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More info
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/swindonnewsheadlines/display.var.1517112.0.white_powder_sparks_chemical_scare.php
it seems that due to the high alert status, what police would normally have dealt with in a sane and sensible manner was instead treated as a major alert.
On finding the powder all over the inside of the shop, they called ( Read more... )
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/swindonnewsheadlines/display.var.1517112.0.white_powder_sparks_chemical_scare.php
it seems that due to the high alert status, what police would normally have dealt with in a sane and sensible manner was instead treated as a major alert.
On finding the powder all over the inside of the shop, they called ( Read more... )
Comments 4
"[The white powder] was identified as bentonite, a clay substance, which was later confirmed to be foam from a fire extinguisher."
Eh, no. Foam, from a foam-based fire extinguisher, would be mostly water and surfactants like glycol, various detergents, and polysaccharides. It would leave stains, and, after drying, some sort of residue, but not powder.
A powder extinguisher may contain bentonite, but all MSDSes I've looked at suggest that the powder contains a few percent of bentonite at most. The bulk is likely to be ammoniumphosphate and -sulfate.
And yes, as you hear about the shop's adventures in cleaning up the mess, think back to my advice to you earlier. :-)
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Amusingly S (co-owner of the shop) is mortified that the local paper used an old photo of her, from last year, before she lost 8 stone.
On Fire extinguishers...my bad, I've been meaning to do it but...
However now I'm slightly confused. CO2 not ideal for an inexperienced person to use. OK I get that.
Foam: easy to use, good results but clean up afterwards not so easy as powder?
In which case I still think foam as if there was a fire clean up would be the least of my worries.
If in other ways they are reasonably equal then the clean up situation becomes more relevant.
All advice welcome.
Then I'll order one immediately.
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As far as ease of use is concerned, you're completely right: CO2 is a lot harder than powder or foam, and foam is maybe a smidge easier than powder.
But when it comes to cleaning up, powder gets everywhere, and is corrosive to boot. Foam leaves a residue of, basically, soap & sugar.
Imagine the following two scenarios:
1. You have a fire in your rubbish bin. You grab your powder extinguisher, aim it at the bin, *fwoosh*, the fire's out. Luckily, you saw it on time, and the fire damage is limited to the contents of the bin, and some soot on the side of your work table. But there's white (or yellowish, or whatever) powder everywhere. You can taste it on your tongue. It's inside your phone. It's inside your card payment machine. It's inside your computer. It's inside your sewing machines. And it's corroding away the delicate electronic connections. The chances of them failing soon is large. liasbluestone's network installation efforts? Going to have to be re-done, those sockets are gone. You find powder in the hallway ( ... )
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OK advice taken and extinguisher ordered. The bit that convinced me...
t's inside your sewing machines
noooooooo!
not my precioussesesess
thank ye kindly for the help
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