Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory conduct tests on firefighting foams as part of a Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program initiative to find safer alternatives to the foams currently in use.
Transcript
Spencer Giles: Aqueous film-forming foam is A triple F, which is used for fighting liquid pool fires. So, basically, you apply A triple F to the top of a pool fire; and then once the pool is covered, it suppresses fuel transport to the … from the pool to the flame above, therefore, helping to suppress the fire.
Katherine Hinnant: We tested about 27 commercial products that had some known chemical structures, some unknown chemical structures, and we tested through extinction through fuel transport, through a variety of the tests we do in the lab, which would be effective for fire suppression. We really hope that this can be transferred to the fleet when it’s ready and when it’s available. And to give them a formulation that is PFOA, PFOS, and PFAS free — will have no fluorine in it — eliminate harmful environmental concerns, but also that it will meet MILSPEC regulations to be able to protect people, protect assets … and could be used on shore and off shore.