Expired foam extinguishing agents and evaluation of their suitability for further use

Foam extinguishing agents are one of the most commonly used and effective means usedduring rescue and firefighting operations. However, their applicability depends on a numberof parameters, which are defined in relevant standards and guidelines. They include substancesthat are characterised by greater or lesser toxicity, such as fluoroorganic compounds, so properhandling of these materials is one of the priorities for their management. The analysis involved3 foam extinguishing agents of different compositions (types FP, AFFF, AR) after the lapse of theirdeclared useful life by the manufacturers. These agents were tested for selected parameters vitalfor proper firefighting operations, i.e. the expansion ratio and condensation times of the agentssubjected to temperature conditioning and the extinguishing efficiency on a small scale.