Experimental investigation of the fire extinguishing capability of ferrocene-containing water mist

•The extinguishing and corrosive properies of ferrocene dispersions are studied.•The suppression capability is negatively correlated with the ferrocene particle size.•The suppression efficiency also depends on surfactant used.•The ferrocene dispersions containing triton X-100 do not present a corrosion risk.

This study focuses on the fire-suppression capabilities and corrosive properties of ferrocene dispersions. The motivation behind the present study was to develop a high-performance, phosphorus-free fire suppressant. Aqueous dispersions containing micron-sized ferrocene particles and surfactants were prepared using sonication techniques. In this study, Triton X-100 (TX), Noigen TDS-80 (NT), Tween 60 (T60), and Tween 80 (T80) were used as surfactants. Suppression experiments involving pool fires clearly indicated that aqueous ferrocene dispersions containing TX and micron-sized ferrocene with a d50=16.9 μm exhibit shorter extinguishing times than a conventional wet chemical. Corrosion trials using steel plates immersed in ferrocene dispersions containing TX confirmed that there was no pitting corrosion, implying that ferrocene dispersions containing TX do not present a corrosion risk.