Fire extinguishing compositions

An aqueous surface-active composition having a high spreading velocity on hydrocarbons, comprising an aqueous solution of

• a. from about 5 to 55 percent of a fluorinated amphoteric surface-active compound of formula ##STR20## wherein n is a whole number comprised between 1 and 20;
• a is a number comprised between 2 and 10;
• X is a functional group CO or SO.sub.2 ;
• R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
• R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are alkyl radicals containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms, at least one of these radicals being methyl;
• p and q are numbers comprised between 1 and 10;
• b. from about 5 to 45 percent of a nonionic surfaceactive compound
• C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 -- (CH.sub.2).sub.a -- (Y).sub.b -- (O -- C.sub.2 H.sub.4).sub.m OR.sub.4
• wherein n and a have the same meaning as above;
• Y represents the CO group;
• b is a number equal to 0 or 1;
• m is a whole number comprised between 1 and 20;
• R.sub.4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the case where b is equal to 1;
• and
• c. from about 30 to 60 percent of a cationic aromatic fluorinated surface-active agent of formula ##STR21## in which;
• C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 represents a straight or branched perfluoro chain where n is a whole number between 1 and about 20;
• A is an anion;
• R', R" and R"' are defined as follows:
• 1. R' and R" may be identical or different, and are alkyl radicals containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and wherein R"' is an aryl radical or an arylalkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, or the aromatic derivative of a hydroxyalkyl radical containing between 1 and about 8 carbon atoms;
• 2. R' is an alkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and R" and R"' together constitute a divalent radical linked to the nitrogen atom by two single bonds derived from alkyl, alkenyl or dienic groups containing 4 to 9 atoms and carrying or containing aromatic substituents or radicals;
• 3. R', R" and R"' together constitute the residual part of a tertiary aromatic amine derived from pyridine or pyridine derivatives and containing 5 to 18 carbon atoms.

A fire extinguishing surface-active composition comprising the combination of

• a. from about 5 to 55 percent of a fluorinated amphoteric surface-active compound of formula ##STR23## wherein n is a whole number comprised between 1 and 20;
• a is a number comprised between 2 and 10;
• X is a functional group CO or SO.sub.2 ;
• R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
• R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are alkyl radicals containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms, at least one of these radicals being methyl;
• p and i q are numbers comprised between 1 and 10;
• b. from about 5 to 45 percent of a nonionic surface-active compound
• C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 -- (CH.sub.2).sub.a -- (Y).sub.b -- (O -- C.sub.2 H.sub.4).sub.m OR .sub.4
• wherein n and a have the same meaning as above;
• Y represents the CO group;
• b is a number equal to 0 or 1;
• m is a whole number comprised between 1 and 20;
• R.sub.4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the case where b is equal to 1;
• and
• c. from about 30 to 60 percent of a cationic aromatic fluorinated surface-active agent of formula ##STR24## in which;
• C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 represents a straight or branched perfluoro chain where n is a whole number between 1 and about 20;
• A is an anion;
• R', R" and R"' are defined as follows:
• 1. R' and R" may be identified or different, and are alkyl radicals containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and wherein R"' is an aryl radical or an arylalkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, or the aromatic derivative of a hydroxyalkyl radical containing between 1 and about 8 carbon atoms;
• 2. R' is an alkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and R" and R"' together constitute a divalent radical linked to the nitrogen atom by two single bonds derived from alkyl, alkenyl or dienic groups containing 4 to 9 atoms and carrying or containing aromatic substituents or radicals;
• 3. R', R" and R"' together constitute the residual part of a tertiary aromatic amine derived from pyridine or pyridine derivatives and containing 5 to 18 carbon atoms.

The method of extinguishing fires which comprises subjecting a fire to a composition comprising the combination of

• a. from about 5 to 55 percent of a fluorinated amphoteric surface-active compound of formula ##STR26## wherein n is a whole number comprised between 1 and 20;
• a is a number comprised between 2 and 10;
• X is a functional group CO or or SO.sub.2 ;
• R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
• R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are alkyl radicals containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms, at least one of these radicals being methyl;
• p and q are numbers comprised between 1 and 10;
• b. from about 5 to 45 percent of a nonionic surface-active compound
• C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 -- (CH.sub.2).sub.a -- (Y).sub.b -- (O -- C.sub.2 H.sub.4).sub.m OR.sub.4
• wherein n and a have the same meaning as above;
• Y represents the CO group;
• b is a number equal to 0 or 1;
• m is a whole number comprised between 1 and 20;
• R.sub.4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the case where b is equal to 1;
• and
• c. from about 30 to 60 percent of a cationic aromatic fluorinated surface-active agent of formula ##STR27## in which;
• C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 represents a straight or branched perfluoro chain where n is a whole number between 1 and about 20;
• A is an anion;
• R', R" and R"' are defined as follows:
• 1. R' and R" may be identical or different, and are alkyl radicals containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and wherein R"' is an aryl radical or an arylalkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, or the aromatic derivative of a hydroxyalkyl radical containing between 1 and about 8 carbon atoms;
• 2. R' is an alkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and R" and R"' together constitute a divalent radical linked to the nitrogen atom by two single bonds derived from alkyl, alkenyl or dienic groups containing 4 to 9 atoms and carrying or containing aromatic substituents or radicals;
• 3. R', R" and R"' together constitute the residual part of a tertiary aromatic amine derived from pyridine or pyridine derivatives and containing 5 to 18 carbon atoms.

The method of forming fluorinated films impermeable to hydrocarbon vapors and simultaneously exhibiting a high spreading velocity and high resistance to mechanical stresses comprising applying on a liquid hydrocarbon surface a surface-active composition comprising the combination of three fluorinated surface-active agents;

• a. a fluorinated amphoteric surface-active compound of formula ##STR28## wherein n is a whole number comprised between 1 and 20;
• a is number comprised between 2 and 10;
• X is a functional group CO or SO.sub.2 ;
• R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are alkyl radicals containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms, at least one of these radicals being methyl;
• p and q are numbers comprised between 1 and 10;
• b. a nonionic surface-active compound
• C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 -- (CH.sub.2).sub.a -- (Y).sub.b -- (O -- C.sub.2 H.sub.4).sub.m OR.sub.4
• wherein n and a have the same meaning as above;
• Y represents the CO group;
• b is a number equal to 0 or 1;
• m is a whole number comprised between 1 and 20;
• R.sub.4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the case where b is equal to 1;
• and contains a cationic aromatic fluorinated surface-active agent of formula ##STR29## in which;
• C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 represents a straight or branched perfluoro chain where n is a whole number between 1 and about 20;
• A is an anion;
• R', R" and R"', are defined as follows:
• 1. R' and R" may be identical or different, and are alkyl radicals containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and wherein R"' is an aryl radical or an arylalkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, or the aromatic derivative of a hydroxyalkyl radical containing between 1 and about 8 carbon atoms;
• 2. R' is an alkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and R" and R"' together constitute a divalent radical linked to the nitrogen atom by two single bonds derived from alkyl, alkenyl or dienic groups containing 4 to 9 atoms and carrying or containing aromatic substituents or radical;
• 3. R', R" and R"' together constitute the residual part of a tertiary aromatic amine derived from pyridine or pyridine derivatives and containing 5 to 18 carbon atoms.