CDI6/ Week 2

PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION

 Fire Gases
 Flame
 Heat
 Smoke

1. Fire Gases
chemical composition of the fuel, percent of oxygen present, and the temperature of the fire. Those are that remain when
other products of combustion cool to normal temperature. Common combustibles contain carbon, which forms carbon
dioxide and carbon monoxide when burned. Records of fatal fires show that more people died from inhaling these super-
heated and toxic fire gases than from any other cause. The complete combustion of fuels containing carbon will produce
CO2, but seldom will there be enough oxygen for complete combustion. When only part of the carbon is oxidized, carbon
monoxide is formed.
When CO is not the most toxic fire gas, it causes more deaths than any other gases because it robs the body of oxygen. It
burns rapidly when combined with oxygen at high temperatures, causing dangerous backdraft or explosions. Carbon
Monoxide, which is also produced by slow oxidation, is found in sewers, caves, wells, mines, stove furnaces, and
automobile exhaust.
Types of Poisonous Gases:
1. Hydrogen Sulfide (HS) - a fire gas formed during fires involving organic material containing sulfur, such as: Rubber,
hair, wood, meat and hides. It is colorless, highly toxic gas with strong odor of rotten eggs. Exposure for even a short time
is dangerous. It will ignite at 5000F (2600 C).
2. Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) - a toxic fire gas found in oxygen-starve fires involving nitrogen- containing materials such
as:" Wool, silk, urethane, polymides, and acrylics. These gases are also used as a fumigant which can pose serious
danger to firefighters working in recently fumigated buildings. Hydrogen cyanide smells like bitter almonds which may not
be easily detected.
3. Hydrogen Chloride (HCL) - a gas which can be fatal after only a few breaths, is produced in fires involving chloride-
containing plastic. Plastics can be found anywhere; from furnishing to electrical insulation, conduit and piping.

2. Flame
The luminous body of a burning gas which gets hotter and less luminous when mixed with more oxygen. Flame fades
when carbon burns completely, so flame is considered a product of incomplete combustion. It is the manifestation of fire
when the fire is in its gas phased combustion.
Flame Defined
A flame is the visible (light-emitting) part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic reaction (for by example,
combustion, a self-sustaining oxidation reaction) taking place in a thin zone. If a fire is hot enough to ionize the gaseous
components, it can become a plasma.
Types of Flames:
A. According to Color and Completeness of Combustions.
Ø Luminous flame - a reddish-orange in color; it deposits soot because it is a product of incomplete combustion; it has
lower temperature.
Ø Non-Luminous Flame – bluish in color; it does not deposit soot because it is a product of complete combustion; it has
a higher temperature than luminous flame.

B. According to Burning Fuel and Air Mixture:

C. Based on Smoothness:
Ø Laminar Flame – (smooth flame) flame is laminar when a particle follows a smooth path through a gaseous flame.
Ø Turbulent Flame – (rough flame) those having unsteady, irregular swirls and eddies.
3. Heat
a form of energy generated by the transmission of some other form of energy.
Heat defined
A form of energy measured in degree of temperature, it is the product of combustion that spread the fire. It causes burns
and other injuries such as dehydration, heat exhaustion, and respiratory tract injuries. Heat, oxygen depletion, and carbon
monoxide formation are the primary hazards in fires.
Energy transferred from one body to another when the temperatures of the bodies differ. Heat is the most common form
of energy found on earth. Temperature is an indicator of heat and is measure the warmth or coldness of an object based
on some standard. In most cases at present, the standard used is based on the freezing (320F and 0C), and boiling points
(2120F and 1000C) of water. Temperature is measured using degrees Celsius in SI and degrees Fahrenheit in the
Customary System.

4. Smoke
a visible product of incomplete combustion, a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, CO, CO2 and finely divided particles released
from the burning material.

PROPERTIES OF FIRE:
A. Physical Properties
1. Specific gravity - the ratio of the weight of a solid or substance to the weight of an equal volume of water. (Specific
gravity is defined as the ratio of the density of a given solid or liquid substance to the density of water at a specific
temperature and pressure, typically at 4°C (39 F) and 1 atm (760.00 mmHg), making it a dimensionless quantity).
2. Vapour density - the weight of a volume of pure gas compared to the weight of a volume of dry air at the same
temperature and pressure. In many web sources, the vapor density is defined with respect to air, not hydrogen. With this
definition, the vapor density would indicate whether a gas is denser (greater than one) or less dense (less than one) than
air. The density has implications for container storage and personnel safety--if a container can release a dense gas, its
vapor could sink and, if flammable, collect until it is at a concentration sufficient for ignition. Even if not flammable, it could
collect in the lower floor or level of a confined space and displace air, to present a smothering hazard to individuals
entering the lower part of that space.
3. Vapor pressure - the force exerted by the molecules on the surface of the liquid at equilibrium. The
vapour pressure of a liquid is the equilibrium pressure of a vapor above its liquid (or solid); that is, the pressure of the
vapor resulting from evaporation of a liquid (or solid) above a sample of the liquid (or solid) in a closed the container. The
vapor pressure of a liquid is the equilibrium pressure of a vapor above its liquid (or solid); that is, the pressure of the vapor
resulting from evaporation of a liquid (or solid) above a sample of the liquid (or solid) in a closed container.
4. Temperature - the measure of thermal degree of the agitation of molecules of a given substance; the measure of
the molecular activity within a substance. Temperature is measured with thermometers that may be calibrated to a variety
of temperature scales. In most of the world (except for Myanmar, Liberia and the United States), the degree Celsius scale
is used for most temperature measuring purposes. The entire scientific world (these countries included) measures
temperature using the Celsius scale and thermodynamic temperature using the Kelvin scale, which is just the Celsius
scale shifted downwards so that 0 K= -273.15°C, or absolute zero. 5.
5. Boiling point - the constant temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the atmospheric
pressure. The vapor pressure of the liquid equals the boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which environmental
pressure surrounding the liquid. A liquid in a vacuum environment has a lower boiling point than when the liquid is at
atmospheric pressure. A liquid in a high pressure environment has a higher boiling point than when the liquid is at
atmospheric pressure. In other words, the boiling point of liquids varies with and depends upon the surrounding
environmental pressure.
6. Ignition temperature or kindling temperature - the minimum temperature to which the substance in the air must
be heated in order to initiate or cause self- contained combustion without the addition of heat from outside sources.
7. Fire point - the temperature at which the material will give off ample vapors to keep burning there is usually about 5
to 10 degrees difference between the flashpoint and the firepoint of most materials. Since these two are just a few
degrees apart.
8. Flashpoint - the temperature at which a material i1s not hot enough to keep burning, but still gives off enough
vapors to cause a flame to "flash" across the surface. The term "flashpoint" is used to express the condition of a fuel
vaporizing whether or not it is vaporizing fast enough to keep burning
B. Chemical Properties
1. Endothermic reaction - are changes whereby energy (heat) is absorbed or is added before the reaction takes
place.
2. Exothermic reaction - reactions or changes that release or give off energy (heat) thus they produce substances
with less energy than the reactants.
3. Oxidation - a chemical change in which combustible material (fuel) and an oxidizing agent react.
4. Combustion/ flame - the manifestation of fire when the fire is in its gas-phased combustion. A matter that is
produced by fire.

PHASES OF BURNING/THE THREE STAGES OF FIRE

Fires generally have three (3) progressive stages based on the following factors:
1. Incipient/Beginning phase - it is the initial stage of fire.
Characteristics:
a. Normal room temperature
b. Oxygen plentiful
c. Thermal updraft rise accumulates at higher point.
d. Flame temperature of 1000 degrees F
e. Producing pyrolysis products: (CO2, Co, SO2, water vapor, & other gases).

2. Free-Burning Phase - the second phase of burning in which materials or structures are burning in the presence of
adequate oxygen.
Characteristics;
a. Fire has involved more fuel
b. Oxygen supply is depleted
c. Heat accumulates at upper area
d. Temperature exceeds 1,300 F (705C)
e. Area is fully involved

3. Smoldering Phase – the final phase of burning wherein flame ceases but smoke and heat completely fill the
confined room.
Characteristics:
a. Flames may die and leave only glowing embers or super-heated fuel under pressure with little oxygen.
b. Intense heat will vaporize lighter fuel components, such as hydrogen and methane, increasing the hazard C.
c. Temperature throughout the building is very high and normal breathing is not possible. d.
d. Oxygen deficiency may cause back draft.

Backdraft
Firefighters operating at fires in buildings must gain entry, by providing ventilation either by use precautionary measures
when opening a building to by horizontal/cross ventilation (opening doors or windows) or vertical ventilation (opening a
hole at the highest portion of the affected part of the building). As the fire grows in a confine area, large volumes of hot,
unburned fire gases can collect in unventilated spaces. These gases may be at or above their ignition temperature but
have insufficient oxygen available to actually ignite. Any action taken during fire fighting operations that allows air to mix
with these hot gases can result in an explosive ignition called backdraft (Figure 21).
The danger for backdraft can be minimized with the proper application of vertical ventilation causing the unburned gases
rise and release through the opening before an entry is made.
Conditions that indicate the danger for backdraft
a. Pressurized smoke exiting small openings
b. Black smoke becoming dense grey yellow
c. Confinement and excessive heat
d. Little or no visible flame
e. Smoke leaving the building in puffs or at intervals
f. Smoke stained windows

Flashover
Flashover occurs when a room or other area is heated enough that flames sweep over the entire surface. Fire fighters
originally believed that combustible gases released during the early stages of the fire cause flashover by collecting at the
ceiling and mixing with air until they burst into flames.
The point in a fire at which other combustibles other combustibles within the area ignite, changing the fire from one object
from one object on fire to many objects on fire. Flashover occurs with the initial ignition of the fire in the original object, but
fire in the original object, but on a much larger scale. Combustible gases coming from the materials in a room rise and
collect at the ceiling thus, these gases ignite, bringing sheet of flame across the ceiling and raising the overall temperature
of the room as the gases are consumed.
When flashover occurs, firefighters have only two seconds to escape the room before the temperature rise up drastically
that they will suffer heat-related injury or death.
Temperatures ranging from 1000OF (5380C) to 15000F (816C) is very dangerous within seconds to firefighters with or
without protective clothing.
Rollover
The point at which gases produced by pyrolysis ignites. It involves only any gases and is typified by a brief, sudden
ignition in the overhead air.
If the volatile gases around the ceiling have been disturbed through the improper cooling with water, but not vented,
ignition may occur at lower room heights - a danger for firefighters. To avoid this to happen, the base of the fire must first
wet water before cooling the upper levels. Open a ventilation at ceiling heights will also help by allowing these heated
gases to escape.