Compositions are disclosed which form tough, durable, rapidly-forming and spreading films on the surface of hydrocarbon liquids comprising in combination a water-soluble fluoroaliphatic surfactant and a water-soluble synthetic imputrescible hydrocarbon-congruous organic fluorine-free surfactant and water. The films formed by these compositions are especially effective in suppressing the vaporization of hydrocarbon liquids into the air and are, therefore, useful for extinguishing liquid hydrocarbon fires.
A very effective composition for inhibiting vapor losses of stored hydrocarbons comprises a mixture of a fluorosurfactant, a silicone surfactant, a polyglycol, and a glycol ether. Indeed, a method for retarding evaporation of volatile hydrocarbons from a body of liquid hydrocarbon material is provided by forming a thin film of these compositions on the surface of the body of liquid hydrocarbons.
A surface-active fluorinated composition characterized by the association therein of from 35% to about 60% of at least one surface-active ampholyte compound of the formula ##EQU1## wherein n is an integer between 1 and 20, a is a number between 2 and 10, R.sub.1 is an atom of hydrogen or an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 6 atoms of carbon, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are alkyl radicals containing from 1 to 3 atoms of carbon, at least one of which is the methyl radical and p and q are integers between 0 and 10; from about 20% to about 40% of at least one surface-active fluorinated non-ionic compound of the formula wherein n and a have the same meaning as above, m is an integer between 1 and 20 and R.sub.4 is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 6 atoms of carbon; and from about 8% to about 40% of at least one amine salt compound of the formula ##EQU2## wherein X is the group CO or SO.sub.2 R.sub.1, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 may be hydrogen atoms, alkyl radicals containing from 1 to 6 atoms of carbon, or the group ##EQU3## in which R.sub.2, R.sub.3, p and q have the values given above.
A foam fire extinguishing agent comprising (1) one or more alkyl acid phosphates and/or one or more salts thereof; (2) one or more amphoteric surface active agents; (3) one or more fluorocarbon-type surface active agents; and (4) an aqueous solution.
Perfluoroalkyl amine oxides of the following formula: ##STR1## where C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 is a straight or branched perfluorinated chain, n is a whole number from 1 to 20, a is a whole number from 2 to 10, p is a whole number from 0 to 10, R.sub.1 is either a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are alkyl radicals having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and the use of the amine oxides as surface active agents particularly in fire extinguishing compositions.
Aqueous solutions containing an aliphatic amine-N-oxide and a member of a special group of fluorinated surfactants (I) can be used with success as foaming agents for extinguishing liquid hydrocabon fires. (I) has the formula ##STR1## in which R.sub.F is a perfluoroalkyl group having from 3 to 16 carbon atoms, R.sub.4 is a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-4 alkyl, cyclohexyl or 2-hydroxyalkyl having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, R.sub.5 is a C.sub.1-4 alkyl radical, a cyclohexyl radical or 2-hydroxyalkyl having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and R.sub.6 is a water-solubilizing radical.
