A comparative analysis of microstructure, water retention, thermal stability and fire performance between gel and film-forming fluoroprotein firefighting foams

IF 5.1 3区工程技术 Q2 ENERGY & FUELS

Thermal Science and Engineering Progress Pub Date : 2025-03-16 DOI:10.1016/j.tsep.2025.103520

Jinlong Zhao , Haoyuan Li , Chenxi Jia , Jing Li , Jianping Zhang

{"title":"A comparative analysis of microstructure, water retention, thermal stability and fire performance between gel and film-forming fluoroprotein firefighting foams","authors":"Jinlong Zhao , Haoyuan Li , Chenxi Jia , Jing Li , Jianping Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.tsep.2025.103520","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Firefighting foams are commonly used for suppressing and extinguishing large-scale liquid fuel fires. However, traditional foams such as aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) and film-forming fluoroprotein foams (FFFPs) have some known limitations including worsened thermal stability under strong radiation and difficulty in biodegradation due to the presence of perfluorooctyl sulfonate. In this study, a new gel foam was developed using bio-based guar gum (GG) and borax (B), in combination with a composite foaming agent of C8-14 alkyl glucoside (APG-0814) and alkyl ethoxy polyglycosides (AEG). The best performed gel formulations were selected based on orthogonal analysis of formability and stability. Subsequently, their microstructure, water retention capacity and thermal stability were evaluated against a commercial FFFP. Finally, fire extinguishing and burnback tests using the gel foams were conducted. Results showed that the formulation with 0.5 wt% composite foaming agent, 0.4 wt% GG and 0.005 wt% B has the overall best performance. Its water retention rate is 56.9 % after 60 min compared to 47.8 % for the FFFP. Whilst its extinguishing time was similar to that of the FFFP, its 90 % burnback time shows a 152.7 % increase compared to the FFFP. The improved anti-burnback performance can be attributed to the stable gel foam skeleton which enhanced both water retention capacity and thermal stability. This research provides not only a holistic approach for assessing fire performance of existing firefighting foams but a basis for further development of firefighting gel foams.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23062,"journal":{"name":"Thermal Science and Engineering Progress","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 103520"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Thermal Science and Engineering Progress","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451904925003105","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Firefighting foams are commonly used for suppressing and extinguishing large-scale liquid fuel fires. However, traditional foams such as aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) and film-forming fluoroprotein foams (FFFPs) have some known limitations including worsened thermal stability under strong radiation and difficulty in biodegradation due to the presence of perfluorooctyl sulfonate. In this study, a new gel foam was developed using bio-based guar gum (GG) and borax (B), in combination with a composite foaming agent of C8-14 alkyl glucoside (APG-0814) and alkyl ethoxy polyglycosides (AEG). The best performed gel formulations were selected based on orthogonal analysis of formability and stability. Subsequently, their microstructure, water retention capacity and thermal stability were evaluated against a commercial FFFP. Finally, fire extinguishing and burnback tests using the gel foams were conducted. Results showed that the formulation with 0.5 wt% composite foaming agent, 0.4 wt% GG and 0.005 wt% B has the overall best performance. Its water retention rate is 56.9 % after 60 min compared to 47.8 % for the FFFP. Whilst its extinguishing time was similar to that of the FFFP, its 90 % burnback time shows a 152.7 % increase compared to the FFFP. The improved anti-burnback performance can be attributed to the stable gel foam skeleton which enhanced both water retention capacity and thermal stability. This research provides not only a holistic approach for assessing fire performance of existing firefighting foams but a basis for further development of firefighting gel foams.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Thermal Science and Engineering Progress Chemical Engineering-Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

CiteScore

7.20

自引率

10.40%

发文量

327

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (TSEP) publishes original, high-quality research articles that span activities ranging from fundamental scientific research and discussion of the more controversial thermodynamic theories, to developments in thermal engineering that are in many instances examples of the way scientists and engineers are addressing the challenges facing a growing population – smart cities and global warming – maximising thermodynamic efficiencies and minimising all heat losses. It is intended that these will be of current relevance and interest to industry, academia and other practitioners. It is evident that many specialised journals in thermal and, to some extent, in fluid disciplines tend to focus on topics that can be classified as fundamental in nature, or are ‘applied’ and near-market. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress will bridge the gap between these two areas, allowing authors to make an easy choice, should they or a journal editor feel that their papers are ‘out of scope’ when considering other journals. The range of topics covered by Thermal Science and Engineering Progress addresses the rapid rate of development being made in thermal transfer processes as they affect traditional fields, and important growth in the topical research areas of aerospace, thermal biological and medical systems, electronics and nano-technologies, renewable energy systems, food production (including agriculture), and the need to minimise man-made thermal impacts on climate change. Review articles on appropriate topics for TSEP are encouraged, although until TSEP is fully established, these will be limited in number. Before submitting such articles, please contact one of the Editors, or a member of the Editorial Advisory Board with an outline of your proposal and your expertise in the area of your review.