There are many materials that defy logic. The fact that spider silk is as durable as steel and graphene airgel is lighter than helium are just a few of its amazing physical properties. Paper is probably far down the list when you rank fire resistant materials. This is a technology developed by a group of researchers from the Shanghai Ceramic Research Institute, which belongs to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.As is often the case when working with advanced materials, the key is nanotechnologyThe result is a fire resistant material that also acts like an alarm system. But let’s break it down a bit more.
close to bone
Mentioning materials like hydroxyapatite may not ring a bell. You probably know more when it is said that it is one of the elements, that is, a very resistant material. Chinese researchers have devised a mesh of hydroxyapatite-based nanowires that lays the foundation for this. New technology on a paper wall. Tests have shown that hydroxyapatite films can withstand flames for several minutes. It is also environmentally friendly and requires no harmful compounds, in contrast to previous toxic solutions such as asbestos. Nevertheless, it is activated before the material is consumed by the flame. building alarm system.
Wallpaper that behaves like an electric circuit
One of the main problems now is Fire detection technology It is activated by smoke. However, fires can spread dangerously before enough smoke is released to sound an alarm. The new wallpaper has another property that significantly reduces response time. In addition to hydroxyapatite, the researchers included a few drops of graphene oxide in the recipe.
Graphene ink works like a thermal conductor. Therefore, although it is not conductive at room temperature, the entire layer becomes an electrical circuit when the temperature rises rapidly, as in a fire scenario. In this way, the alarm system detects fires almost immediately, regardless of the amount of smoke in the atmosphere. It’s not an exaggeration to say “immediately” here. The alarm he activates within 2 seconds.
Like other developments based on nanotechnology and graphenethis wallpaper will not be commercially available in the short term, but the possibilities are certainly promising.
Other smoke-ahead alarm systems
Besides heat, there are other signals that indicate the presence of fire before smoke. Some of them are gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides that are released in the early stages. The Fraunhofer Institute in Freiburg (Germany) has developed a fire alarm that detects both gases to improve response time. Their technology employs a color sensor that responds by changing colors. The system is relatively simple. Blue LED light passes through a special dye and reaches a photodetector. Under normal conditions, the polymer exhibits a purplish color and absorbs little blue light. When carbon monoxide is released, the dye turns yellow and absorbs more light. A light-sensing cell then detects dim light and activates an alarm. Beyond the fire hazard, this detector can also prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. It is also cheap and easy to manufacture, unlike nanotechnology and graphene.
sauce: ACS Nano, Phys.org, Gizmodo
