Experimental study on fires extinguishing properties of melamine phosphate powders

A new type of multipurpose dry powders (MP dry powders) with melamine phosphate as extinguishing component was prepared by using the ball-milling method. The main physical properties of MP dry powders were tested, and the extinguishing experiments including wood crib fire tests and pool fire tests were conducted to study the extinguishing properties of MP dry powders comparing with commercial ordinary ammonium phosphate dry powders. The thermal decomposition properties of melamine phosphate were studied through thermogravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that the bulk density of MP dry powders is lower than the required value, and the other main physical properties accord with the demands of Chinese Standards. MP dry powders have higher extinguishing effectiveness on wood crib fire tests and pool fire tests than that of commercial ordinary ammonium phosphate dry powders. Finally, the extinguishing mechanisms were discussed on the base of thermal decomposition properties of melamine phosphate. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.