The most effective of all extinguishers is ammonia water. It is almost instantaneous in its effect, and a small quantity only is required to extinguish any fire. Next in value is carbonic acid gas. This may be thrown from siphons or soda-water tanks. The vessel containing it should be thrown into the fire in such a way as to insure its breaking.
Dry Powder Fire Extinguishers.
| I.— | Alum | 24 parts |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonium sulphate | 52 parts | |
| Ferrous sulphate | 4 parts | |
| II.— | Sodium chloride | 8 parts |
| Sodium bicarbonate | 6 parts | |
| Sodium sulphate | 2 parts | |
| Calcium chloride | 2 parts | |
| Sodium silicate | 2 parts | |
| III.— | Sodium chloride | 6 parts |
| Ammonium chloride | 6 parts | |
| Sodium bicarbonate | 8 parts | |
| IV.— | Ammonium chloride | 10 parts |
| Sodium sulphate | 6 parts | |
| Sodium bicarbonate | 4 parts |
Oil Extinguisher.
Substitute For Fire Grenades.
FIREPROOFING
For Textiles.
Equal parts, by weight, of commercial white copperas, Epsom salt, and sal ammoniac are mingled together and mixed with three times their weight of ammonia alum. This mixture soon changes into a moist pulp or paste, that must be dried by a low heat. When dressing the material, add 1/2 part of this combination to every 1 part of starch.
II.—Good results are also obtained from the following formula: Supersaturate a quantity of superphosphate of lime with ammonia, filter, and decolorize it with animal charcoal. Concentrate the solution and mix with it 5 per cent of gelatinous silica, evaporate the water, dry, and pulverize. For use mix 30 parts of this powder with 35 parts of gum and 35 parts of starch in sufficient water to make of suitable consistency.
III.—As a sample of the Melunay process, introduced in France, the following has been published: Apply to a cotton fabric like flannellet, or other cotton goods, a solution of stannate of soda (or a salt chemically equivalent) of the strength of 5 to 10° Bé., then dry the fabric and saturate it again, this time with a solution of a titanium salt; any soluble titanium salt is suitable. This salt should be so concentrated that each 1,000 parts may contain about 62 parts of titanium oxide. The fabrics are again dried, and the titanium is ultimately fixed by means of a suitable alkaline bath. It is advantageous to employ for this purpose a solution of silicate of soda of about 14° Bé., but a mixed bath, composed of tungstate of soda and ammonium chloride, may be employed. The objects are afterwards washed, dried, and finished as necessary for trade. A variation consists in treating the objects in a mixed bath containing titanium, tungsten, and a suitable solvent.