REPORT OF FOAM-DRY CHEMICAL COMPATIBILITY TESTING ON BOARD M/V RHODE ISLAND

A series of full-scale, JP-5, flammable liquid, deck fire extinguishing tests were conducted at the Coast Guard Fire and Safety Test Facility in Mobile, Alabama, to determine the effect of 'non-foam compatible', dry chemical application on a fire which is to be primarily extinguished by 3% protein foam. Based mainly on the results of small-scale testing, the use of dry chemical on merchant ships is severely restricted. Type of dry chemical, fire size, application density and foam solution flow rate were varied to determine if there was any discernable relationship among these variables. Three types of dry chemical agents (non-foam compatible sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, and foam compatible potassium chloride) were used. For the tests conducted, application of dry chemical, both foam compatible and non-foam compatible, did not measurably affect the time required to extinguish the fire with protein foam, although in some tests using non-foam compatible dry chemical limited breakdown was visually evident. This suggests that present restrictions on the marine use of non-foam compatible dry chemical might be considerably curtailed or even eliminated. (Modified author abstract)

• Corporate Authors:

  United States Coast Guard

  Office of Merchant Marine Safety
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Vlaun, R C
• Publication Date: 1973-3

Media Info

• Pagination: 59 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Facilities; Fire extinguishing agents; Fire fighting equipment; Flammability tests; Foams
• Old TRIS Terms: Fire testing facilities
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00057701
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: USCG-D-10-73 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 11 1974 12:00AM