i saad 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 USPAGS 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