COMBINED CHIEF AND SECOND

ENGINEER UNLIMITED
VOYAGE FOR 3000 kW
OR MORE

1
 Halon

Halogen based vapourising liquids

 General description
 Halogenated hydrocarbon derived from such as methane
and ethane – good extinguishing agents
 Example:
 Carbon tetrachloride (CTC)
 1.1.1 trichloroethane (methyl chloroform)
 Bromomethane (CB)
 Bromochlorodifluoromethane (BDF / 1211)
 Bromotrifluoromethane (BTM / 1301)
 All are toxic, decomposed when contact with fire –
produced acid gas with chlorine, bromine or fluorine
 Due to this reason, authorities reluctant to accept
 However, BCF & BTM less toxic, accept for marine use

ECSU / MEP / Slide no3

 Halon Numbering System

1st no – number of carbon atoms

2nd no – number of fluorine atoms
3rd no – number of chlorine atoms
4th no – number of bromine atoms
5th no – number of iodine atoms
If only 4 numbers available such as 1301,
meaning?

ECSU / MEP / Slide no4

 Effect of Component Gases

Bromine
Chain breaker
Bad for ozone
1500x worst than fluorine
Fluorine – increase its inertness and
stability
Bromine – increase its fire extinguishing
effectiveness

ECSU / MEP / Slide no5

 Physical Properties

Colourless & odourless gas

Non-corrosive in gas state, highly corrosive
when dissolved in water
Used nitrogen for pressurised (42 bar at
20°C)
Process – disrupts the chain reaction of
combustion - extinguish fires

ECSU / MEP / Slide no6

 Toxicity

 Safest agent - comparing toxicity level

 Concentrations up to:
 7% can breathed 5 minutes without effect
 10% reduced to 1 minute
 Temperature above 510°C – halon will decompose
 Important products – Hydrogen Bromide (HBr) &
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF)
 Small concentrations – cause irritant, give forewarn to
personnel of increasing concentrations
 Considered lesser threat than other products of fire
poisonous smoke - carbon monoxide etc.
ECSU / MEP / Slide no7
 Concentration required

4.25 to 5% by volume

ECSU / MEP / Slide no8

 Advantages
Clean with no residue
Only slightly toxic / irritant
Easy and safe to store
Electrically non-conductive
Good penetration
Suited to automatic release
Low working concentrations – relatively safe for
personnel
Fast action / response / extinguish quickly
Smaller quantity than CO2 needed – enclosed
spaces
Slightly pressurised storage container / keep low
pressure in liquid form
Negative catalyst
ECSU / MEP / Slide no9
 Disadvantages

Toxic gas produced when contact with fire

Expensive
Limited world recharging facilities
Require propellant gas for quick release

ECSU / MEP / Slide no10

 Halon – Rules & Regulation
 Only permitted machinery space, pump rooms or cargo
spaces solely for carriage of vehicles not carrying cargo
 No new installations
 System designed – minimum medium quantity discharged
to space based on liquid phase within 20 seconds
 Means of safely checking pressures
 Volume 0.16 m³/Kg
 Fire resistant release mechanism
 Over pressure device fitted
 Leakage warning alarm
 For locally operated devices the concentration should not
above 7% for 1301 and 5.5% for 1211 at 20°C
 Discharge time for liquid phase < 10 seconds
ECSU / MEP / Slide no11
 Montreal Convention

Following the Montreal protocol, the

usage of Halon was agreed to be:
halved by the year 1995
phased out by the year 2000

ECSU / MEP / Slide no12

 Response / Plan by IMO
 No new installations after July 1992
 Testing of systems banned by January 1992, integrity test on
spaces required
 Requirement for Halon stocks to be recorded
 Existing Halon systems phased out by 2000
 2nd requirement – Halon should only used as fire fighting
medium in space where no other suitable means of
extinguishing the fire to protect personnel and property
 This guideline is valid until January 2000
 Companies required to replace with suitable alternative -
difficulty in restocking Halon as production of Halons is phased
out by industry
 Have suitable alternative method fitted at owners best interest.
 To replace the system at convenience rather than as necessary
 Halon systems still in use as of August 2000
ECSU / MEP / Slide no13
Halon System
 Introduction

 Vapourising fluids
Fluorine, chlorine & bromine - halogens
 Most common – BTM (Halon 1301)
 Alternative to CO2
 Negative catalyst – inhibit combustion
 Extinguish takes milliseconds
 Requires space evacuation
 High rate of dispersal – 10 seconds
 High density, low boiling point, can stored like CO2
 Smaller space required compared to CO2
ECSU / MEP / Slide no15
 Limitation

Not suitable for fires involving metals /

hydrides
Installed in chemical tanker – cargo tank
protection

ECSU / MEP / Slide no16

 Disadvantages

Expensive
Not suitable for deep seated fires
No cooling effect
Recharging facilities
Distribution pipe problems

ECSU / MEP / Slide no17

 Operation

ECSU / MEP / Slide no18

Questions?
ALAM’s Way Forward

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THANK YOU

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