What is the foam that firefighters use?
What is the foam that firefighters use?
aqueous film-forming foam
Firefighters use aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) to help extinguish difficult-to-fight fires, particularly fires that involve petroleum or other flammable liquids ‚ known as Class B fires.
Why is foam used in firefighting?
Firefighting foam is perfectly suited to suppress fire. Some types of foam forms a film above the fuel surface and seals vapours. The use of fire fighting foam concentrate prevents fuel contact with oxygen, resulting in fire suppression. It also has a high cooling effect and will avoid reignition.
How is fire fighting foam calculated?
The formula for calculating the needed foam concentrate at a flammable liquid release is as follows: Area X Critical Application Rate (CAR) X Eduction Rate (ER) X 15 = Foam Concentrate Needed.
Do firefighters still use foam?
California is halting the sale, manufacture, and use of firefighting foam that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as of 2022. Colorado, New Hampshire, New York, and Washington have enacted similar bans; California is the largest US market to do so. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Sept.
What does 3% AFFF mean?
CHEMGUARD C3B 3% AFFF (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam) Concentrate combines fluoro- and hydrocarbon-surfactant technologies to provide superior fire and vapor suppression for Class B hydrocarbon fuel fires. The water content of the foam solution produces a cooling effect for additional fire suppression.
What is FFFP foam?
Just like the FluoroProtein (FP) foam concentrates Film forming Fluoroprotein foams are based on advanced protein foam technology and are ideal for extinguishing and securing flammable hydrocarbon liquid fires.
What is the difference between AFFF and AR AFFF?
Using plain AFFF concentrate as a base material, a high molecular weight polymer is added during the manufacturing process. When AR-AFFF is used on a polar solvent fuel fire, the polar solvent fuel tries to absorb water from the foam blanket.
What is foam not effective on?
Foam is Not Effective on Combustible Metals Combustible metals usually react with water; therefore, foam is not an effective extinguishing agent. Fires involving combustible metals require specialized techniques and extinguishing agents that have been developed to deal with these types of fires.
What are the four elements of foam tetrahedron?
Four elements are necessary to produce a quality foam blanket. These elements include: foam concentrate, • water, • air, and • aeration (mechanical agitation).
What does a foam proportioner do?
National Foam Proportioners utilize the water flowing through them to produce a venturi effect that induces foam concentrate into the water stream. Line Proportioners are venturi devices that introduce foam concentrate into a flowing stream of water at a controlled proportioning rate.
What is AFFF in fire fighting?
Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is highly effective foam intended for fighting high-hazard flammable liquid fires. AFFF products are typically formed by combining hydrocarbon foaming agents with fluorinated surfactants. There are two major classes of firefighting foams: Class A and Class B.
What kind of foam is used for fire fighting?
FOAM CONCENTRA TES Fire-fighting foam is a stable mass of small bubbles of lower density than most flammable liquids and water. Foam is a blanketing and cooling agent that is produced by mixing air into a foam solution that contains water and foam concentrate.
What is the NFPA expansion rate for foam?
EXPANSION RA TES Expansion rate is the ratio of finished foam produced from a volume of foam solution after being expanded from a foam making device. NFPA categorizes foam concentrates into three expan- sion ranges, as follows: 1. LOW EXPANSION – Expansion ratio up to 20:1. Foams designed for flammable liquids.
What is the proportion of foam in water?
CLASS A FOAMS Class A foam concentrates are a mixture of foaming and wetting agents in a non-flammable solvent. These products are generally non-hazardous, non-corrosive and non-flammable. Class A foam is typically used at very low concentra- tions. Proportioning percentages range from 0.1% to 1% by volume of water.