Not all technological developments for safety purposes are safe. A popular but potentially deadly fire extinguisher of the past was the Carbon tetrachloride (CTC) extinguisher. The CTC extinguisher was used primarily for flammable liquids and electrical fires. There were two methods to apply CTC to a fire; a pressurized brass or chrome canister or a round glass bottle, commonly known as a “CTC bomb”. The brass or chrome canister was pressurized by a hand pump mounted in the canister which pushed the CTC out of a hose toward a fire. The rounded glass bottle or “bomb” was thrown into a fire. The glass would break dispersing the CTC into the flames to extinguish the fire. The “CTC bomb” was also available as an automatic extinguisher. The ball of CTC was suspended from the ceiling or wall on a chain which had a fusible link. When the fusible link melted from the heat of a fire, the glass ball would drop and break, dispersing the CTC into the fire area.These CTC extinguishers were a bomb in more than one sense. Carbon tetrachloride displaced oxygen that the fire needed to burn thus extinguishing the flames. The fumes were very toxic when heated or burned. A person in an enclosed area could be asphyxiated or overcome by the toxic fumes, and die. Despite the hazards of CTC, these extinguishers were very popular and were in use from 1912 until 1969, when its sale and use was banned. There are still some of these old extinguishers in dusty, dark confines of basements and store rooms. If you find one of these old extinguishers, don’t touch it. The integrity of the container could be questionable and could release CTC product. Contact your local fire officials for proper disposal of old extinguishers. Remember, please don’t attempt to fight a fire with a CTC extinguisher, you may extinguish more than the fire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_extinguisher
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/01/31/catapulted-bomb-puts-out-fire/
I found this article interesting and helpful, especially the part about how these "bombs" may still be found in some households. Not to sound morbid, but this will be useful information when one has older family members who pass away, and need to clean out their homes. God forbid someone unknowingly handles such an item, the result would be devastating. I think the fire fighters should pass out flyers regarding this issue.
ReplyDeleteI have actually seen one of these devices mounted on a wall in an old military barracks. I wonder if the term “safety first” was on the inventor’s mind when he made a projectile fire extinguisher? I found this whole blog very informative. I learned a lot about how society and science furthered the technology of safety. Thank you.
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