Technical Research on Ensuring the Compatibility of Automatic Fire Suppression Material with Glue

 

In numerous industrial and civil fields, glue is widely used for the bonding of materials, and its adhesive properties and curing effect are directly related to the quality and performance of products. With the increasing requirements for fire safety, the demand for combining automatic fire suppression material with glue to endow the bonded parts with fire prevention functions has gradually increased. However, the chemical compatibility problem between AFSM and glue has become a key obstacle to the promotion of this application. If the compatibility between the two is poor, it may lead to a decrease in the adhesive properties of the glue, making it unable to bond materials firmly; or it may affect the curing process of the glue, making the properties of the cured adhesive layer unstable, thus seriously weakening the reliability of the bonded structure. At the same time, it may also reduce the fire extinguishing efficiency of AFSM. Therefore, in-depth research and solution of the chemical compatibility problem between AFSM and glue have important practical significance and engineering application value.

Analysis of the Chemical Characteristics of Glue

1. Classification and Main Components of Glue

There are many types of glue. According to the chemical composition, it can be divided into organic and inorganic glues. The components of inorganic glues include substances such as sulfates, phosphates, and borates; organic glues cover synthetic glues and natural glues. According to the use, it can be divided into structural, non-structural, and special glues. In terms of form, there are liquid and solid types, specifically presented in various forms such as adhesive tapes, powders, glue sticks, emulsion types, and solution types. Among them, common organic synthetic glues such as epoxy resin glue are mainly composed of epoxy resin and a curing agent. Epoxy resin serves as the matrix, providing the main bonding performance, and the curing agent promotes the curing of the resin. The two form a three-dimensional network structure through a chemical reaction to achieve the bonding of materials. For example, acrylate glue mainly consists of acrylate monomers, and it undergoes a polymerization reaction under the action of an initiator to achieve curing and bonding.

2. Principles of Glue Adhesion and Curing

The bonding of objects depends on the pulling force between the polymer bodies in the glue. In the glue in an aqueous environment, the polymer bodies are in the form of circular particles, and water serves as the carrier of the polymer bodies, allowing them to slowly penetrate into the object tissue. When the water disappears, the polymer bodies closely combine the two objects by relying on the mutual pulling force between them. In the use of glue, if the amount of glue applied is too much, the polymer bodies will crowd each other, unable to generate a good pulling force, and the water is not easy to volatilize, resulting in the situation that “the thicker the glue film, the worse the bonding efficiency of the glue”. Because at this time, the glue plays a “filling role” rather than a bonding role, and the bonding between objects depends on the “cohesion” of the glue. For the curing process, taking thermosetting glue as an example, under conditions such as heating or adding a curing agent, cross-linking reactions occur between the resin molecules to form an insoluble and infusible three-dimensional network structure, thus achieving curing. The cured glue has a certain strength and wear resistance.

 

Analysis of the Chemical Characteristics of Automatic Fire Suppression Material

1. Common Types and Chemical Compositions of AFSM

Common types of AFSM include gas types (such as carbon dioxide, FM – 200, etc.), dry powder types (such as sodium bicarbonate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, etc.), foam types (formed by mixing surfactants, foaming agents, stabilizers, etc. with water), and aerosol types, etc. For example, the main component of carbon dioxide fire extinguishing agent is carbon dioxide, which uses the large amount of heat absorbed during its vaporization to reduce the temperature of the combustion area and simultaneously dilute the oxygen concentration to extinguish the fire; when the sodium bicarbonate in the dry powder fire extinguishing agent is heated and decomposed, it produces carbon dioxide and water, and by covering the surface of the combustible, it interrupts the chain reaction of combustion to extinguish the fire.

2. Fire Extinguishing Mechanisms of AFSM

The fire extinguishing mechanisms of different types of AFSM have their own characteristics. Gas fire extinguishing agents mainly reduce the oxygen concentration through the principle of asphyxiation, making it impossible for the combustion to continue and achieving the purpose of extinguishing the fire; dry powder fire extinguishing agents interrupt the chemical reaction chain of combustion through chemical inhibition; foam fire extinguishing agents form a foam covering layer on the surface of the combustible, isolating the oxygen and simultaneously playing a cooling role; aerosol fire extinguishing agents inhibit the progress of the combustion reaction through the generated solid particles and gases. These fire extinguishing mechanisms rely on the chemical composition and physical properties of AFSM. When mixed with glue, they may interact with the chemical components of the glue, thus affecting the performance of the glue.

 

Theoretical Analysis of the Compatibility Problem

1. Interactions between Chemical Substances

The chemical components in AFSM may have various chemical reactions with the components of the glue. For example, some strongly oxidizing substances in AFSM may undergo an oxidation reaction with the organic polymers in the glue, damaging the structure of the polymer chain and leading to a decrease in the adhesive properties of the glue; some alkaline components in AFSM may undergo a neutralization reaction with the acidic additives in the glue, changing the pH of the glue system and affecting the progress of the curing reaction. In addition, certain solvents in AFSM may dissolve or swell the polymer materials in the glue, destroying their original structure, reducing the internal cohesion, and thus weakening the adhesive properties of the glue.

2. Potential Impacts on the Adhesive Properties and Curing Effect of Glue

If AFSM has a chemical reaction with the glue, resulting in the breakage of the glue polymer chain or a change in the degree of cross-linking, it will directly affect the adhesive properties of the glue. A decrease in adhesive properties may make the bonded materials easy to separate and unable to meet the usage requirements. In terms of curing, the addition of AFSM may change the rate and degree of the curing reaction. For example, certain substances may act as inhibitors of the curing reaction, prolonging the curing time and even causing the glue to be unable to cure completely; or accelerating the curing reaction, making the curing process difficult to control, and the formed cured product has unstable properties, such as brittleness and cracking, affecting the durability of the bonded structure.

 

Experimental Research

1. Experimental Design and Methods

Select several common types of glues on the market, such as epoxy resin glue, acrylate glue, and polyurethane glue, and conduct mixing experiments with different types of AFSM respectively. Set up multiple experimental groups and control the addition ratio of AFSM (such as 5%, 10%, 15%, etc.) as a variable. For each experimental group, prepare specimens of the same specification. After mixing the glue and AFSM in proportion, apply them to the surface of the specimens for bonding tests and curing performance tests. Use a Brookfield viscometer to measure the viscosity change of the glue before and after mixing to evaluate the impact on the adhesive properties; use thermal analysis techniques (such as differential scanning calorimetry DSC) to monitor the thermal effect during the curing process and analyze the changes in the curing reaction; use a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe the microscopic structure of the cured adhesive layer to determine the impact of AFSM on the structure of the adhesive layer.

2. Experimental Results and Analysis

The experimental results show that different types of AFSM have significant differences in their impacts on the adhesive properties and curing effect of the glue. In terms of adhesive properties, when epoxy resin glue is mixed with dry powder type AFSM, as the addition ratio of AFSM increases, the viscosity of the glue increases significantly and its fluidity deteriorates. This may be due to the interaction between the dry powder particles and the glue polymer, which hinders the movement of the polymer. When acrylate glue is mixed with gas type AFSM, the adhesive properties decrease significantly, which may be because the presence of the gas destroys the interaction force between the glue polymers. In terms of the curing effect, after polyurethane glue is mixed with foam type AFSM, the curing time is prolonged and the hardness of the cured adhesive layer decreases. Through DSC analysis, it is found that the exothermic peak temperature and peak value of the curing reaction have both changed, indicating that the foam type AFSM has an inhibitory effect on the curing reaction of the polyurethane glue. SEM observation shows that the microscopic structure of the adhesive layer after mixing with AFSM becomes loose and there are more pores, which further explains the reason for the decline in the performance of the glue.

 

Methods and Strategies for Ensuring Compatibility

1. Material Screening and Matching

When selecting AFSM and glue, their chemical properties should be fully considered for reasonable matching. For example, for acidic glues, avoid selecting alkaline AFSM to prevent a neutralization reaction. You can understand the potential reactions between materials by referring to the chemical property data of the materials and consulting suppliers, and preliminarily screen out the combinations that may be compatible. At the same time, refer to the existing research results and practical application cases, and give priority to selecting the AFSM and glue combinations with good compatibility that have been verified.

2. Use of Additives

Adding appropriate additives can improve the compatibility between AFSM and glue. For example, adding a coupling agent can enhance the interfacial bonding force between AFSM and glue, reducing the performance degradation caused by interfacial incompatibility. For systems that may have an oxidation reaction, an antioxidant can be added to protect the polymer chain of the glue from being damaged by the oxidizing substances in AFSM. In addition, some stabilizers can be added to adjust the pH or physical properties of the glue system, so that it remains stable after being mixed with AFSM. However, the types and dosages of additives need to be optimized through experiments to avoid having a negative impact on the original properties of the glue and AFSM.

3. Process Optimization

Adjusting the mixing process of the glue and AFSM can also improve compatibility. For example, control parameters such as the temperature, stirring speed, and time during the mixing process. An appropriate temperature can promote the progress of certain chemical reactions, enabling AFSM and glue to be better integrated, but too high a temperature may lead to the decomposition of the glue or AFSM. The stirring speed and time will affect the uniformity of mixing. If the mixing is not uniform, it may lead to a too high local concentration of AFSM, causing performance problems. In practical applications, the optimal mixing process parameters can be determined through multiple experiments to ensure that AFSM is evenly dispersed in the glue and does not affect the adhesive properties and curing effect of the glue.

Conclusions

Through in-depth research on the chemical compatibility problem between AFSM and glue, from theoretical analysis, experimental research to practical application case analysis, we have clarified the causes and impacts of the compatibility problem between the two, and proposed a series of effective solutions and strategies. Methods such as material screening and matching, the use of additives, and process optimization have achieved good results in practical applications and can, to a certain extent, ensure that after AFSM is mixed with glue, it does not affect the adhesive properties and curing effect of the glue. However, with the continuous development of materials science, new glues and AFSM are constantly emerging, and the compatibility problem may become more complex. Future research can further explore new types of additives and mixing processes, use advanced material characterization techniques to deeply study the microscopic mechanism of compatibility, and provide a more solid theoretical foundation and more efficient technical means for solving the compatibility problem between AFSM and glue, promoting continuous progress in relevant fields in terms of fire safety and the guarantee of material bonding performance.

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