page_title: Bromofluorocarbon
hierarchical_section_title: Bromofluorocarbon
caption_attribution_description: English: Arabian Gulf (May 15, 2003) - Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Daniel Griffin wipes down Halon 1301 bottles in the aft main machinery room aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge is deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom the multi-national coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Kenny Swartout. (RELEASED)
context_page_description: Bromofluorocarbons are molecules based on carbon, bromine, and fluorine. The most common use has traditionally been in fire suppression systems. The brand name "Halon" is frequently used interchangeably for BFCs. However, not all Halons are technically BFCs.
  BFCs attack the ozone layer even more aggressively than chlorofluorocarbons, and are powerful greenhouse gases, although due to shorter atmospheric lifetimes not as powerful as equivalent perfluorocarbons or chlorofluorocarbons. Nevertheless, BFCs are still used in some ships and aircraft, because replacements are not as effective. As production of BFCs was banned by the Montreal Protocol, remaining use depends on old inventories and on recycling.
  BFCs are extremely inert. In a fire, in addition to physically excluding oxygen, the molecules liberate bromine radicals which interfere with combustion reactions. BFCs tend to have higher melting and boiling points than comparable fully fluorinated molecules.
context_section_description: Bromofluorocarbons (BFCs) are molecules based on carbon, bromine, and fluorine.  The most common use has traditionally been in fire suppression systems.  The brand name "Halon" is frequently used interchangeably for BFCs.  However, not all Halons are technically BFCs (some contain chlorine also).
  BFCs attack the ozone layer even more aggressively than chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and are powerful greenhouse gases, although due to shorter atmospheric lifetimes not as powerful as equivalent perfluorocarbons or chlorofluorocarbons. Nevertheless, BFCs are still used in some ships and aircraft, because replacements are not as effective.  As production of BFCs was banned by the Montreal Protocol, remaining use depends on old inventories and on recycling.
  BFCs are extremely inert.  In a fire, in addition to physically excluding oxygen, the molecules liberate bromine radicals which interfere with combustion reactions.  BFCs tend to have higher melting and boiling points than comparable fully fluorinated molecules.
caption: A Halon fire suppression system in a U.S. Navy ship's machinery room
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