Друк

Extinguishing methanol with light, loose materials and quick-setting foams

 

Kireev Oleksandr

National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8819-3999

 

Hapon Yuliana

Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3304-5657

 

Chyrkina-Kharlamova Maryna

National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2060-9142

 

Danyk Olena

National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6849-3403

 

Rusenko Kateryna

National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4866-6032

 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52363/2524-0226-2026-43-14

 

Keywords: flammable liquids, methanol, crushed foam glass, polar liquids, bulk materials, fire extinguishing

 

Аnnotation

 

Іnvestigates the fire-extinguishing properties of lightweight loose materials and rapidly setting foams during the extinguishing of methanol. The loose materials selected were crushed foam glass with a particle size of 1–1.5 cm and expanded perlite with spherical particles 1.0–1.5 mm in diameter. It was found that foam glass forms the lower layer of the fire-extinguishing system and ensures its buoyancy, while the upper layer of perlite performs an insulating function, limiting oxygen access to the combustion surface and preventing reignition. It has been shown that the additional supply of atomized water to the surface of the layer enhances the system’s insulating and cooling properties and also contributes to lowering the temperature in the combustion zone. The fire-extinguishing properties were evaluated using the base layer concept, which allowed determining the parameters of the fire-extinguishing layers for real-world firefighting conditions and adapting the results to industri-al scales. To enable such calculations, the bulk density and buoyancy in methanol of the selected loose materials were experimentally determined. A system consisting of Na₂O·nSiO₂ (9 % solution) + NaHCO₃ (9 % solution) + carboxymethylcellulose (0.5 % by volume) + «Morsky» foaming agent (6 % by volume) was used as a rapid-setting foam. It was established that the loss of fluidity time for this system is 60 ± 10 s, which is sufficient for mixing the components, foaming, feeding into the fire center and spreading over the surface of the flammable liquid with the subsequent formation of an insulating layer. A comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of systems based on lightweight loose materials and fast-setting foams in extinguishing methanol fires. The results obtained were compared with data for extinguishing gasoline, ethanol, and acetone, which made it possible to assess the potential of the proposed fire extinguishing agents for extinguishing polar and nonpolar flammable liquids and to identify directions for their further improvement.

 

References

 

  1. EN 1568-1:2018. Fire extinguishing media – Foam concentrates – Part 1: Specifi-cation for medium expansion foam concentrates for surface application to wa-ter-immiscible liquids. European committee for standardization, 44. Available at: https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/cen/29188adf-ed7b-49cf-9e76-b996ab64fd89/en-1568-1-2018
  2. EN 1568-2:2018. Fire extinguishing media – Foam concentrates – Part 2: Spec-ification for high expansion foam concentrates for surface application to water-immiscible liquids. European committee for standardization, 41. Available at: https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/cen/1b7c7790-8464-4bc4-9ec6-b98ac41ff5ed/en-1568-2-2018
  3. EN 1568-3:2018. Fire extinguishing media – Foam concentrates – Part 3: Specifi-cation for low expansion foam concentrates for surface application to water-immiscible. European committee for standardization, 59. Available at: https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/cen/6e79e77f-10b9-4be3-b589-23797d03ae3b/en-1568-3-2018
  4. Li, Z., Zhu, H., Zhao, J., Zhang, Y., Hu, L. (2022). Experimental research on the effectiveness of different types of foam in extinguishing methanol/diesel pool fires. Combustion Science and Technology, 196(12), 1791–1809. doi: 10.1080/00102202.2022.2125306
  5. Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy (2014). Pro ratyfikatsiiu Stokholmskoi konventsii pro stiiki orhanichni zabrudniuvachi: Zakon Ukrainy. Available at: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1700-18
  6. Borovykov, V. O., Slutska, O. M., Sukach, R. Yu., Voitovych, D. P. (2025). Vykorystannia plivkoutvoriuvalnykh pinoutvoriuvachiv dlia hasinnia pozhezh u svitli polozhen Stokholmskoi konventsii pro stiiki orhanichni zabrudniuvachi. Pozhezhna bezpeka, 46, 5–19. doi: 10.32447/20786662.46.2025.01
  7. Dubinin, D., Korytchenko, K., Lisnyak, A., Hrytsyna, I., Trigub, V. (2017). Numerical simulation of the creation of a fire fighting barrier using an explosion of a combustible charge. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 6(10(90)), 11–16. doi: 10.15587/1729-4061.2017.114504
  8. Semko, A., Beskrovnaya M., Vinogradov S., Hritsina I., Yagudina N. (2017). The usage of high speed impulse liquid jets for putting out gas blowouts. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (Poland), 3, 655–664. Available at: https://www. scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84938701022&partnerID=40&md5= 7bb1aef5a447873de21f8e81c67eedd0
  9. Dubinin, D., Korytchenko K., Lisnyak A., Hrytsyna I., Trigub V. (2018). Im-proving the installation for fire extinguishing with finely dispersed water. Eastern Eu-ro-pean Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 2, 10–92, 38–43. doi: 10.15587/1729-4061.2018.127865
  10. Vambol, S., Bogdanov, I., Vambol, V., Suchikova, Y., Kondratenko, O., Hurenko, O., Onishchenko, S. (2017). Research into regularities of pore formation on the surface of semiconductors. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 3, 5–87, 37–44. doi: 10.15587/1729-4061.2017.104039
  11. Chernukha, A., Teslenko, A., Kovalov, P., Bezuglov, O. (2020). Mathemat-ical Modeling of Fire-Proof Efficiency of Coatings Based on Silicate Composition. Materi-als Science Forum, 1006, 70–75. doi: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.1006.70
  12. Vasilchenko, A., Otrosh, Y., Adamenko, N., Doronin, E., Kovalov, A. (2018). Feature of fire resistance calculation of steel structures with intumescent coat-ing. MATEC Web of Conferences, 230, 02036. doi: 10.1051/matecconf/201823002036
  13. Kustov, M., Kalugin, V., Tutunik, V., Tarakhno, O. (2019). Physicochemi-cal principles of the technology of modified pyrotechnic compositions to reduce the chemi-cal pollution of the atmosphere. Voprosy Khimii i Khimicheskoi Tekhnologii, 1, 92–99. doi: 10.32434/0321-4095-2019-122-1-92-99
  14. Pietukhov, R., Kireev, A., Tregubov, D., Hovalenkov, S.(2021) Experi-mental Study of the Insulating Properties of a Lightweight Material Based on Fast-Hardening Highly Resistant Foams in Relation to Vapors of Toxic Organic Fluids. Materials Science Forum, 1038, 374–382. doi: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.1038.374
  15. Petukhov, R., Kireev, A. (2021). Modeling the insulation properties of mul-ticomponent solid foam-like material based on gel– forming systems. Functional mat-ireals, 3, 549–555. doi: 10.15407/fm28.03.549
  16. Musayev, M., Dadashov, I., Kireev, О., Khudiyev, R. (2024). Research fire extinguishing and insulating characteristics of fast-hardening foams. Processes of Pet-rochemistry and Oil Refining, 25, 2, 567–577. doi: 10.62972/1726-4685.2024.2567
  17. Ni, X., Zhang, K., Zheng, Z., Wang, W., Hu, S. (2025). Application of Composite Dry Powders for Simultaneous Fire Extinguishment and Liquid Solidifica-tion of Methanol. Fire, 8(2), 69–81. doi: 10.3390/fire8020069
  18. Makarenko, V., Kireev, А., Slepuzhnikov, Y., Hovalenkov, S. (2023). Proper-ties of multi-component fire extinguishing systems based on light bulk materi-als. Key Engineering Materials, 954, 177–184. doi: 10.4028/p-6v6dmx
  19. Babashov, I. B., Dadashov, I. F., Kirieiev, O. O., Savchenko, O. V., Musa-yev, M. E. (2023). Rezultaty vyznachennia vohnehasnykh kharakterystyk lehkykh sypkykh materialiv pry hasinni etanolu. Problemy nadzvychainykh sytuatsii, 1(37), 250–263. doi: 10.52363/2524-0226-2023-37-18
  20. Kireev A., Hapon Yu., Chyrkina-Kharlamova М., Nuianzin V., Maiboroda A. (2025). Fire extinguishing efficiency of lightweight bulk materials when extin-guishing acetone. Problems of Emergency Situations, 1(41), 100–113. doi: 10.52363/2524-0226-2025-41-7
  21. Kirieiev, O., Hapon Yu., Chyrkina-Kharlamova, M., Slepuzhnikov, Ye., Cherkashyn, O. (2024). Vybir naibilsh efektyvnoho zasobu hasinnia lehkozaimystykh ridyn. Problemy nadzvychainykh sytuatsii, 2(40), 30–43. doi: 10.52363/2524-0226-2024-40-3
  22. Offermanns, H., Schulz, K., Brandes, E. (2014). Substance properties of methanol. In: Methanol: The Basic Chemical and Energy Feedstock of the Future, 677. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-39709-7
  23. Zhou, F., Yu, J., Wu, C., Fu, J., Liu, J., Duan, X. (2024). The application prospect and challenge of the alternative methanol fuel in the internal combustion en-gine. Science of The Total Environment, 913, 169708. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169708
  24. Zhang, Q., Wang, L., Bi, Y., Xu, D., Zhi, H., Qiu, P. (2015). Experimental investigation of foam spread and extinguishment of the large-scale methanol pool fire. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 287, 87–92. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.01.017
  25. Zhi, H., Bao, Y., Wang, L., Mi, Y. (2020). Extinguishing performance of alcohol-resistant firefighting foams on polar flammable liquid fires. Journal of Fire Sciences, 38, 53–74. doi: 10.1177/0734904119893732
  26. Makarenko, V. S. (2022). Pidvyshchennia vohnehasnykh vlastyvostei sypkykh materialiv shliakhom vvedennia krystalohidrativ. Problemy nadzvychainykh sytuatsii, 2(36), 147–158. doi: 10.52363/2524-0226-2022-36-12

 

Received by the editorial board: 10.03.2026

Accepted for publication: 13.04.2026

Date of publication (release): 31.05.2026