Fire-fighting foam concentrate
A method of fighting a fire, the method includes aerating a firefighting foam composition to form an aerated firefighting foam; administering the aerated firefighting foam to a fire or applying the aerated firefighting foam to a surface of a volatile flammable liquid; wherein the firefighting foam composition includes a surfactant component comprising an anionic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, optionally a nonionic surfactant, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; an aliphatic alcohol-based component comprising at least two compounds selected from C 8 -C 14 -aliphatic alcohols and ethoxylates of C 10 -C 14 -aliphatic alcohols having an average of no more than about 6 ethylene oxide units; and at least about 30 wt. % water.
1 . A firefighting foam composition comprising:
a surfactant component comprising an anionic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;
an aliphatic alcohol-based component comprising an ethoxylate of a C 10 -C 14 -aliphatic alcohol having an average of no more than about 6 ethylene oxide units or a mixture of an C 8 -C 14 -aliphatic alcohol and an ethoxylate of C 10 -C 14 -aliphatic alcohols having an average of no more than about 6 ethylene oxide units;
a sugar component;
a suspension agent comprising microfibrillated cellulose; and
at least about 30 wt. % water.
2 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 comprising:
about 2 to 50 wt. % of the surfactant component;
about 0.1 to 10 wt. % of the aliphatic alcohol-based component; and
at least about 50 wt. % water; and
further comprising about 1 to 30 wt. % of a water-miscible organic solvent.
3 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 further comprising a polysaccharide thickener and a water-miscible organic solvent.
4 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 further comprising a reducing agent.
5 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 3 comprising:
about 0.1 to 5 wt. % of the polysaccharide thickener;
about 5 to 50 wt. % of the surfactant;
about 0.1 to 5 wt. % of the aliphatic alcohol-based component;
about 12-15 wt. % of the sugar component;
about 1 to 30 wt. % of a water-miscible organic solvent; and
at least about 50 wt. % water.
6 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 , wherein the aliphatic alcohol-based component comprises an ethoxylate of a linear C 12 -C 14 -aliphatic alcohol having an average of no more than about 6 ethylene oxide units.
7 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 , wherein the aliphatic alcohol-based component comprises a lauryl alcohol ethoxylate or a myristyl alcohol ethoxylate having an average of no more than about 5 ethylene oxide units.
8 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant component comprises an alkyl sulfate salt, an alkyl ether sulfate salt, an alkyl sulfonate salt, or a mixture of any two or more thereof.
9 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant component comprises octyl sulfate salt, decyl sulfate salt, lauryl sulfate salt, or a mixture of any two or more thereof.
10 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 comprising about 1 to 30 wt. % of anionic surfactant.
11 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant component comprises an alkyl polyglycoside nonionic surfactant.
12 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 11 , wherein the alkyl polyglycoside comprises an alkyl polyglucoside.
13 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 2 , wherein the water-miscible organic solvent comprises diethylene glycol n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether, hexylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol monopropyl ether, propylene glycol, glycerol, or a mixture of two or more thereof.
14 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 further comprising an agent that is a biocide, a corrosion inhibitor, or a mixture of any two or more thereof.
15 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 3 , wherein the polysaccharide thickener comprises agar, sodium alginate, carrageenan, gum arabic, gum guaicum, neem gum, Pistacia lentiscus , gum chatti, caranna, galactomannan, gum tragacanth, karaya gum, guar gum, welan gum, rhamsam gum, locust bean gum, beta-glucan, cellulose, methylcellulose, chicle gum, kino gum, dammar gum, glucomannan, mastic gum, spruce gum, tara gum, gellan gum, xanthan gum, succinoglycan, acacia gum, cassia gum, diutan gum, fenugreek gum, ghatti gum, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, karaya gum, konjac gum, pectin, propylene glycol alginate, or a mixture of any two or more thereof.
16 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 3 , wherein the polysaccharide thickener comprises xanthan gum, diutan gum, rhamsan gum, welan gum, gellan gum, succinoglycan, guar gum, konjac gum, tara gum, methylcellulose, or a mixture of any two or more thereof.
17 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 , wherein the aliphatic alcohol-based component comprises an ethoxylate of a linear C 12 -C 14 -aliphatic alcohol having an average of no more than about 4 ethylene oxide units.
18 . The firefighting foam composition of claim 1 , wherein the sugar component comprises fructose, glucose, or a mixture thereof.
19 . The firefighting foam concentrate of claim 1 , wherein the microfibrillated cellulose is derived from fibrillation of cellulose fibers.