Flourine-free foam concentrate launched by Perimeter Solutions

by EventsFeatured NewsProducts

Perimeter Solutions, a leading global manufacturer of high-quality firefighting products and lubricant additives, has announced the launch of SOLBERG VERSAGARD 1×3 Multipurpose Fluorine-Free Foam Concentrate.

The launch marks Perimeter Solutions’ first 1×3 fluorine-free foam concentrate available on the market, and serves as the newest addition to the SOLBERG VERSAGARD line of fluorine-free firefighting foam concentrates.

SOLBERG VERSAGARD 1×3 is an alcohol resistant, fluorine-free pseudoplastic foam technology. It is non-persistent, siloxane-free, and contains no intentionally added per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The foam concentrate is designed for extinguishing and securing both Class B (hydrocarbon fuel and polar solvent fuel) and deep-seated Class A Fires. It is ideal for industrial emergency response and is expected to be used extensively at facilities that store crude oil on site.

Jeff Emery, President of Global Fire Safety at Perimeter Solutions, explained: “The fire safety industry has been seeking non-fluorinated firefighting foams capable of meeting the most demanding emergency response applications.  This is exactly what Perimeter Solutions has delivered, with our new SOLBERG VERSAGARD 1×3 Multipurpose Fluorine-Free Foam Concentrate. At Perimeter Solutions, we continually innovate to develop new products that are more environmentally responsible, and that help firefighters in their efforts to protect property and save lives.”

SOLBERG VERSAGARD biodegradable and non-persistent fluorine-free foam concentrate is a combination of hydrocarbon surfactants and additives that delivers excellent foaming, vapor sealing, drain time, extinguishment and burnback properties for attacking and securing both shallow and fuel in-depth fires, using fresh, sea or brackish water. It is designed to generate stable foams with high fluidity and slow drainage.

The foam is fully compatible with standard firefighting equipment, including in-line inductors, self-inducting nozzles, fire truck pumps, bladder tanks, pump skids, balanced pressure systems and more.

SOLBERG VERSAGARD enters the market having earned multiple international certifications, including EN-1568:2018, International Marine Organization and LASTFIRE batch testing.

SOLBERG VERSAGARD 1×3 maintains viscosity levels similar to the viscosity of traditional 1×3 alcohol-resistant aqueous film-forming foam (AR-AFFF) concentrates, improving its storage, handling and long-term stability.

“This is a game-changing product for the fire safety industry and demonstrates how Perimeter Solutions continues to innovate to develop new solutions that will help advance the fire safety industry,” commented Javier Castro, General Manager of the EMEA Region for Perimeter Solutions.

“Product testing has shown that our 1×3 foam concentrate performs similarly to AR-FFF products that are currently on the market, and several major multinationals oil companies have already signed on to consider SOLBERG VERSAGARD 1×3 in their transition programs to fluorine-free foam concentrates.”

For more information on SOLBERG VERSAGARD 1×3, go to www.perimeter-solutions.com. If you’re attending INTERSCHUTZ 2022, visit Perimeter Solutions in Stand G49, Hall 13.

EPA Issues first test order for Commercial Fire Fighting Foam

by Breaking NewsProductsPumps

As a part of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, the agency has issued the first in a series of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) test orders to require companies to conduct and submit testing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 

EPA selected 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide betaine (CASRN 34455-29-3) as the first order issued under the National PFAS Testing Strategy. The foam has been manufactured (defined to include importing) in significant quantities (more than 25,000 pounds in a given year) according to TSCA Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule reports.

This chemical substance is a surface-active agent used to make commercial fire-fighting foams and may be found in certain floor finishes. CDR data also indicate that at least 500 workers in a given year could be potentially exposed to this chemical. Although there is some hazard and exposure information about this PFAS, EPA said it found insufficient data to determine the effects on human health associated with the inhalation route of exposure. This test order will address this data need.

The Chemours Company, DuPont De Nemours Inc., National Foam Inc., and Johnson Controls Inc. are the recipients of this first test order. The companies subject to the test order have been instructed to conduct the tests as described in the order, including testing of physical-chemical properties and health effects following inhalation, or provide EPA with existing information that they believe EPA did not identify in its search for existing information. EPA said it encourages companies to jointly conduct testing to avoid unnecessary duplication of tests. 

Based on available information and predictive models, testing on 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide betaine will also inform the agency’s understanding of the human health effects of 503 additional PFAS with similar structures as detailed in the Testing Strategy.

“For far too long, families across America, especially those in underserved communities, have suffered from PFAS. High-quality, robust data on PFAS helps EPA to better understand and ultimately reduce the potential risks caused by these chemicals,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. 

“Our communities deserve transparency from the companies that use or produce these substances about their potential environmental and human health impacts.”