Research on a noble extinguish material for the underground fire prevention

The three-phase foam consisted of solid, liquid and gas is regarded as a highly effective measure for the underground mine fire prevention. In this study, the three-phase foam technology is introduced and a visualization platform is established to exhibit the foam flow in a physical goaf. The diffusion rule and extinguishing performance for three-phase foam are researched. Test results show that the three-phase foam has a superior heat resistance than expansion foam in the top goaf. The coal heating rate is postponed after the three-phase foam processing and the active functional groups are suppressed effectively. Increasing the foam expansion ratio is adverse to the three-phase foam stability. The field application of three-phase foam was evaluated via the practical extinguishment effect. The marked reduction in the sealed zone temperature and CO concentration proved that the proposed three-phase foam technology was effective on controlling the concealed goaf fire.