halon

American  

[hay-lahn] / ˈheɪˌlɑn /

noun

halons plural

1. Chemistry. any of a group of gaseous compounds formed from hydrocarbons whose hydrogen atoms are replaced by bromine and other halogens, once used extensively for extinguishing fires, a use now largely restricted due to their extreme potential for ozone depletion.

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halon British  

/ ˈhælɒn /

noun

1. any of a class of chemical compounds derived from hydrocarbons by replacing one or more hydrogen atoms by bromine atoms and other hydrogen atoms by other halogen atoms (chlorine, fluorine, or iodine). Halons are stable compounds that are used in fire extinguishers, although they may contribute to depletion of the ozone layer

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halon Scientific  

/ hā′lŏn /

1. Any of several compounds consisting of one or two carbon atoms combined with bromine and one or more other halogens. Halons are gases and are used as fire-extinguishing agents. They are between three and ten times more destructive to the ozone layer than CFCs are.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• halons
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

halon halons

"When you have an open system where the casing is not intact, halon can't do its job."

From US News ● Sep. 11, 2015

It has long been accepted by aviation authorities that this level of halon is enough to put out most fires, including a lithium-ion battery fire.

From Washington Times ● May 1, 2015

Triggered by a rise in temperature, fire suppression systems unleash halon until the gas reaches 5 percent of the air in the cargo compartment.

From Washington Times ● May 1, 2015

We put No. 3 to bed with the snap and click of cutoff levers, generator switches and a goodnight spray of the halon bottle.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2010

In case of fire, heat sensors trigger the release of halon gas and suck all of the oxygen from the room in seconds.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn

But the accelerated reduction of chemical emissions, including those of hydrofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons, halons and other ozone destroyers, is expected to reduce UV radiation to 1980 levels by 2040.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 9, 2021

There has been a similar reduction in the halons -- the ozone-hostile chemicals used in fire fighting.

From Time Magazine Archive

The pact would limit the use of an ozone- destroying group of fire-suppressant chemicals called halons, which some scientists believe cause as much as 20 times the damage of CFCs.

From Time Magazine Archive