New Foam Concentrate for Burnback Resistance and Vapor Suppression

Press Release Summary:

• Effective fire control and suppression on volatile hydrocarbon fuels at expansion ratios as low as 3-to-1
• Low expansion ratio provides good throw distance for the foam, giving firefighters additional separation from the flames
• Allows for consistent three percent proportioning for both hydrocarbon and polar solvent fires

Original Press Release:

Johnson Controls Launches Chemguard® 3x3 Non-Fluorinated Foam Concentrate for Class B Fuel Fire Suppression

• Non-fluorinated foam concentrate verified to achieve control and extinguishment at the same application rates as a UL 162 listed AR-AFFF on Type III hydrocarbon fuel fires
• Long-lasting foam blanket for excellent burnback resistance and vapor suppression
• Effective fire control and suppression on volatile hydrocarbon fuels at expansion ratios as low as 3-to-1

Milwaukee – (April 6, 2020) – Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings and architect of OpenBlue connected solutions, launches Chemguard® NFF 3x3 UL201 Foam Concentrate. This new, patent-pending, Non-Fluorinated Foam (NFF) technology provides fast, effective fire suppression on most Class B hydrocarbon and polar solvent fuel fires. With a longer drain time than most AR-AFFFs, this foam blanket also delivers excellent post-extinguishment burnback resistance and vapor suppression.

Chemguard® NFF 3x3 UL201 Concentrate passes the UL 162 synthetic foam concentrate protocol. It has also passed, under independent third-party witness, the UL 162 AR-AFFF test protocol for Type III hydrocarbon fuel at a 3-to-1 expansion ratio. This protocol’s more challenging foam application test rate of 0.04 gpm/ft2 (1.6 lpm/m2) is two-thirds that of the UL 162 synthetic, non-fluorinated foam protocol, and for an AR-AFFF this result would correspond to a minimum design application rate of 0.10 gpm/ft2 (4.1 lpm/m2).

Chemguard® NFF 3x3 UL201 Concentrate provides flexibility and ease of use for first response teams, as it allows for consistent three percent proportioning for both hydrocarbon and polar solvent fires. This means there is no need to adjust proportioning for different Class B hazards. With a 3-to-1 expansion ratio and viscosity similar to a 3x3 AR-AFFF, the foam concentrate is compatible with most standard response proportioning and discharge devices, reducing the need for significant hardware changes. The low expansion ratio provides greater throw distance for the foam, giving firefighters additional separation from the flames. 

“We developed and tested the NFF Concentrate at the Johnson Controls Fire Technology Center, one of the most extensive fire research and testing facilities in the world,” said Craig Cook, global product development leader, Foam Products at Johnson Controls. “When tested on a hydrocarbon fuel fire at three percent concentration, the foam quickly gained 90 percent control and exceeded the requirements for extinguishment and burnback time for a UL 162 AR-AFFF Type III listing.” 

Chemguard® NFF 3x3 UL201 concentrate is defined as a non-fluorinated firefighting foam concentrate, produced in equipment free from the use of PFAS chemistry. Since this product is free from any intentionally added PFAS chemistry and precautions have been taken to avoid PFAS contamination, it inherently complies with Directives (EU) 2017/1000 on PFOA and 2019/1021 (EU POPs directive) as a non-fluorinated product.

Along with other Johnson Controls fire protection products and solutions, this Chemguard® NFF Concentrate helps protect people and property within industries like petroleum and chemical where spills and limited scale hazards require municipal and industrial response. It is also suitable for use in foam systems with Type II discharge devices.

To learn more about how Chemguard® NFF 3x3 UL201 Foam Concentrate is redefining fire suppression, visit tycofpp.com/chemguard-NFF.

Media Contact:
Ryan Nolan
Global Public Relations Program Manager
Building Technologies & Solutions, Johnson Controls
Work: +1 414-524-6170
Mobile: +1 414-378-9641
Ryan.P.Nolan@jci.com

About Johnson Controls:

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet. With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, Johnson Controls delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through its comprehensive digital offering, OpenBlue. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology, software and service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.