Foam fire suppression systems

The wetting and cooling capability of a water and foam mixture is the key characteristic that determines its extinguishing effect, creating a barrier that separates the fuel from the oxidizer and cools the fuel itself.

The efficiency of a foam system depends on the quality of the air bubbles; the smaller, more regular, compact and numerous they are, the larger the heat exchange surface and the higher the extinguishing efficiency.

Foam fire suppression systems are widely used in high-risk environments.

They use mixtures of water and diverse types of foaming agents in varying concentrations, depending on the extinguishing power that the system must provide.

A foam's extinguishing power is determined by its expansion ratio, which indicates the volume of foam generated in cubic meters for every cubic meter of water-foam concentrate extinguishing solution.

For example, if the expansion ratio is 1:20, it means that 1 m3 of water-foam concentrate solution will generate 20 m3 of foam.

Types of foams

Extinguishing foaming agents are distinguished based on their chemical composition and foam characteristics and are regulated by the UNI 1568 standard.

They consist of a solution of water and foaming liquid at a concentration typically ranging from 3% to 6%, plus additives that determine their mechanical and fire resistance properties. They are excellent extinguishers for risk classes A and B.

Protein foams

Low expansion applications, with the characteristic of being stable to heat

Alcohol-resistant film-forming foams

Low expansion applications for alcohol-based substances

Synthetic foams

Medium/high expansion applications

Fluorine-Free Firefighting Foams

Advanced Technology for Sustainable Fire Safety

Fluorine-free firefighting foams represent a major innovation in the field of fire safety, offering an advanced and sustainable solution to extinguish fires without the harmful effects of perfluorinated compounds. This article explores the features, functionality and benefits of these revolutionary foams.

How Fluorine-Free Firefighting Foams Work

These foams follow the same basic principle as traditional foams, forming an isolating layer on the surface of the combustible liquid. This layer prevents flammable vapors from escaping, thus helping to extinguish the fire and prevent reignition.

Key features

• Biodegradability: fluorine-free foams naturally degrade over time, reducing environmental impact and preventing the accumulation of toxic substances in soil and water.
• Fire Efficiency: despite the absence of fluorine, these foams maintain high efficiency in extinguishing a wide range of fires, including those caused by hydrocarbons and polar solvents.
• Heat and Solvent Resistance: they are designed to guarantee optimal resistance to heat and solvents, particularly essential in high-risk environments such as the chemical and petrochemical industry.

Benefits and Applications

• Environmental Safety: They eliminate the risk of environmental persistence and bioaccumulation associated with fluorine foams, contributing to sustainable fire management.
• Regulatory Compliance: They comply with regulatory restrictions on perfluorinated substances, such as those established by the European Commission, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
• Wide Range of Applications: Suitable for a broad spectrum of applications, from chemical and petrochemical industries, to transport and construction structures.

Low expansion foams

They are foams with a low expansion ratio (1:5 - 1:20) and are used when the fuel load is low; for example, inside depots and warehouses, processing areas, loading bays and canopies, etc...

Medium expansion foams

They are foams with a medium expansion ratio (1:20 - 1:200) and are used in vast processing areas, containment basins and large spills of combustible substances.

High expansion foams

They are foams with a high expansion ratio (1:200 - 1:1000) and are used in high-risk class cases, such as LPG and LNG gas deposits, tire or cable tunnels, or large warehouses, where the area must be totally submerged by the foam to ensure the extinction of the fire.

Industrial

Chemical-pharmaceutical industry

• Flammable liquid storage tank basins
• Truck loading and unloading bays

Production areas

• Flammable liquid storage tanks
• Waste storage and processing activities
• Truck loading and unloading bays
• Conveyor belts

Logistics

• Protection of raw material or finished product storage warehouses
• Rubber or tire stores
• Mineral oil deposits

Hangars

• Aircraft hangar protection

Marine

System applications

• Deck bridges
• Ro-ro bridges
• Fuel loading areas
• Helicopter landing pads
• Kitchens
• Category A machine rooms
• Loading pump rooms
• Cisterns
• Other enclosed spaces on board ships

Oil & Gas

System applications

• Fixed roof or floating roof tanks
• Fuel loading areas
• Helicopter landing pads
• Processing areas
• Refineries
• LNG and LPG facilities

Advantages

• High efficiency: foam fire suppression systems can quickly isolate and cool the source of the fire, reducing oxygen supply
• Damage reduction: a foam firefighting system's rapid response and ability to confine the outbreak results in reduced costs and reduced downtime
• Reduced environmental damage: the use of biodegradable foaming agents and the ability to limit toxic vapors and combustion products reduce environmental impact
• Low water consumption: the water/foaming agent mixture reduces water consumption compared to other water-based fire suppression systems
• Suitable for extinguishing hydrocarbons: the special chemical compositions of the foaming agents enable the generation of high-density foams that smother even the most complex fires
• Vapour-proof: the special physical bubble-like conformation of the foams blocks and captures any vapors dispersed into the environment