Fire extinguishing agent and fire extinguishing method using same

{
  "publication_number": "US9776029B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Fire extinguishing agent and fire extinguishing method using same",
  "abstract": "The objective of the present invention is to provide an extinguishing agent which has excellent fire-extinguishing property and which exhibits high safety to the environment and human body. The fire extinguishing agent of the present invention is characterized in comprising a biosurfactant.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method for extinguishing a fire, comprising: applying a fire extinguishing agent to a fire, wherein the fire extinguishing agent comprises a lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof.",
    "2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fire extinguishing agent further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of a glycolipid biosurfactant or its salt; a fatty acid biosurfactant or its salt; and a polymer biosurfactant or its salt.",
    "3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fire extinguishing agent is applied in a form of powder, solution, foam or paste.",
    "4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fire extinguishing agent is applied in a form of a foamed solution.",
    "5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fire extinguishing agent is applied in a form of an aqueous solution.",
    "6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the fire extinguishing agent comprises 0.001 wt % or more and 50 wt % or less of the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof.",
    "7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the fire extinguishing agent comprises 0.01 wt % or more and 10 wt % or less of the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof.",
    "8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the fire extinguishing agent comprises 0.1 wt % or more and 1 wt % or less of the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof.",
    "9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof comprises a surfactin or a salt thereof, and the fire extinguishing agent further comprises a glycolipid biosurfactant or a salt thereof.",
    "10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof is sodium surfactin.",
    "11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the fire extinguishing agent further comprises sodium sophorolipid.",
    "12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fire extinguishing agent further comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of glycerin, palmitic acid, myristic acid, lauryl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, citric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester, an alkyl sulfate ester salt, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether phosphate, a dodecylbenzene sulfonate, an alkyltrimethylammonium salt, an alkyldimethylbetaine, methylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate, succinic acid, gluconic acid, a carbonate, a hydrogencarbonate, L-glutamic acid diacetate, citrate, tartrate, oxalate, malate, gluconate or phytate, pectin, xanthane gum, ethylene glycol, an antifreeze protein, an alkali salt, ammonia, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, methanol, ethanol, and water.",
    "13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof is produced by a bacterium of genus bacillus.",
    "14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lipopeptide or a salt thereof is produced by Bacillus subtilis.",
    "15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof comprises a surfactin or a salt thereof, and the fire extinguishing agent further comprises a glycolipid biosurfactant or a salt thereof.",
    "16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof is sodium surfactin, and the fire extinguishing agent further comprises sodium sophorolipid.",
    "17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof comprises a surfactin or a salt thereof represented by the formula (1): wherein * indicates an optically-active center; X is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of leucine, isoleucine and valine; R is a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 or more and 20 or less carbon atoms; and M is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal or an optionally-substituted ammonium.",
    "18. The method according to claim 17, wherein M is lithium, sodium or potassium.",
    "19. The method according to claim 17, wherein M is sodium.",
    "20. The method according to claim 17, wherein M is beryllium, magnesium or calcium.",
    "21. A method for extinguishing a fire, comprising: applying a fire extinguishing agent to a building fire or a forest fire, wherein the fire extinguishing agent comprises a lipopeptide compound or a salt thereof."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a fire extinguishing agent which contains a biosurfactant, and a method for extinguishing a fire in which the fire extinguishing agent is used.\n\nEven in Japan only, tens of thousands of fires occurs every year. Therefore, a fire is a serious problem for the global environment and human society. When a fire breaks out, it is important to efficiently extinguish the fire in order to minimize damage. As a conventional extinguishing agent, water and an aqueous extinguishing agent have been used. As a general aqueous extinguishing agent, APC extinguishing agent mainly consisting of potassium carbonate aqueous solution is known. Such APC extinguishing agent contains a synthetic surfactant in order to lower the surface tension thereof and improve wetting property and permitting property to a combustible material such as woods, fiber and resin. In addition, adhesive property is improved, since APC extinguishing agent is foamed by a synthetic surfactant. Due to the above properties, fire extinguishing effect, reheat-prevention effect and fire spread-prevention effect are improved, and it is known that APC extinguishing agent can extinguish a fire in a shorter time and in a smaller amount than water alone.\n\nHowever, even for the above-described fire-extinguishing performance, low safety of a conventional extinguish agent for the environment and human body is acknowledged as a problem.\n\nFor example, though APC extinguishing agent is particularly effective in extinguishing a fire caused due to cooking oil having high temperature, the agent shows strong basicity and the pH thereof is 12 to 13.",
  "cpc": [
    "A62D 1/0042",
    "A62D 1/00",
    "A62D 1/0014",
    "A62D 1/0071",
    "C07K 14/785"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A62D 1/00",
    "A62D 1/02",
    "C07K 14/785"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Kaneka Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Masashi Izumida",
    "Satohiro Yanagisawa",
    "Yasuyoshi Ueda"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2012-07-23",
  "publication_date": "2017-10-03",
  "grant_date": "2017-10-03",
  "priority_date": "2011-07-22",
  "application_number": "US-201214234303-A",
  "family_id": "47601088",
  "cited_by_count": 64,
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}