Matching the foam to the fire
Published: 01 June, 2007
Jean-Marc Vandekerchove tells IFJ: “Our range of products is designed to provide the professional firefighter with the best, most effective extinguishing agent for all known fire hazards with a minimum impact on the environment and human exposure.”
The Orchidee group, with plants in Germany and France, has experience of more than 50 years in the development and production of firefighting agents.
In France these agents were previously marketed under the name of CECATM. In Germany the pulvexT powders were formerly manufactured by TOTAL WALTHER Feuerschutz Löschmittel.These include:
• pulvex dry chemical powders (ABC, BC and D types)
• orchidex liquid foam concentrates (synthetic AFFF, ARC and ME types, protein and fluoro-protein based types)
• Water additives for extinguishers and fixed installations (INILAM) for class A fires, SC-1 for class B fires and premix for class A and B fires)
• orchidee special agents (wet chemicals for class F fires, forest fire agents and BIO foams). The products meet national and international standards on the highest achievable rating levels and are variously approved to DIN-EN, NF-EN, UL, ICAO, IMO, GOST and other standards.
Handling water-immiscible fuel fires
The orchidex AFFF foam concentrates are available as 1%, 3% and 6% versions, with and without freeze protection. All versions are suitable for the use with potable and seawater and can control and extinguish large non-polar,water-immiscible fuel fires, like hydrocarbons. orchidex AFFFs can be used with all types of proportioners and foaming devices for forceful and gentle application, including non-air-aspirating nozzles, like hand nozzles or sprinkler heads. The orchidex AFFF’s are said to be well suited to sub-surface and semi-subsurface injection systems for tank protection.
The alcohol-resistant orchidex ARC foam concentrates are designed as 1x1, 1x3 and 3x6, with and without freeze protection and suitable for the use with potable and sea water. They are characterised by their ability to form an aqueous film, which covers quickly water-immiscible hydrocarbon fuel surfaces causing rapid fire extinction and an effective vapour suppression.
On water-miscible liquids (e.g. alcohols, esters, ethers, aromatics, ketones, chlorosilanes and other polar fuels) orchidex ARC foam concentrates provide a polymeric layer that protect the foam blanket. orchidex ARC foam concentrates are suitable for low and medium expansion applications. All types of foaming devices can be used, including non-air-aspirating nozzles, like hand nozzles or sprinkler heads.
Cost efficiency issues
The fluorine-free multi-purpose multi-expansion orchidex ME foam concentrates are available as 1%, 3% and 6% versions, freeze-protected to -15°C and suitable for the use with potable and sea water.
Based on selected surfactants orchidex MEs achieve ‘excellent’ performance on hydrocarbon fires of class A and B says the company. Depending on the equipment used, low, medium and high expansion foam can be generated with expansion ratios from 5 to 1,000.
orchidex MEs are also said to be the right choice to protect LNG storage facilities. Used in a very low concentration (0.5% to 1.0%) orchidex ME is a perfect wetting agent for solid combustibles, which are poorly wettable, such as cotton, lignite, coal dust and others, says the company.
orchidex A is a synthetic fluorine-free foam concentrate specially designed for rapid penetration and wetting of solid combustibles.
“By using orchidex A the extinguishing efficiency will be increased up to 8 to 10 times compared to water,” says Jean-Marc.
