compositions as prepared by the present invention are capable of functioning as Class A fire-extinguishers which have negligible footprint, very low cost, and which help the cause of environment by providing a way to utilize the otherwise harmful weeds.

Shelf life: The stability of the fire extinguisher-compositions was evaluated. The aqueous extracts of the weeds were kept in sealed bottles for upto a year. No deterioration was observed even after 1 year. It appeared likely that the extracts would be stable for much longer. Moreover, if the extracts are purged with nitrogen before bottling, they are certain to last for several years.

References

1. Evjen, S., Wanderley, R., Fiksdahi, A. and Knuutila, H.K.. 2019. Viscosity, density, and volatility of binary mixtures of imidazole, 2- methylimidazole, 2, 4, 5-trimethylimidazole, and 1, 2, 4, 5- tetramethylimidazole with water. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 64(2), pp.507-516.

2. Geyer, G. B., 1969. Extinguishing agents for hydrocarbon fuel fires. Fire Technology, 5(2), 151-159.

3. Joseph, P., Bakirtzis, D., and Richard, Q., (2014). Preliminary stides on the efficiency of an environmentally-frendy fire-fighting agent based on starch. School of the Built Environment and the Built Environment Reserach Institute. University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, Antrim, Norther, Ireland, UK.

4. Korenko, M. and Simko, F., 2010. Measurement of Interfacial Tension in Liquid- Liquid High-Temperature Systems. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 55(11), pp.4561-4573.

5. Koshiba, Y ., Okazaki, S. and Ohtani, H., 2016. Experimental investigation of the fire extinguishing capability of ferrocene-containing water mist. Fire Safety Journal, 83, 90-98.

6. Ma, X., Omer, S., Zhang, W, and Riffat, S.B., 2008. Thermal conductivity measurement of two microencapsulated phase change slurries. International Journal of Low Carbon Technologies, 3(4), pp.245-253.

7. Oguike, R. S., (2013). Study of fire fighting foam agent from palm oil for extinguishing of petrol fires. Material Science Research Laboratory Department of Chemistry Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi Nigeria, 1(7) 1-7 (doi: 10.14340/spp.2013.12A0002).

8. Takahashi, S., 1994. Extinguishment of plastics fires with plain water and wet water. Fire Safety Journal, 22(2), 169-179.

Claims

Claims:

1. A process for preparing a fire-extinguisher composition, comprising

(i) soaking weed biomass in water for about 12-60 hours; and

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water containing extract of weed has surface tension lower to water.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 and 2, wherein the water containing extract of weed has dynamic viscosity (DV) and thermal conductivity (TC) higher than water.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1-3, comprising adding an additive to the water containing extract of weed.

5. The process as claimed in claim 4, wherein the additive is a foaming agent

6. The process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the weed biomass is present in amount of about 180 to 220 g per litre of water.

7. A fire-extinguisher composition as prepared by the process of claim 1 comprising an aqueous extract of weed.

8. A fire-extinguisher composition comprising:

(a) an aqueous extract of weed; and

(b) optionally an additive, wherein the ratio of weed to water is 1 :4 -1 :6 wt/vol. (g/L).

9. The fire-extinguisher composition as claimed in claim 8, wherein the aqueous extract of weed has surface tension lower to water.

10. The fire-extinguisher composition as claimed in claim 8 and 9 wherein, the aqueous extract of weed has dynamic viscosity (DV) and thermal conductivity (TC) higher than water.

11. The fire-extinguisher composition as claimed in any of claim 8, wherein the additive is a foaming agent.

12. The fire-extinguisher composition as claimed in any of claims 8-11, as and when used in extinguishing Class A fires.