Firefighting Foam

Firefighting foam is a combination of organic components including corrosion inhibitors, foam stabilizers (lauryl alcohol), and solvents (trimethyl-trimethylene glycol and hexylene glycol). Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) is used by firefighters to suppress class B fires, which is said to be the most challenging fire to extinguish. Foam Blanket is formed by an aqueous solution, which spreads all over the surface, causing the separation of fuel from contacting with oxygen. Alcohol resistant foams (AR-F3 and AR-AFFF) produce a polymer blanket to stamp out the class B fires. A large amount of fluid foam is the guarantee of a lasting blanket.

Firefighting foam is comprised of different types, some of them are as follows:

• Alcohol Resistant (AR-AFFFF)
• Class “A” Foam Concentrate
• Protein
• Synthetic – expansion type detergent
• Film Forming Fluoropotein
• Wetting Agent
• Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)

AFFF is a low-expansion foam, that covers a vast area of extremely dangerous fire quickly.

How to Calculate the Firefighting Foam Density?

You need to add all the necessary information to calculate the concentrated foam, that is:

• The surface area should be protected from fire.
• Critical application rate
• Foam concentrate rate that is desired

These measurements may be used to calculate the foam in gallons or liters. The formula required to calculate foam concentrate for a flammable liquid is:

Area X Critical Application Rate (CAR) X Eduction Rate (ER) X 15 = Foam Concentrate Needed.

The use of ordinary aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) has been seriously confined because of the environmental pollution created by the fluorocarbon surfactants, which is the key component of AFFF.

Studies show that the need for environmental-friendly fire fighting foam has been raised.