Solid polymers useful as fire starters

Abstract

It has been discovered that solid polymers, specifically poly(α-olefin)s, alone or formed together with other combustible materials, such as paper and cardboard, can form a useful composition for starting fires, such as charcoal fires and fireplace fires using only a single match flame and no volatile organic compounds. The solid fire starting compositions are thus easy, safe, and effective to use and safe to store.

We Claim:  
     
         1 . A solid fire starting composition comprising at least one polymer that is solid at room temperature and which can be ignited by a single source flame.  
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer has an absence of halogen atoms, sulfur atoms, and aromatic functionality.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, polydienes, polyanhydrides, polycarbonates, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylcarboxylates, polyacrylonitriles, polyamideimides, polyethyleneimines, polyoxazolines, polyethers, phenol-formaldehyde resins, epoxy resins, melamine resins, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate), and copolymers and physical mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the polymer consists essentially of at least one poly(α-olefin).  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the poly(α-olefin) is a polymer or copolymer of α-olefin monomers having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the poly(α-olefin) is a polymer or copolymer of α-olefin monomers having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1  further comprising a flammable/combustible liquid, where the flammable/combustible liquid is combined with the polymer by absorption, adsorption, entrainment, encapsulation or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is in a form selected from powder, rod, chunk, disk, sheet, particle, granule, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         9 . A solid fire starting composition comprising: 
 at least one polymer that is solid at room temperature which can be ignited by a single source flame; and    at least one combustible forming material.    
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein the polymer has an absence of halogen atoms, sulfur atoms, and aromatic functionality.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, polydienes, polyanhydrides, polycarbonates, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylcarboxylates, polyacrylonitriles, polyamideimides, polyethyleneimines, polyoxazolines, polyethers, phenol-formaldehyde resins, epoxy resins, melamine resins, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate), and copolymers and physical mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the polymer consists essentially of at least one poly(α-olefin).  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the poly((α-olefin) is a polymer or copolymer of α-olefin monomers having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the poly(α-olefin) is a polymer or copolymer of α-olefin monomers having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein the combustible forming material is selected from the group consisting of paper, cellulose, wood, cotton, cardboard, derivatized cellulose, wax, synthetic fibers, natural fibers, wicking material, powdered charcoal, carbon-based powders, and the like and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 9  further comprising a flammable/combustible liquid, where the flammable/combustible liquid is combined with the polymer by absorption, adsorption entrainment, encapsulation or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein the polymer is in a form selected from powder, rod, chunk, disk, sheet, particle, granule, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . A method for starting a fire comprising igniting a solid fire starting composition, where the composition comprises at least one polymer that is solid at room temperature which can be ignited by a single source flame.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein in the composition, the polymer has an absence of halogen atoms, sulfur atoms, and aromatic functionality.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein in the composition, the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, polydienes, polyanhydrides, polycarbonates, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylcarboxylates, polyacrylonitriles, polyamideimides, polyethyleneimines, polyoxazolines, polyethers, phenol-formaldehyde resins, epoxy resins, melamine resins, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate), and copolymers and physical mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  where in the composition, the polymer consists essentially of at least one poly(α-olefin).  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  where in the composition, the poly(α-olefin) is a polymer or copolymer of α-olefin monomers having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  where in the composition, the poly(α-olefin) is a polymer or copolymer of α-olefin monomers having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the composition further comprises a flammable/combustible liquid, where the flammable/combustible liquid is combined with the polymer by absorption, adsorption, entrainment, encapsulation or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18  where in the composition, the polymer is in a form selected from powder, rod, chunk, disk, sheet, particle, granule, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         26 . A method for starting a fire comprising igniting a solid fire starting composition, where the composition comprises: 
 at least one polymer that is solid at room temperature which can be ignited by a single source flame; and    at least one combustible forming material.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  where in the composition, the polymer has an absence of halogen atoms, sulfur atoms, and aromatic functionality.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  where in the composition, the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, polydienes, polyanhydrides, polycarbonates, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylcarboxylates, polyacrylonitriles, polyamideimides, polyethyleneimines, polyoxazolines, polyethers, phenol-formaldehyde resins, epoxy resins, melamine resins, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate), and copolymers and physical mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  where in the composition, the polymer consists essentially of at least one poly(α-olefin).  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  where in the composition, the poly(α-olefin) is a polymer or copolymer of α-olefin monomers having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  where in the composition, the poly(α-olefin) is a polymer or copolymer of linear α-olefin monomers having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26  where in the composition, the combustible forming material is selected from the group consisting of paper, cellulose, wood, cotton, cardboard, derivatized cellulose, wax, synthetic fibers, natural fibers, wicking material, powdered charcoal, carbon-based powders, and the like and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26  where in the composition, the further comprises a flammable/combustible liquid, where the flammable/combustible liquid is combined with the polymer by a mechanism selected from the group consisting of absorption, adsorption, entrainment, encapsulation or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26  where in the composition, the polymer is in a form selected from powder, rod, chunk, disk, sheet, particle, granule, or combinations thereof.