Thermal Decomposition Mechanism and Fire-Extinguishing Performance of <i>trans</i>-1,1,1,4,4,4-Hexafluoro-2-butene: A Potential Candidate for Halon Substitutes
Haijun Zhang, Yue Wang, Xingyu Wang, Suting Zhou, Rourou Yu, Yunlong Liao, Jingde Li, Zhaoyang Tan
Abstract
In view of the appropriate physicochemical characteristics and environmental friendliness of the trans-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (HFO-1336mzz(E)) substance, the thermal-decomposition mechanism as well as the fire-extinguishing mechanism and performance of this agent were systematically studied by employing both experimental and theoretical methods in this work. We found that the HFO-1336mzz(E) agent not only has promising thermal stability at room temperature but also exhibits pronounced fire-extinguishing performance, which is comparable to that of HFC-236fa and even better than that of HFC-125 extinguishant. Additionally, the promising fire-extinguishing performance of HFO-1336mzz(E) may result from the physical and chemical extinguishing effect of its thermal-decomposition products including HFO-1336mzz(Z), HC≡CCF3, CF3C≡CCF3, and CF3H, which makes a significant contribution to capturing the free radicals in the flame, as well as cooling and diluting the combustible fuel-air mixture. Both experimental and theoretical results suggest that the HFO-1336mzz(E) agent is a highly recommendable candidate for Halon extinguishant, which is worthy of further investigation and evaluation of its practical applicability in fire-suppression utilization.