How self-actuating fire suppression devices work
Compact but powerful, automatic – also known as self-actuating – fire suppression devices are designed for enclosed high fire-risk spaces such as electrical cabinets, battery compartments, engine bays, 3D printers and technical enclosures in road and off road vehicles, boats, homes, workshops and factories.
No electricity, batteries or human activation needed. Just peel, stick – or screw – in place for protection 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for up to 10 years†. Each device contains quantities of active ingredients that are calculated to offer protection based on an area’s approximate volume.
Here’s the chemistry behind the self-actuating fire suppression devices
The heat aerosol fire extinguishing devices use an S-type aerosol fire extinguishing device. An S-type aerosol is a condensed aerosol fire suppression system that uses strontium nitrate as its primary chemical oxidant (comprising over 50% of the agent) rather than potassium.
1. Thermal Activation Mechanism: When the temperature in the protected space reaches the thermal activation temperature, the internal fire extinguishing agent is activated, rapidly generating nano-sized aerosol and spraying it out for immediate fire suppression. 2. Cooling Effect: the cooling effect relies on the heat absorption and cooling mechanism of metal oxides and carbonates. At high temperatures, metal salt particles absorb a large amount of heat through physical endothermic processes such as melting and vaporization, lowering the flame temperature. This reduces the heat radiated to the combustible surface, which is required for vaporizing combustible molecules and cracking vaporized combustible molecules into free radicals, thereby inhibiting the combustion reaction rate. 3. Oxygen Dilution & Smothering: The primary fire extinguishing method is physical dilution of oxygen in the air to smother the fire.
What’s the best size to use?
Whether it’s for a fuse box, electrical housing enclosure or equipment space, estimate the cubic volume and choose the most suitable product. If in doubt choose the next size up. Campervans, motorhomes and boats may have many areas with potential sources of fire – so a mix of products should be used. Suitable for fire classes A, B, C and electrical.
† Dependent on location
