N₂ Explosion
It is canister which consists 3 main components: the compound (Sodium Azide), ignition chamber, and a foam and spray region.
Description
Sodium Azide (NaN₃) decomposes violently when heated. When the chemical is heated, NaN₃ breaks down into nitrogen gas and sodium metal. 2 NaN₃ --> 2 Na + 3 N₂ This is similar to the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide with potassium iodide acting as a catalyst. More commonly, this is known as the 'Elephant toothpaste' reaction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezsur0L0L1c The exterior of the canister will be fitted with heat and smoke detectors. These sensors send an electric signal to the canister that contains the Sodium Azide and an electric signal detonates a small amount of an igniter compound. This provides the heat required to initiate the reaction. The Sodium Laureth Sulfate acts as a foaming agent, trapping the nitrogen gas within the foam bubbles. The foam then becomes a fire retardant, at the same time reducing the oxygen content in the vicinity of the fire. Besides that, as the foam particles surround and come into contact with the flame, the particulates absorb the flame heat energy, reducing the heat component of the fire triangle. Nitrogen has a considerably high bond dissociation energy compared to the conventional fire retardant, carbon dioxide. N≡N 945 kJ/mol O–CO 532 kJ/mol Put simply, the breaking of the bonds within nitrogen molecules absorb heat energy. In conclusion, the N2 explosion works by: Isolation of fuel Reduction of heat Reduction of oxygen Inhibiting the chain reaction of the above components Deployment time could be as low as 70 milliseconds, or 0.07 seconds. The spray nozzle could also be optimized to ensure a large area coverage. The small, battery-powered canister can be fitted/mounted onto almost any surface by screws, without disrupting existing infrastructure. Production costs will be minimised because: - Chemicals used are relatively inexpensive - Canister can be made from recycled metal.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond-dissociation_energy https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-air-bags-work/ https://www.sc.edu/ehs/training/Fire/01_triangle.htm Existing components: smoke detector