Question

What is the chemistry behind a fire extinguiser? How does it work and what is the chemical reaction process in detail.

Answer 1

There are many type of fire extinguisher here i will explain about two types of fire extinguisher

Dry chemical extinguisher are tanks which contain foam or dry powder with compressed nitrogen as the propellant. They work by smothering the fire: when we put a layer of powder or foam over the fire, we cut the fuel off from the oxygen and according fire triangle if we put off oxygen or fuel or ignition source we can put off the fire. so the fire goes out.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) extinguishers contain a mixture of liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide (which is nonflammable gas). CO2 is normally a gas at room temperature and pressure. It will be stored under high pressure to make it a liquid. When we release the pressure, the gas expands a lot and cools to make a huge white jet. CO2 affects the fire triangle in two ways: it will cut off the oxygen and, because it's so cold, it also removes heat.