Halon extinguishing agent has no effect on fire intensity Lithium batteries may represent the ultimate hazardous material,

especially when shipped in bulk as cargo, with the potential to breach all defenses should they catch fire. That is the principal finding of a June report of lithium battery fire tests conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Center at Atlantic City, N.J. The extreme hazard portrayed in the report suggests that it may be time to consider restricting lithium battery shipments to cargo aircraft. Presently, lithium battery shipments require prominent labeling as hazardous cargo, and, after Jan. 1, 2005, the batteries must undergo a "battery" of tests in order to be approved for shipment. However, those tests - for altitude, vibration, shock, etc. - do not include a test for fire resistance. In a shipment of closely packed lithium batteries, should one battery catch fire, a chain reaction results. The fire spreads from battery to battery in an explosive conflagration of molten lithium, according to the Technical Center report. The examination of lithium battery fires was undertaken after a pallet of such batteries caught fire on the ground at Los Angeles International Airport in April 1999. The pallet was inadvertently dropped onto the tarmac, and a battery fire resulted, despite there being no external ignition source. There are no confirmed reports of bulk lithium battery fires in the air, but that is precisely the reason the FAA Tech Center undertook its examination of this more dangerous scenario. There is one case where a lithium battery fire may have played a role in the crash of a transport category airplane. In November 1987 a South African Airways B747 combi (a hybrid freighter with a partition separating cargo from passengers on the main deck), with 159 passengers aboard and cargo which included a consignment of lithium watch batteries, disappeared into the Indian Ocean off Mauritius. After a wreck survey by robot cameras and limited debris recovery, investigators determined that the lithium batteries were located in the same area that was established to have been the seat of the fire. The airplane also was carrying a cargo of ammonium perchlorate, a rocket propellant known to be unstable and capable of spontaneous ignition. As a propellant with its own oxygen, ammonium perchlorate would have rapidly promoted a fire. However, in revealing testimony to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the presence of the lithium battery shipment was mentioned, and is pertinent to what has been revealed by the FAA lithium fire tests about battery venting, explosions, and accelerated self-reactive fires. The testimony obviously was dealing with the batteries' packaging material, but the general description of the fire that doomed the plane reinforces the point that lithium batteries can be extremely dangerous if they catch fire. Using a steel test chamber to simulate an aircraft cargo hold, the FAA tests show that a runaway fire involving a shipment of lithium batteries might well result in loss of the aircraft. The batteries involved were those used commonly in consumer electronic products (e.g., video cameras). Batteries were tested singly, and in groups of 32, 64 and 128. Tests also involved groups of batteries packed in rows inside cardboard boxes. For test purposes, the battery fires were started by igniting a "fire pan" filled with alcohol. The findings were fearful. To summarize: * A relatively small fire source was sufficient to start a lithium battery fire. * The heat from a single battery afire was sufficient to ignite adjacent batteries. * The outer plastic coating on the batteries easily melted, fusing the batteries together, adding to the intensity of the fire. * The chain reaction ignition continued until all batteries were consumed. * The molten lithium burned explosively, spraying white-hot lithium to a radius of several feet as the batteries bounced around. * The duration of the peak temperature increased with the number of batteries, reaching as high as 1,400[degrees] F (as a matter of interest, the melting temperature of aluminum is around 1,200[degrees] F). * The cardboard packing proved highly flammable. The packing delayed battery ignition by about 30-60 seconds, but once ignited, the fire among the close-packed batteries was worse. * While thick-wall cargo liners were able to contain the fire (barely), thin-walled fire liners proved ineffective. The battery fire ignited the resin in the liner, and the liner was completely penetrated by molten lithium.

* Halon fire-suppressing agent, injected in sufficient concentration to "knock down" a fire, proved totally ineffective, even when injected after just the first battery had caught fire. Nor did it have any effect on the peak temperature. The fire continued as if Halon were not present. * Lithium batteries catch fire with explosive force. When they burst, they create a pressure pulse. The eight-battery test produced a pressure pulse of 1.8 psi, and the 16-battery test generated a 2.6 psi pulse. According to the Tech Center report: "These results are significant. The cargo compartment is only constructed to withstand a 1-psi pressure differential in order to rapidly equalize the pressure in the event of a depressurization. Anything over 1 psi would activate the blowout panels, compromising the cargo compartment's [fire-resistant] integrity." The effect is the same as perforating the cargo liner. * A cargo bay fire from a totally unrelated source can cause a shipment of lithium batteries to ignite. Tech Center investigators found that the temperatures found in a suppressed smoldering cargo fire are sufficient to ignite a lithium battery. Add one other factor - the butane used as propellant in personal care products packed into passengers' bags - and put it all together: A cargo fire of unknown origin starts and ignites a shipment of lithium batteries. With a cargo bay fire warning in the cockpit, the pilots discharge Halon, with no effect. The molten fireworks of lithium burns through the cargo liner, and penetrates the aluminum skin of the cargo bay. The holes allow for an inrush of air, adding oxygen to the fire. The exploding batteries create sufficient overpressure to punch out the blowout panels - allowing for more inrush of oxygen and spread of the fire outside the hold. The heat rise is sufficient to cause aerosol cans of shaving cream, hairspray, etc., to burst. Earlier tests have demonstrated that a single such can, placed in a bag located near the ceiling, can explode with sufficient force to distort and heave up the cabin floor. Although they must be marked as hazardous cargo, there presently is no limit on the number of lithium batteries that can be shipped on a commercial aircraft. There are two obvious implications of this scenario. First, ETOPS (extended range operations) is based on the presumption that a belly-hold fire can be suppressed by Halon for three hours. It does not account for the catastrophic progression of a pallet of lithium batteries catching fire. Such a fire would easily burn its way through current defenses. The danger is such that a terrorist would not need to use explosives that could be detected in his checked or hand luggage by an explosives detection system (EDS). A lithium fire would create havoc enough. This scenario supports the need, as a minimum, for positive passenger bag-match (PPBM) for domestic flights as well as the current requirement for international flights (see ASW, Nov. 12, 2001). There is one bit of final irony to this tale: the smoke detector units of some aircraft fire detection systems are powered by lithium batteries. (The full report, "Flammability Assessment of Bulk-Packed, Nonrechargeable Lithium Primary Batteries in Transport Category Aircraft," Report No. DOT/FAA/AR-04/26, may be viewed at www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/04-26.pdf. The UK Civil Aviation Authority produced a report in July 2003 in which Halon was found effective for suppression of single-battery lithium fires, although in these cases the batteries were contained in their electronic devices. For this report,

Fire extinguisher Fire is the third leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States, yet most people ignore it. More than 150 workplace fires occur every day. HOW FIRES START Fire is a chemical reaction involving rapid oxidation or burning of a fuel. It needs three elements to occur:

FUEL - Fuel can be any combustible material - solid, liquid or gas. Most solids and liquids become a vapor or gas before they will burn. OXYGEN - The air we breathe is about 21 percent oxygen. fire only needs an atmosphere with at least 16 percent oxygen. HEAT - Heat is the energy necessary to increase the temperature of the fuel to a point where sufficient vapors are given off for ignition to occur. CHEMICAL REACTION - A chain reaction can occur when the three elements of fire are present in the proper conditions and proportions. Fire occurs when this rapid oxidation, or burning takes place. Take any one of these factors away, and the fire cannot occur or will be extinguished if it was already burning. Fire Extinguisher Ratings: which kind of extinguisher should I use? The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) classifies fires into five general categories (U.S.): Class A fires are ordinary materials like burning paper, lumber, cardboard, plastics etc.

Class B fires involve flammable or combustible liquids such as gasoline, kerosene, and common organic solvents used in the laboratory.

Class C fires involve energized electrical equipment, such as appliances, switches, panel boxes, power tools, hot plates and stirrers. Water is usually a dangerous extinguishing medium for class C fires because of the risk of electrical shock unless a specialized water mist extinguisher is used.

Class D fires involve combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium, potassium and sodium as well as pyrophoric organometallic reagents such as alkyllithiums, Grignards and diethylzinc. These materials burn at high temperatures and will react violently with water, air, and/or other chemicals. Handle with care!!

Class K fires are kitchen fires. This class was added to the NFPA portable extinguishers Standard 10 in 1998. Kitchen extinguishers installed before June 30, 1998 are "grandfathered" into the standard. Some fires may be a combination of these! Your fire extinguishers should have ABC ratings on them. These ratings are determined under ANSI/UL Standard 711 and look something like "3-A:40-B:C". Higher numbers mean more firefighting power. In this example, the extinguisher has a good firefighting capacity for Class A, B and C fires. NFPA has a brief description of UL 711 if you want to know more. Fire Extinguisher Multi-Class Ratings Many extinguishers available today can be used on different types of fires and will be labeled with more than one designator, e.g. A-B, B-C, or A-B-C. Make sure that if you have a multi-purpose extinguisher it is properly labeled.

This is the old style of labeling indicating suitability for use on Class A, B, and C fires.

This is the new style of labeling that shows this extinguisher may be used on Ordinary Combustibles, Flammable Liquids, or Electrical Equipment fires. This is the new labeling style with a diagonal red line drawn through the picture to indicate what type of fire this extinguisher is NOT suitable for. In this example, the fire extinguisher could be used on Ordinary Combustibles and Flammable Liquids fires, but not for Electrical Equipment fires.

HOW

TO

PREVENT

FIRES

Class A Ordinary combustibles: Keep storage and working areas free of trash Place oily rags in covered containers. Class B Flammable liquids or gases: Don't refuel gasoline-powered equipment in a confined space, especially in the presence of an open flame such as a furnace or water heater. Don't refuel gasoline-powered equipment while it's hot. Keep flammable liquids stored in tightly closed, self-closing, spill-proof containers. Pour from storage drums only what you'll need. Store flammable liquids away from spark-producing sources. Use flammable liquids only in well-ventilated areas.

Class C Electrical equipment: Look for old wiring, worn insulation and broken electrical fittings. Report any hazardous condition to your supervisor. Prevent motors from overheating by keeping them clean and in good working order. A spark from a rough-running

motor

can

ignite

the

oil

and

dust

in

it.

Utility lights should always have some type of wire guard over them. Heat from an uncovered light bulb can easily ignite ordinary combustibles. Don't misuse fuses. Never install a fuse rated higher than specified for the circuit. Investigate any appliance or electrical equipment that smells strange. Unusual odors can be the first sign of fire. Don't overload wall outlets. Two outlets should have no more than two plugs. Class D Flammable metals: Flammable metals such as magnesium and titanium generally take a very hot heat source to ignite; however, once ignited are difficult to extinguish as the buring reaction produces sufficient oxygen to support combusion, even under water. In some cases, covering the burning metal with sand can help contain the heat and sparks from the reaction. Class D exinguishing agents are available (generally as a dry powder in a bucket or box) which can be quite effective, but these agents are rare on the campus. If you are planning a research project using a large amount of flammable metals you should consider purchasing a five or ten pound container of Class-D extinguishing agent as a precaution. Pure metals such as potassium and sodium react violently (even explosively) with water and some other chemicals, and must be handled with care. Generally these metals are stored in sealed containers in a non-reactive liquid to prevent decay (surface oxidation) from contact with moisture in the air. White phosphorus is air-reactive and will burn/explode on contact with room air. It must be kept in a sealed container with a non-reactive solution to prevent contact with air. All of these metals are not uncommon in labs on the OU campus, but are generally only found in small quantities and accidental fires/reactions can be controlled or avoided completely through knowledge of the properties of the

metals and using good judgement and common sense. WHEN NOT TO FIGHT A FIRE

Never fight a fire: If the fire is spreading beyond the spot where it started If you can't fight the fire with your back to an escape exit If If In the you fire don't any can have block adequate of your only escape equipment situations,

fire-fighting these

DON'T FIGHT THE FIRE YOURSELF. CALL FOR HELP. Types of fire extinguishers Dry Chemical extinguishers are usually rated for multiple purpose use. They contain an extinguishing agent and use a compressed, non-flammable gas as a propellant. Halon extinguishers contain a gas that interrupts the chemical reaction that takes place when fuels burn. These types of extinguishers are often used to protect valuable electrical equipment since them leave no residue to clean up. Halon extinguishers have a limited range, usually 4 to 6 feet. The initial application of Halon should be made at the base of the fire, even after the flames have been extinguished. Water These extinguishers contain water and compressed gas and should only be used on Class A (ordinary combustibles) fires. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers are most effective on Class B and C (liquids and electrical) fires. Since the gas disperses quickly, these extinguishers are only effective from 3 to 8 feet. The carbon dioxide is stored as a compressed liquid in the extinguisher; as it expands, it cools the surrounding air. The cooling will often cause ice to form around the horn where the gas is expelled from the extinguisher. Since the fire could re-ignite, continue to apply the agent even after the fire appears to be out. Here are some typical extinguishers and their uses: Water extinguishers are suitable for class A (paper, wood

etc.) fires, but not for class B, C and D fires such as burning liquids, electrical fires or reactive metal fires. In these cases, the flames will be spread or the hazard made greater! Water mist extinguishers are suitable for class A and C; see below. Dry chemical extinguishers are useful for class ABC fires and are your best all around choice. They have an advantage over CO2 extinguishers in that they leave a blanket of nonflammable material on the extinguished material which reduces the likelihood of reignition. They also make a terrible mess -- but if the choice is a fire or a mess, take the mess! Note that there are two kinds of dry chemical extinguishers! Type BC fire extinguishers contain sodium or potassium bicarbonate. Type ABC fire extinguishers contain ammonium phosphate. CO2 (carbon dioxide) extinguishers are for class B and C fires. They don't work very well on class A fires because the material usually reignites. CO2 extinguishers have an advantage over dry chemical in that they leave behind no harmful residue. That makes carbon dioxide (or halogl I; see below) a good choice for an electrical fire involving a computer or other delicate instrument. Note that CO2 is a bad choice for a flammable metal fires such as Grignard reagents, alkyllithiums and sodium metal because CO2 reacts with these materials. CO2 extinguishers are not approved for class D fires! To get an idea for what could happen, take a look at this General Chemistry demonstration page that includes a QuickTime movie of a magnesium metal fire contained inside a block of solid CO2! Metal/Sand Extinguishers are for flammable metals (class D fires) and work by simply smothering the fire with powdered copper metal or sodium chloride (NaCl). You should have an approved class D unit if you are working with flammable metals. Both types of class D units are available through our on-line store. The copper extinguishing agent is preferred for fires involving lithium and lithium alloys. It is the only known lithium fire fighting agent which will cling to a vertical surface thus making it the preferred agent on three dimensional and flowing fires.

Sodium chloride works well for metal fires involving magnesium, sodium (spills and in depth), potassium, sodium potassium alloys, uranium and powdered aluminum. Heat from the fire causes the agent to cake and form a crust that excludes air and dissipates heat. A few less-common extinguishers that are worth noting are: halogl I extinguishers, like carbon dioxide units, are for use on class B and C fires. halogl I is an ozone-friendly replacement for Halon 1211 (which was banned by international agreements starting in 1994). This "clean agent" discharges as a liquid, has high visibility during dischage, does not cause thermal or static shock, leaves no residue and is non-conducting. These properties make it ideal for computer rooms, clean rooms, telecommunications equipment, and electronics. The superior properties of halogl come at a higher cost relative to carbon dioxide. FE-36TM (Hydrofluorocarbon-236fa or HFC-236fa) is a DuPont-manufactured Halon 1211 replacement that is available commercially in Cleanguard extinguishers. The FE-36 agent is less toxic than both Halon 1211 and halogl I. In addition, FE-36 has zero ozone-depleting potential; FE-36 is not scheduled for phase-out wheras halogl I production is slated to cease in 2015. Water mist extinguishers are ideal for Class A fires where a potential Class C hazard exists. Unlike an ordinary water extinguisher, the misting nozzle provides safety from electric shock and reduces scattering of burning materials. This is one of the best choices for protection of hospital environments, books, documents and clean room facilities. In non-magnetic versions, water mist extinguishers are the preferred choice for MRI or NMR facilities (see warning box below) or for deployment on mine sweepers. MAGNETIC FIELD WARNING If you work around extremely high field magnets such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines or nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers (NMR's), you should only have non-magnetic fire extinguishers on hand. The magnetic field of an MRI or NMR machine is strong enough to make a steel cylinder fly across the room with lethal force.

Check out the potential fire hazards in your area. Is there an extinguisher available? Do you know how to operate it? Are your extinguishers suitable for the fires you may encounter? If not, you'll want to contact your campus or corporate Gielle office. Typical small lab fires (in a hood or on a bench) can easily be controlled by a dry chemical (ABC) or CO2 extinguisher provided that you are properly trained. HOW TO EXTINGUISH SMALL FIRES Class A - Extinguish ordinary combustibles by cooling the material below its ignition temperature and soaking the fibers to prevent re-ignition. Use pressurized water, foam or multi-purpose(ABC-rated) dry chemical extinguishers. DO NOT USE carbon dioxide or ordinary (BC-rated) dry chemical extinguishers on Class A fires. Class B - Extinguish flammable liquids, greases or gases by removing the oxygen, preventing the vapors from reaching the ignition source or inhibiting the chemical chain reaction. Foam, carbon dioxide, ordinary (BC-rated) dry chemical, multi-purpose dry chemical, and halon extinguishers may be used to fight Class B fires. Class C - Extinguish energized electrical equipment by using an extinguishing agent that is not capable of conducting electrical currents. Carbon dioxide, ordinary (BC-rated) dry chemical, multipurpose dry chemical and halon* fire extinguishers may be used to fight Class C fires. DO NOT USE water extinguishers on energized electrical equipment. * Even though halon is widely used, EPA legislation is phasing it out of use in favor of agents less harmful to the environment. Class D - Extinguish combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, potassium and sodium with dry powder extinguishing agents specially designated for the material involved. In most cases, they absorb the heat from the material,

cooling

it

below

its

ignition

temperature.

NOTE: Multipurpose (ABC-rated)chemical extinguishers leave a residue that can harm sensitive equipment, such as computers and other electronic equipment. Because of this, carbon dioxide or halon extinguishers are preferred in these instances because they leave very little residue. ABC dry powder residue is mildly corrosive to many metals. For example, residue left over from the use of an ABC dry powder extinguisher in the same room with a piano can seriously corrode piano wires. Carbon dioxide or halon extinguishers are provided for most labs and computer areas on campus. HOW TO IDENTIFY THE PROPER FIRE EXTINGUISHER All ratings are shows on the extinguisher faceplate. Some extinguishers are marked with multiple ratings such as AB, BC and ABC. These extinguishers are capable of putting out more than one class of fire. Class A and B extinguishers carry a numerical rating that indicates how large a fire an experienced person can safely put out with that extinguisher. Class C extinguishers have only a letter rating to indicate that the extinguishing agent will not conduct electrical current. Class C extinguishers must also carry a Class A or B rating. Class D extinguishers carry only a letter rating indicating their effectiveness on certain amounts of specific metals. How to Use a Even though extinguishers come in sizes, they all operate in a similar acronym for fire Fire Extinguisher a number of shapes and manner. Here's an easy extinguisher use:

--

Pull,

Aim,

Squeeze,

and

Sweep

Pull the pin at the top of the extinguisher that keeps the handle from being accidentally pressed. Aim the nozzle toward the base of the fire. Stand approximately 8 feet away from the fire and squeeze the handle to discharge the extinguisher. If you release the handle, the discharge will stop. Sweep the nozzle back and forth at the base of the fire. After the fire appears to be out, watch it carefully since it may re-ignite! REMEMBER: Should your Should Should the the path of escape run prove be out to be threatened of agent

extinguisher extinguisher

ineffective

Should you no longer be able to safely fight the fire ...THEN LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY! HOW TO INSPECT YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Know the locations of the fire extinguishers in your work area. Make sure the class of the extinguisher is safe to use on fires likely to occur in the immediate area. Check the plastic seal holding the pin in the extinguisher handle. Has the extinguisher been tampered with or used before? Report any broken/missing seals/pins to the University Fire Marshal at 325-0545. Look at the gauge and feel the weight. Is the extinguisher full? Does it need to be recharged? Water, some foam, and dry chemical extinguishers have gauges indicating the pressure inside the extinguisher. The pressure needle should be in the "green" area (generally 100-175 lbs., depending on the type of agent). CO2 (carbon dioxide) extinguishers are high pressure cylinders with pressures ranging from 1500 lb to 2150 lb. These extinguishers DO NOT have gauges and must be weighed by Fire Safety staff to determine the amount of contents remaining.

IF ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS HAVE NOT BEEN MET, DON'T FIGHT THE FIRE YOURSELF. CALL FOR HELP, PULL THE FIRE ALARM AND LEAVE THE AREA. Whenever possible, use the "Buddy System" to have someone back you up when using a fire extinguisher. If you have any doubt about your personal safety, or if you can not extinguish a fire, leave immediately and close off the area (close the doors, but DO NOT lock them). Leave the building but contact a firefighter to relay whatever information you have about the fire. Pull the pin on the fire extinguisher.

Stand several feet from the fire, depress the handle and sweep back and forth towards the fire. Note: Do not walk on an area that you have "extinguished" in case the fire reignites or the extinguisher runs out! Remember: you usually can't expect more than 10 full seconds of extinguishing power on a typical unit and this could be significantly less if the extinguisher was not properly maintained or partially discharged. The metal parts of CO2 extinguishers tend to get dangerously cold -- practice using one beforehand or have someone show you the proper way to hold one. Again, proper training is usually required by state or federal OSHA! Direct the extinguisher at the base of the flames until the fire is completely out. Recharge any discharged extinguisher immediately after use. If you discharge an extinguisher (even just a tiny bit) or pull the pin for any reason, call your campus or corporate Fire Marshal's office to arrange a replacement.

Care and Maintenance of Your Extinguisher At least once a month (more often in severe environments) you should inspect your extinguisher. Ensure that: The extinguisher is not blocked by equipment, coats or other objects that could interfere with access in an emergency. The pressure is at the recommended level. On extinguishers equipped with a gauge (such as that shown on the right) that means the needle should be in the green zone - not too high and not too low. The nozzle or other parts are not obstructed.

The pin and tamper seal (if it has one) are intact. There are no dents, leaks, rust, chemical deposits and other signs of abuse/wear. Wipe off any corrosive chemicals, oil, gunk etc. that may have landed on the extinguisher. Some manufacturers recommend shaking your dry chemical extinguishers once a month to prevent the powder from settling/packing. We are dubious this has any value (see this Ansul technical bulletin for a detailed description), but you are going to pick it up to inspect it anyway, so why not give it a good shake? Fire extinguishers should be pressure tested (a process called hydrostatic testing) after a number of years to ensure that the cylinder is safe to use. Consult your owner's manual, extinguisher label or the manufacturer to see when yours may need such testing. If the extinguisher is damaged or needs recharging, get it replaced immediately!