Fire extinguishing or retarding material
A foam concentrate or fire fighting composition for extinguishing and/or retarding fires is provided that meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for at least one of AFFF agents, AR-AFFF agents and fluoroprotein (FP) agents. The concentrate is used to form the fire fighting composition when mixed with water. The concentrate or fire fighting composition includes a high molecular weight fluoropolymer and water and may have a fluorine content wherein less than about 0.008% fluorine by weight of the fire fighting composition is provided from any fluorochemical surfactant. Further, the composition may meet the UL162, Class B performance criteria without forming a stable seal on cyclohexane.
1. A fire fighting composition comprising water, a hydrocarbon surfactant and a high molecular weight fluoropolymer having an average molecular weight of at least 3000 g/mol in an amount wherein the composition does not form a stable seal on cyclohexane and meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for AFFF agents.
2. The fire fighting composition of claim 1 , further comprising a fluorochemical surfactant.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition contains less than about 0.008% fluorine by weight provided from any fluorochemical surfactant.
4. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a fluorochemical surfactant in an amount of from 0.001 to 0.008% fluorine by weight of the fire fighting composition.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the fire fighting composition meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for at least two of AFFF agents, AR-AFFF agents and FP agents.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the fire fighting composition meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for AFFF agents, AR-AFFF agents and fluoroprotein (FP) agents.
7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the high molecular weight fluoropolymer has an avenge molecular weight of at least 5000 g/mol.
8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fluoropolymer provides a foam life of at least 30 minutes without fluorochemical surfactants.
9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fire fighting composition has a spreading coefficient (SC) against cyclohexane of from about −4 or more.
10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.0003% or more fluorine by weight of the composition.
11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.045% or less fluorine by weight of the composition.
12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.0003% to about 0.045% fluorine by weight of the composition.
13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the high molecular weight fluoropolymer has an average molecular weight of at least 10,000 g/mol.
14. A fire fighting composition comprising water, a hydrocarbon surfactant and a high molecular weight fluoropolymer having an average molecular weight of at least 3000 g/mol in an amount wherein the composition has a spreading coefficient (SC) against cyclohexane of from −4 to less than +3.5 and does not form a stable seal on cyclohexane and meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for AFFF agents.
15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the composition contains less than about 0.008% fluorine by weight provided from any fluorochemical surfactant.
16. The composition of claim 14 , further comprising a fluorochemical surfactant in an amount of from 0.001 to 0.008% fluorine by weight of the fire fighting composition.
17. The composition of claim 14 , wherein:
the fire fighting composition meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for at least two of AFFF agents, AR-AFFF agents and FP agents.
18. The composition of claim 14 , wherein:
the fire fighting composition meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for AFFF agents, AR-AFFF agents and fluoroprotein (FP) agents.
19. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the high molecular weight fluoropolymer has an average molecular weight of at least 5000 g/mol.
20. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the fluoropolymer provides a foam life of at least 30 minutes without fluorochemical surfactants.
21. The composition of claim 14 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.0003% or more fluorine by weight of the composition.
22. The composition of claim 14 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.045% or less fluorine by weight of the composition.
23. The composition of claim 14 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.0003% to about 0.045% fluorine by weight of the composition.
24. The composition of claim 14 , wherein:
the high molecular weight fluoropolymer has an avenge molecular weight of at least 10,000 g/mol.
25. A fire fighting composition comprising water, a hydrocarbon surfactant and a high molecular weight fluoropolymer having an average molecular weight of at least 3000 g/mol in an amount wherein the composition does not form a stable seal on cyclohexane and meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for AFFF agents, and wherein the composition has no fluorine content provided from any fluorochemical surfactant.
26. The composition of claim 25 , wherein:
the fire fighting composition meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for at least two of AFFF agents, AR-AFFF agents and FP agents.
27. The composition of claim 25 , wherein:
the fire fighting composition meets UL162, Class B performance criteria for AFFF agents, AR-AFFF agents and fluoroprotein (FP) agents.
28. The composition of claim 25 , wherein the high molecular weight fluoropolymer has an average molecular weight of at least 5000 g/mol.
29. The composition of claim 25 , wherein the fluoropolymer provides a foam life of at least 30 minutes.
30. The composition of claim 25 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.0003% or more fluorine by weight of the composition.
31. The composition of claim 25 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.045% or less fluorine by weight of the composition.
32. The composition of claim 25 , wherein:
the fluoropolymer provides the composition with from about 0.0003% to about 0.045% fluorine by weight of the composition.
33. The composition of claim 25 , wherein:
the high molecular weight fluoropolymer has an avenge molecular weight of at least 10,000 g/mol.