-
®
The new technologyfor fighting fires
FireAde 2000Hydrocarbonsuspension technology
Frost resistant down to –32° C
Non-corrosive
Non-toxic
Biodegradable
Extreme heatdissipating capabilities
Fire class A/B
Fire class D/F
Stable foam, free of fluorine
Eliminates flammable liquids
Heavy consistency foamwith hollow spray head
Much less consumption of waterand extinguishing agent
Submission of thefree radicals
Less smoke,improved visibility
Increased safetyfor fire fighters
-
2
O V E R V I E WFireAde 2000 is based on high-tech chemistry
withproperties that are uniquely suitable for fighting
andpreventing fires. FireAde 2000 was developed byUS scientists and
patented as a superior alternativeto conventional, foam-based
extinguishing agents.FireAde 2000 is a development by one of the
pio-neers in the field of fire fighting, Mr Ron Thames,who
previously became famous during the fires ofKuwaiti and the Gulf
fires.Among other applications, FireAde 2000 is beingused by
American aircraft carriers and refineries inthe Near and Middle
East and has now also beenapproved in Europe. It provides a new
technologythat offers increased safety for the fire-fightingcrews,
while at the same time permanently extin-guishing the fire at
various levels with a previouslyunknown degree of efficiency. In
the fire classes A, B and F, FireAde 2000 can alsobe used in
sections of fire class D (alkaline earthmetals) and does not have
the disadvantages ofconventional foam extinguishing agents,
whichalso include poisonous fluorine compounds. FireAde 2000 is
biodegradable, non-corrosive andfacilitates the immediate
dissipation of heat fromthe burning material by combining a number
of
different operating mechanisms with previouslyunknown
efficiency. The new technology for separa-ting the hydrocarbon
molecules on a molecular basisneutralises flammable liquids; even
explosive liquidsare extinguished immediately after wetting which
inturn largely prevents the reignition effect. An addi-tional,
stable foam film that floats on a membranealso reliably separates
the oxygen from the burningmaterial and the flammable vapours.
®
The agent for all types of applications: FireAde 2000
Fire Services Plus: “Here at FireService Plus we are committedto
saving human lives and protec-ting our environment by develo-ping
and producing an environ-mentally compatible extingui-shing
agent.
Fire Services Plus is one of the world’s fastest
growingproducers of fire-extinguishing agents and has 30years of
experience in research and development thathas made a success of an
innovative and environmen-tally compatible technology. Our FireAde
2000 pro-ducts set new standards. We do not fight fires -
weextinguish them.The registered address of Fire Service Plus is
inFayetteville, Georgia, USA. Fire Service Plus employs
aprofessional team with decades of experience in thesale of
extinguishing agents to governments, localauthorities and industry.
Our business is knownworldwide for its high degree of integrity in
the pro-duction of FireAde products.Our FireAde products have set a
standard; they aresuitable for a wide range of applications, are
nothazardous or toxic and are biodegradable. Thesecharacteristics
render FireAde 2000 very effective anduniversally useful. FireAde
products are used in manycountries for military, industrial and
fire-fighting ap-plications.
We have combined various technologies that werenot previously
compatible in the history of extinguis-hing foams, i.e. Class A
extinguishing agents, Class Bextinguishing agents and wetting
agents. This revolu-tionary breakthrough is possible with FireAde
2000. Class A extinguishing agents are exactly what theyprofess to
be: extinguishing agents only for Class Afires. The extinguishing
agent industry only recogni-ses wetting agents as non-foaming
agents. Theseproducts work on a different chemical basis from
theAFFF media (aqueous film foaming foams). Wettingagents are thus
typically used for Class A fires andrarely for flammable liquids,
due to the missing foamcomponent. Foam and AFFF products are
generally considered tobe standard agents and serve as the
“extinguishingfoam” for fire-fighting purposes. AFFF products
coverthe fire to be extinguished with a film that generatesa
membrane, which in turn suppresses toxic vapoursand the fire
itself. AFFF products are normally onlyused for fires in class B.
Their combination has resulted in the unique charac-teristics of
FireAde 2000. Fire Service Plus has combi-ned the “wetting agent
technology” with the “AFFF”technology. This has resulted in the
first multidimen-sional extinguishing agent in classes A and
B.FireAde 2000 reliably extinguishes almost any kind offire.”
The new extinguishing agent in fire fighting – a profile ofthe
pioneer Ron Thames and his company, Fire Services Plus
-
3
Accreditations and approvals� US Defence Ministry � UL
accreditation� MPA Dresden (European accreditation)� Hygiene
Institute for the Ruhr region
At an admixing rate of 1%, 3% and 6%, FireAde2000 was approved
for applications in fire classesA and B, both according to the
United States andthe Canadian standards of the UL
certificationorganisation.
FireAde 2000 is available in two variants:� FireAde 2000 Fire
Fighting Agent
frost resistant down to – 4 Grad Celsius� FireAde 2000 Climate
Control
frost resistant down to – 32 Grad Celsius. The results confirm
that FireAde 2000 correspondsto the current requirements of the UL
162 standardsfor foam extinguishing agents, as well as the NFPA18
standards for wetting agents.
®
The new technology for fighting fires, toxic vapours and
contamination
Note: Fire Services Plus Inc. does not in any way advocate
theimproper disposal of neutralised, spilled fuels. Guidelines
forappropriate disposal are available from your local council or
fromthe relevant government authorities.
FireAde 2000 does not require any special equip-ment and can be
used by the fire brigade togetherwith standard equipment such as a
hollow sprayhead, a heavy- and medium-consistency foam pipeand
existing mixing systems. Due to its low viscosity (dry matter <
5%), FireAde2000 also immediately mixes with the extinguishingwater
and remains mixed. There is no risk of extin-guishing systems
becoming blocked or not perma-nently achieving the desired
concentration. Valvesand pumps also do not have to be maintained
afteruse, as the product is non-corrosive, just flush withfresh
water. Traditional fire-fighting methods disperse heat byconverting
water into water vapour or by removingoxygen from the fire as one
of the elements ofthe fire tetrahedron, as well as by
temporarilycovering toxic vapours with a foam film (foamfor fire
class B).The molecular structure of FireAde 2000, on theother hand,
forms the basis for a new fire-fightingmethod, which simultaneously
acts on heat, fuel,oxygen and free radicals as parameters of the
firetetrahedron model. It is therefore the ideal mediumfor fighting
fires and neutralising easily flammableliquids.
-
4
The agent for all types of applications: FireAde 2000
A P P L I C A T I O N SFire fighting
®
®
A basic chemical knowledge of fire is a preconditionfor
understanding how a fire-fighting agent acts onthe fire. From an
historical point of view, the chemistry of fireis based on the
model of the fire tetrahedron. A fourth factor, the so-called free
radicals, were iden-tified at the beginning of the 1980s. It is
since then
known that fire chemistry is based on the extendedfire
tetrahedron model, which consists of the para-meters of oxygen,
fuel, heat and free radicals. Lately, the free radicals have been
given increasedsignificance. All four factors of the fire
tetrahedronmust be present for a fire to spread.
The chemistry of fire
Applications in fire class A � Wood � Coal � Paper � Coconut �
Cotton� Fibre glass � Hay / Straw / Crops � Rubber tyres
Applications in fire class B � Isopropyl alcohol � Ethanol �
E-85 � Methanol[polar] � Methylethylketon � Methyl tertiary butyl
ether
Applications in fire class B � Petrol � Diesel � Jet A
(kerosene) � military fuels /JP5 / JP8 � Crude oils
[non-polar]
Applications in parts of � Alkaline earth metals such as
magnesium, titanium,fire class D aluminium, etc.
-
5
The absorption of spilled liquidsFlammable hydrocarbon liquids
are neutralised byusing a 3% admixing rate. This opens up the
following fields of application:� Neutralisation of spilled fuel�
Neutralisation of spilled liquids in refineries, in
the chemical and industrial areas� Neutralisation of fuels in
drainage pits
One of the most significant advantages ofFireAde 2000 over
conventional foam is thatthe fuel remains neutralised during the
cleaningphase and the subsequent disposal of thehazardous
substances.
F I R E - F I G H T I N GM E T H O D SA fire is extinguished by
removing one of the factorsof the expanded fire tetrahedron model.
There arebasic differences between the fire-extinguishingmethods
using wetting agents (NFPA 18), foamin fire classes A and B (NFPA P
1150 or NFPA P 11)and the fire-fighting method using separation,
forexample the chemical medium FireAde 2000 (newNFPA project).
These basic differences are explainedbelow:
Wetting agentThe method of fighting fires with the aid of
wettingagents is based on one main operating principle:1. Reducing
the surface tensionThe surface tension of the water is reduced from
72dyn/cm2 to less than 22 to 26 dyn/cm2. This reduced surface
tension has several decisiveadvantages over normal water during
fire fighting.By reducing the surface tension, the size of
theindividual water droplets is reduced. The heat of
a fire is reduced by the fact that the energy is mainlyabsorbed
by changing the state from liquid to gas.Small water droplets
result in a larger surface arearelative to the volume, which means
that the firecomes into contact with a larger water surface,
thusincreasing the conversion of water into watervapour.In
addition, the water is distributed more rapidly asa result of the
reduced surface tension, so that itcan penetrate deeper into the
pores and theburning material.
The new technology for fighting fires, toxic vapours and
contamination
Normal water: The diagram illustrates how the expansioncapacity
of the water is limited by its high surface tension(72 dyn/cm_),
with bridges being formed via the pores, whichin turn prevents
water penetration.
Wetting agent: The diagram shows how the surface tensionis
reduced by the wetting agent, so that a larger surface iscovered
and the water can penetrate the pores of thethermal loads.
Note: Wetting agents cannot form foam films or separate
HydroCarbon molecules.
®
-
6
Foams in fire classes A and BThe foam method of fighting a fire
is based on twooperating principles:1. Reducing the surface
tensionAs is the case with the wetting agents, foam alsoreduces the
surface tension of the water. Thischaracteristic supports the
formation of bubbles andthe expansion of the foam film over the
surface ofthe thermal load.
2. The formation and maintenance of a foam film The distinctive
difference with wetting agents lies inthe fact that foam is able to
form bubbles that lastlonger (i.e. formation of a foam film over
thethermal load). This isolates the thermal load fromoxygen,
cutting off the supply of oxygen requiredfor the fire to burn.The
covering capacity of the foams in fire classes Aand B isolates the
thermal load, which subsequentlyemits heat at a slower rate.
The agent for all types of applications: FireAde 2000®
The technically mature alternative
The method of fighting fires by separation is basedon five basic
operating principles:1 Reducing the surface tension of the water2
Rapid heat reduction3 Interrupting the chain reaction
of the free radicals4 Formation of a foam film5 Neutralisation
of the Hydro Carbon molecules
On 1) Reducing the surface tension of the waterAs is the case
with the wetting agent, the surfacetension of the water is reduced
from 72 dyn/cm2
to less than 22 to 26 dyn/cm2, depending on thewater used.
During fire fighting, this effect has thesame advantages as the use
of a wetting agent incomparison with ordinary water.By reducing the
surface tension, the size of theindividual water droplets is
reduced. A smaller waterdroplet size means a larger surface area
relative tothe volume. Heat dissipation is achieved by allowingthe
fire to come into contact with the water surfaceand removing energy
by changing the state fromliquid to gas. A larger surface area in
proportion to the volumeenables greater contact with the fire so
that thermalenergy is more rapidly absorbed even if the watervolume
remains constant. FireAde 2000 chemicallyreacts with the water,
causing normal water tobecome up to 15 times “softer“, with the
individualdroplets becoming significantly smaller. The
surfacetension is significantly reduced.In addition, the water can
be distributed morerapidly due to the reduced surface tension, so
that agreater surface is dampened and the water canpenetrate more
deeply into the burning material.
On 2) Rapid heat reductionFire Ade 2000 improves the way in
which the heat ischannelled into the water droplets, thus resulting
in
a significantly higher evaporation rate. In addition,existing
Hydro Carbon molecules are attracted tothis FireAde 2000 / water
compound by its electricalcharge. These characteristics of the
FireAde 2000 /water mixture result in the mixture being
almostentirely converted into water vapour which producesa very
great cooling effect. These water vapourmolecules combine with the
adjoining watermolecules and the water vapour condenses backinto
water. This cyclical change in the state withinthe water droplet,
i.e. between evaporation andcondensation, absorbs a great deal of
heat energy,thus rapidly reducing the heat while at the sametime
creating little water vapour.In addition to the reduced surface
tension, and thusto the increase in the surface/volume ratio,
the
FireAde 2000 – fighting fireswith suspension technology
According to US norm NFPA 18
FireAde 2000 fulfils all the NFPA 18 directives fortests for
class A and class B fires.
Practical testsA simple test demonstrates how FireAde
2000improves the wetting and penetration capacity ofwater. 10 cm3
water are applied to blotting paper in afixed position. The surface
tension causes it toform a pool of approximately 50 mm2. When a 3%
mixture of water and FireAde 2000 isused and 10 cm3 water are
applied in the same way,the surface tension of the water is reduced
to suchan extent that the dampened surface immediatelyexpands to
more than 600 mm2 as the smallerdroplet size causes the mixture to
penetrate thepaper instead of forming a pool.
Surface tension test
-
7
covalent ends of the FireAde 2000 molecules projectfrom the
water droplets. The all-round channellingof heat into the droplets
prevents the droplets from”shooting off“ as a result of
asymmetrical watervapour formation when they are heated from
oneside only.The droplets of the FireAde 2000/water mixturelook
like pin-cushions with projecting pins. As thesedroplets come
closer to a fire, the FireAde 2000molecule acts as a heat conductor
that channels theheat to the inside of the droplet.FireAde 2000 was
developed in such a way that notonly the outer surface of the water
droplets but alsotheir inner volume is effectively used. The
followingcould be proven, both during experimental studiesand
during design calculations:
� FireAde 2000 allows for the absorption of aboutten times as
much energy as ordinary water.
� Heat reduction using FireAde 2000 is moreefficient than using
of foam, which isolatesthe thermal load.
Unlike the foam in fire class B, which isolates thethermal load,
FireAde 2000 rapidly reduces thetemperature of the thermal load (as
well as of theadjoining infrastructure) to below the
self-ignitiontemperature. A very short extinguishing time
isachieved in combination with the foam film. The rapid heat
reduction of FireAde 2000, togetherwith its separation effect,
considerably reducesspontaneous reignition, as the vapours are
separa-ted, while simultaneously rapidly reducing thetemperatures
to below the self-ignition temperature. When simulating ”flash
over“, the fire fightersusually crouch down in the vicinity of the
simulator.Burns may occur as a result of the considerableformation
of water vapour. When simulating "flashover" situations, the use of
FireAde 2000 leads to alow risk of burns as a result of its rapid
cooling andminimal water vapour formation effect.
The new technology for fighting fires, toxic vapours and
contamination®
Method in comparison to AFFF foamThis test shows the marked
difference in thecooling efficiency between FireAde 2000
andtraditional foam.The test objects were two steel plates with a
thick-ness of 2 cm and an edge length of 15 cm. Bothplates were
continuously exposed to a extinguishingstream. The initial
temperature was over 600degrees centigrade. The test period
amounted to60 seconds of cooling. Immediately after thisperiod, the
plate cooled with FireAde 2000 hada temperature that prevented
reignition.Foam cooled the plate far more slowly and asignificantly
greater amount of cooling liquidwas required.
Temperature reduction
100° C
500° C
200° C300° C
0° C
400° C
600° C
0 10 6050403020
seconds
AFFF foam
FireAde 2000
FireAde 2000 allows for the absorption of about ten times as
much heat energy as ordinary water.
-
8
On 3) Interrupting the chain reactionof the free radicals
Free radicals are uncharged molecular componentswith high
reactivity. They collide with fuel sources inClass A or B at high
speed. This causes heat andeven more free radicals to be released,
triggering achain reaction which in turn accelerates thecombustion
process. Due to its high molecular mass,FireAde 2000 inhibits the
radical chain reaction by
absorbing the energy of the free radicals releasedduring these
collisions and channelling it into thewater. As the energy of the
combustion system decreasesas a result of the absorption of the
high energyfrom the free radicals, the fire is extinguished.When
the free radicals collide, soot and smoke areformed. In fact, soot
is the third purest form ofcarbon.
The agent for all types of applications: FireAde 2000®
For the fire-fighting crew, good visibility has a major safety
advantage, resulting in a lower risk to human lifeand property.
The diagrams show that smoke development is significantly
suppressed immediately after using FireAde 2000,even more strongly
in the case of flammable liquids than for Class A fires, where
smoke development wasreduced by almost half. In the case of petrol
and diesel fires, the application of FireAde 2000 as a 3%
additivealmost entirely eliminated the reduction in visibility
caused by smoke after about 30 seconds.
FireAde 2000 not only accelerates the improvement in visibility
but also combats the formation of toxicsubstances often found in
dense smoke.
Smoke reduction when using FireAde 2000
Biochemical and chemical oxygen consumption (BOD and COD)
100%
80%
60%
20%
40%
0%
99%
1%
Smoke reduction(Petrol and Diesel fire)
before after
100%
80%
60%
20%
40%
0%
52%
94%
Smoke reduction(Class A fire)
before after
mg/l300
050
100150200250
297
93
CODBOD
17
FireAde 2000in comparisonto AFFF foam –the difference
is obvious.
3% AFFF foam 3% FireAde 2000
Oxygen consumption is astandardised measure for deter-mining the
degree of contaminationof water reserves, especially in thecase of
polluted waste water orindustrial waste.
Chemical oxygen consumptionrefers to the amount of oxygen,in
particles per million (ppm),that can be measured during
theoxidation of organic material inthe waste water.
FireAde 2000 is fully biologicallydegradable and the results
shownin the diagram show that FireAde2000 is far less harmful to
theenvironment than traditional foam.
-
9
FireAde 2000 interrupts the chain reaction of thefree radicals
by strongly reducing the collision withnew thermal loads. The
prevention of radical reactions by reducing thesmoke was determined
before, during and after theapplication of FireAde 2000.
On 4) Formation of a foam filmMoreover, FireAde 2000 is designed
to build a heavyor medium consistency foam. In case of heavy
con-sistency foam one can choose between a hollowspray pipe or a
heavy foam pipe. The crews can actmore flexible with the hollow
spray pipe. FireAde2000 develops a very stable and dense foam
blanketwhich does not exceed 3 cm in height in case of
heavy consistency foam.The foam blanket is floating on a thick
membrane,which also separates the oxygene from the burningmaterial
and combustible vapours
On 5) Separation of the Hydro Carbon moleculesAs soon as the
FireAde 2000 / water mixture comesinto contact with hydrocarbon
molecules, a newchemical reaction takes place. This provides
theHydro Carbon molecular groups on the surface witha negative
charge, causing them to repel each other.At the same time, they
attract the positively chargedwater, so that they are separated
from each otherbut surrounded by water, which they retain.
The new technology for fighting fires, toxic vapours and
contamination®
By admixing of 3% of FireAde 2000 heat is instantly being
dissipated and the surface of combustible liquids is being
separated bythe FireAde 2000 molecules. After the dissipation of
heat and the separation of the Hydro Carbon molecules a thick
membrane anda tight structure (no large bubbles) foam blanket is
built.
-
10
As is shown in the diagram on the right, thechemistry of FireAde
2000, by changing theelectrical charge, ensures that the Hydro
Carbonmolecular groups repel each other and thus separateand
attract the surrounding water, not allowing anyflammable Hydro
Carbon vapours to be formed.This new approach to the molecular
separationof the fuel has numerous advantages for the fire-fighting
crews. The FireAde 2000 chemistry separa-tes the fuel in a liquid
state and binds it with water,thus resulting in the liquids no
longer beingflammable and explosive.
The agent for all types of applications: FireAde 2000®
Groups of Hydro Carbon molecules separated by FireAde 2000
Five litres of burning cooking oil: even self-combustible edible
fats and thermic oilsare reliably extinguished by a ten percent
admixture of FireAde 2000.
-
11
The new technology for fighting fires, toxic vapours and
contamination
Brushwood fire FireAde 2000 AFFF foam
Admixing rate 0.25 % 1.0 %
Water consumption 860 litres 8.140 litres
Product consumption 3.7 litrs 83 litres
Manpower and Two-man crew Four-man crewhardware 1 tanker vehicle
2 tanker vehicles
1 water storagetanker
Total time spent at site 28 minutes 4.5 hours
Transformer fire FireAde 2000 AFFF foam
Total time spent at site < 40 minutes 12.5 hours
Total consumption of 38 litres 470 litresextinguishing agent
Actual time until fire 1 minute, 28 minutesis extinguished 24
seconds
Labour costs $ 250 for a $ 5,200 for atwo-man crew four-man
crew
®
Transformer fireA major American energy generator carried
outtests on transformers with a cooling liquidvolume of 40,000
litres of hydraulic oil. Thesetests compared the extinguishing
effect ofFireAde 2000 and AFFF foam.The heat emanating from the
fire was so intensethat five crews had problems applying a foamfilm
before it evaporated. During the AFFF foamtest, five groups had to
spray foam continuouslyat the site of the fire for a period of more
than12 hours before the fire had been completelyextinguished.After
applying FireAde 2000 for only 30 minutes,the heat sensors showed a
temperature drop of426 degrees and the crew could be withdrawnafter
only 40 minutes. In both cases, the original explosion
completelydestroyed the transformers.
Brushwod fireThese tests were carried out by fully
qualifiedmembers of a voluntary fire brigade in the USA.
Approximately 4 hectares of dry brushwood wereset alight under
controlled conditions to obtain acomparison between FireAde 2000
and AFFFfoam.
Applications of FireAde 2000
Practical fire-extinguishing tests with FireAde 2000A large
number of tests were carried out with numerous fires. Two examples
are given below:
-
12
The agent for all types of applications: FireAde 2000
E U R O P A
Fire Services GmbHHallplatz 15D-90402 Nuremberg
Telefon: +49 (0) 911-234299-0Telefax: +49 (0)
911-234299-55Website: www.fireservices.deE-Mail:
[email protected]
U S AFire Services Plus Inc. 180 Etowah TraceFayetteville,
Georgia 30214, USA
THE CONTENT OF THIS BROCHURE DOES NOT PRO-VIDE THE READER OR
BUYER WITH ANY WARRANTYOR CONSTITUTE ANY ACCEPTANCE OF LEGAL
LIABI-LITY, INCLUDING - BUT NOT RESTRICTED - TO AWARRANTY
CONCERNING THE MARKETABILITY ORTHE SUITABILITY OF THE PRODUCT FOR A
SPECIFICAPPLICATION.
The specifications and information provided on themechanical and
physical characteristics or chemicalanalyses refer only to the
chemical analysis of samplestaken from substances at specific sites
when manu-facturing the products, in accordance with the
regu-lations governing sampling. Documentation aboutthe exact sales
and delivery conditions is availablefrom Fire Services GmbH.
®
/ColorImageDict > /JPEG2000ColorACSImageDict >
/JPEG2000ColorImageDict > /AntiAliasGrayImages false
/DownsampleGrayImages true /GrayImageDownsampleType /Bicubic
/GrayImageResolution 300 /GrayImageDepth -1
/GrayImageDownsampleThreshold 1.33000 /EncodeGrayImages true
/GrayImageFilter /DCTEncode /AutoFilterGrayImages true
/GrayImageAutoFilterStrategy /JPEG /GrayACSImageDict >
/GrayImageDict > /JPEG2000GrayACSImageDict >
/JPEG2000GrayImageDict > /AntiAliasMonoImages false
/DownsampleMonoImages true /MonoImageDownsampleType /Bicubic
/MonoImageResolution 1200 /MonoImageDepth -1
/MonoImageDownsampleThreshold 1.50000 /EncodeMonoImages true
/MonoImageFilter /CCITTFaxEncode /MonoImageDict >
/AllowPSXObjects false /PDFX1aCheck false /PDFX3Check false
/PDFXCompliantPDFOnly true /PDFXNoTrimBoxError true
/PDFXTrimBoxToMediaBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ]
/PDFXSetBleedBoxToMediaBox true /PDFXBleedBoxToTrimBoxOffset [
0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXOutputIntentProfile (None)
/PDFXOutputCondition (ISO Coated sb \050Prozess-Standard Offset,
gestrichenes Papier, 60 L/cm\051) /PDFXRegistryName
(http://www.eci.org/deu/pages/profiles_d.html#fogra) /PDFXTrapped
/False
/OffOptimizations 3 /Description >>>
setdistillerparams> setpagedevice
