Firefighting Foam A fire extinguishant is effective if it is capable of separating one supporting component from the others. The quality of foam is measured in terms of its drainage time, expansion, fire performance and burnback resistance. Chemical foam is formed from a chemical reaction. Air foam is created by mechanically mixing air with a foam solution. Foam solution is made by mixing foam concentrate with water.
Surfactants are the primary components of foam concentrate.
This unique feature is responsible for the stability and resistance of the foam. If a flammable liquid can displace or extract the stabilizing surfactant molecules, the foam will be destroyed. The effectiveness of these different foams is not necessarily the same. If it has been approved, the requester should contact the Marine Safety Center to have the vessel reviewed for carriage of the cargo. On foreign tankers, marine inspectors should verify that the vessel's firefighting foam system is suitable for the transported cargoes.