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Firefighting Foam Continues to Evolve
‘The firefighting foum industry over the past three decades
can be separated into two distinct timeframes. There is the
firefighting foam business prior to May 16, 2000 end the
vdustry in the 12 years since. Dennis Kennedy of the Solberg
‘company explains and concludes with « note of caution
PRIOR TO MAY 16, 2000 the firefighting foam industry had
one through an evolution from protein based foam technology,
toan industry dominated by the use of synthetic aqueous film
forming foams, or AFFPs, AFFF's were seen as highly effective
‘on latnmable and combustible liquids, offered improved b
back resistance for fice fighter safety, and provided for many
additional years of shelf Iie, over foams derived from proteins
Teas these be
industry standard for firefighting inthe oil and gas industry,
aviation, and other high risk markets.
While che synthetic foam industry was supplied by many
quality manufactures, 3M commanded the largest market share
but on May 16, 2000 they announced their withdrawal from the
that allowed the AFFF agents to became the
firefighting foam business. Ths was a voluntary decision by 3M
based on concems that ther surfactant chemistry was determined
tbe environs
ally persistent, bio accumulative, and toxic.
The effect on the remainder ofthe firefighting foam business was
far reaching and immediate, asthe remaining manufacturers
worked to assure their customers that this problem was singular
to 3M. While the synthetic fluorinated form market continues t0
grow, this 12 year old decison, continues to affect
through increased regulatory pressures around the world and the
search for alternative technologies,
he industry
Changes Underway
The key components to synthetic AFFF agents are the fluorinated
surfactants, It is the use ofthese surfactants that allow current
synthetic aqueous film f
burning fuel surface, extinguishing a fre, controlling che release
‘of fuel vapours, while allowing the foam blanket to remain stable
fn a fuel surface for extended fre contol, lading to improved
firefighter safery
The area of firefighting foam fluorinated surfactants is where
the next greatest change in the industry is now underway. The
ing foams to readily spread across a
fluorinated surfactants used in foanns are epically discussed in
terms of their earbon chain length, such a8 C6, or C8,
chemistry. The surfactant industry, in partnership with the USPAGS Lad
Environmental Protection Agency, ha entered into a
Voluntary Programme to reduce the chain length chemistry
ants, reducing the chemical chain length to 6
carbon atoms or les in length, Under this voluntary programme,
sucfactants were to be 95% C-6 or less by the end of 2010,
and 99% C-6 of less by 2015.
‘While cis has positive benefits for addressing the
environmental profile of freighting foams, ic has had a
pronounced negative effect on the firefighting performance
‘of synthetic foams. This change in surfactant chemistry is not
of Buorosu
the same issue that caused the withdrawal by 3M from the
firefighting foam market, namely PFOS and PFOA chemistry
but it isa reasonable assumption that this volustary market in
pare led to the revisions in surfactant chemistry.
As result ofthis change 1o shorter chain lengts fluorine
based surfactants the manufacturers of synthetic AFFF's have
been on a programme to reformulate and retest their synthetic
foam products, and in many cases, resubmic these new formulations
to the third party approval agencies, such as Underwriters
Laboratories, Factory Mutual, and other recognised third pari
The fire protection industry was faced with a similar situation
in the clean agent market, which was once dominated by Halon
1301 systems, After Halon 1301 was identified as contributing
to the reduction in he earth's procectve ozone layer, the
manufacturers of Halon agents and their partners in fre
suppression system manufacturing, worked closely and devoted
considerable time and fands to develop alternatives to Halon
41301. This included attempts a th creation of ‘drop-in’ Halon
replacements. In spite ofthis effert, no drop-in Halon
replacements have truly been developed, and while there is
debate on this sue, none of the Halon alternatives currently in|
the market can achieve the same level of firefighting performance
18 Halon 1301, on a pound-per pound bass,
The firefighting foam industry is now seeing the same
challenge. The new eategory of C6 fuorosurfactants, while
reasonably effective in foam agents and demonstrating an
improved environmental profile, are not drop in surfactant
replacements for the longer chain surfactants. Whether these
nev surfactants are used in traditional AFFF, fuoropratein
foams, or synthetic alcohol resistant foams, when used in these
products atthe same levels a the prior generation surfactants,
ther is a noticeable drop-of in product performance,
Formulation chemists are faced with two options increase the
sw surfactants in their foam agents to provide
sql fire performance but which raises fluorine levels and
product cost, or provide the same level of surfactants as before
and accept lesser performing product. In ether case, reputable
foam agent manufacturers will accep tha their products must be
recertified by the various approval agencies dutin this change,
as performance is cercainly affected,
content ofthe
Be Aware
‘Whether you are involved in the purchase, specification, or use of
traditional fcefghting foams, its necessary that you be aware of
this effect on product performance. In addition to specifying fre
performance in tender documents, the documents should also
feaquire thatthe purchased foam he fully compliant with the US
Environmental Protection Agency Voluntary Product Stewardship
Progsam. Furthermore, the tender should require compliance not
jus to the 2010 requirements, but tothe 2015 requix
Given the shelf feof synthetic foams, why would anyone want
to purchase foam complying with 2010 requirements but not
2015, less than thre years away?
There is another solution, and that isto avoid this peoblem
altogether. There is a new category of firefighting foams entering
the market, which are lorine fre. Through steady improvements
in the chemistry and firefighting capability ofthese new products
ther level of firefighting performance is constantly improving,
ata time when the fluorinated firefighting foams are ether
providing lesser performance, or substantially rising in cost.
These new products are achieving global acceptance, and are
now achieving che same levels of firefighting performance as thee
‘luorinazed counterparts. They have been successfully used on
Tange scale petrochemical fie incidents both on land and at sea
And while achieving improved performance, chey are not
subjected to the same environmental seratiny now in place
Around the world for fluorine containing foams
Firefighting foams that contain fluorinated surfactants are
effective in the control and extinguishing of flammable ligid
fires. However, the addition of fluorine does not grant
superiority asa firefighting agent overall other types of foams,
‘As in many similar cases, there are high quality fluorinated
foams, but chere ate also very low quality poor performing
foams. Thisis the stme situation for fluorine free foams, where
some of these products are quite marginal in performance, while
‘others equal or exceed those ofthe fluorinated variety. The
buyers and users of foam should be wary of any blanket
statements regarding the superiority of fluorinated foams, by
virse ofthe use of one ingredient.
Dennis Kennedy is General Manager f The Solberg Company, USA