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Foam Agents

What is Firefighting Foam?

Chemical formulations aside, a firefighting foam is simply a stable mass of small, air-filled bubbles with a lower density than oil, gasoline, or water.  The foam is made up of three ingredients...water, a foam concentrate and air.  The water is mixed with the concentrate to foam a foam solution.  This solution is then mixed with air to produce the foam which is very fluid and flows readily over liquid surfaces.

How do Foam Agents Work?

Firefighting foam agents suppress fire by separating the liquid fuel from the air (oxygen).  Depending upon the type of foam agent, this is done in several ways:

  • the foam blankets the fuel surface, smothering the fire              
  • the foam blanket separates the flames from the fuel surface
  • the foam cools the fuel and adjacent heat and ignition sources
  • the foam blanket suppresses the release of flammable vapors that can mix with air.

Types of Foam Agents

"Click" on one of the following to get more inforamtion on a specific type of foam agent

Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF)

Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) are based on combinations of fluorochemical surfactants, hydrocarbon surfactants and solvents.   These agents require a very low energy input to produce a high quality foam.  Consequently, they can be applied through a wide variety of foam delivery systems.  This versatility makes AFFF agents an obvious choice of municipal fire departments, airports, refineries, manufacturing plants and any other operation involving the transportation, processing and handling of flammable liquids and materials.

Alcohol-Resistant AFFF Concentrate

Alcohol-Resistant AFFF Concentrate is based on AFFF concentrates to which a polymer has been added to make them effective on fires involving polar solvents (methanol) as well as hydrocarbon-type fuels (gasoline).  Thus, alcohol-resistant concentrates are the most versatile of the foam agents. 

The alcohol-resistant concentrate forms a polymeric membrane when used on a polar solvent type fuels which prevents destruction of the foam blanket.   When used on hydrocarbon fuels, the alcohol-resistant concentrate produces the same rugged aqueous film as a standard AFFF agent.  The alcohol-resistant concentrate provides fast flame knockdwon and good burnback resistance when used on both types of fuels.

Protein Foams

Protein Foams are recommended for extinguishment of Class B fires involving hydrocarbons.  Typically, these agents are used to protect flammable and combustible liquids where they are stored, transported and processed.

Protein foams are based on hydrolized protein, stabilizers and preservatives.  They produce a highly stabilized mechanical foam with good expansion properties and good re-ignition (burnback) resistance characteristics.

Fluoroprotein Foam Concentrates

Fluoroprotein Foam Concentrates are based on hydrolized protein, stabilizers, preservatives and synthetic fluorocarbon surfactants.  In applications involving hydrocarbon bulk storage and handling - such as refineries and petrochemical operations - these agents offer several advantages over protein foams.

They provide better control and extinguishing ability, greater fluidity and superior resistance to foam contamination.  Fluoroprotein foams are useful for hydrocarbon vapor suppression and extinguishment of fuel-in-depth fires. 

Fluoroprotein foams, along with AFFF and Alcohol-Resistant AFFF, are also recognized as very effective agents for sub-surface application to hydrocarbon fuel storage tanks.

High Expansion Foams

High Expansion Foams are based on combinations of hydrocarbon surfactants and solvents and are used in foam generators - both stationary and portable - for applying foam to large areas in a total flooding or 3-dimensional application such as warehouses, ship cargo holds and mine shafts.

They are especially useful on fuels such as liquefied natural gas (cryogenic fuels) for vapor dispersion and control.  In certain concentrations, high expansion foams are effective extinguishing agents for flammable liquid spill fires of most types in confined areas.

Class A Foams

Class A Foams are typically formulated from a combination of specialty hydrocarbon surfactants, stabilizers, inhibitors, and solvents.  They reduce the surface tension of water for improved wetting and penetrating characteristics and create a clinging foam blanket that suppresses combustible vapors while cooling the fuel.

Class A foams can be applied using a variety of proportioning/discharge devices and have proven effective in fighting forest fires and many deep-seated fires such as tires, paper, coal bunkers, wooden structures, etc.

Foam Fire Suppression Products

Ansul

Some companies provide only foam agents; others provide only hardware.  Ansul manufactures a full line of foam products: foam agents, storage tanks, proportioning equipment, and discharge devices.


All Ansul products are designed, tested, and listed to perform together.  Ansul has the technical experts that make them perform for you...and with worldwide distribution, there's always someone nearby to make sure they keep performing.

Foam Hardware

  • Proportioning Equipment
  • Discharge Devices

Applications

  • Storage Tank Protection
  • Aircraft Hangar Protection
  • Truck Loading Rack Protection
  • Heliport Protection
  • Spill Protection
  • High Expansion Foam Systems

Frequently Asked Questions

A Comparison of Foam Agents to 
Emulsifying/Wetting Agents

Foam/Water Systems

Any type of system—Wet, Dry, Preaction, or Deluge—can be adapted to include the injection of AFFF foam concentrate in order to combat high risks such as flammable fuels and alcohol. The primary components added to the sprinkler system riser include bladder tanks to hold the foam concentrate, concentrate control valves to isolate the sprinkler system from the concentrate until activation, and proportioners (controllers) for mixing the appropriate amount of foam concentrate with the system supply water. A Deluge Foam/Water System is pictured below. Other types of foam/water systems require similar foam equipment.