Foam was first used to extinguish flammable liquid fires in the early 1900s when foam was generated by mixing solutions of sodium bicarbonate and aluminum sulphate containing a foam-stabilizing agent. This was known as `Chemical foam' and was still frequently used in extinguishers until quite recently.

Although larger systems were made for tank fire protection the sheer size of the systems and the problems of maintenance made them both costly and unsatisfactory.

The general use of foam began to grow rapidly in the 1930s with the development of foaming agents and foam generating equipment, which could produce foam in relatively simple equipment by entering air. The foam so produced was known as `mechanical foam' to distinguish it from `chemical foam'.

Unlike other extinguishing agents – water, dry chemical, CO2 etc… a stable aqueous foam can extinguish a flammable or combustible liquid fire by the combined mechanisms of cooling, separating the flame/ignition source from the product surface, suppressing the vapors and smothering. It can also secure for extended periods of time against reflash or reignition.

Most foam applications are associated with the protection of potentially large flammable liquid risks and although these may be characterized in many ways it is probably most useful to consider them under these headings:

    Large spill fires
    Deep fuel, contained fires
    Fires in water miscible liquids.

The different types of fixed foam systems are generally used to protect the hazards like:
   Aircraft hangers
    Warehouse systems
    Truck & Rail loading systems
    Storage tanks
    Dike /Spill protection
    Etc…

The different types of foam concentrates that are generally used in these systems are:

High Expansion foam concentrates (to be used in High expansion fixed foam systems)
   Produced from 1% to 2% aqueous solution of a synthetic foaming agent.
    Low Expansion foam concentrates
    Protein foaming agents
    Fortified mechanical foams (FP)
    Aqueous Film Forming agents (AFFF)
    Alcohol resistant type foaming agents (AR)

FOAM BLADDER TANKS (VERTICAL & HORIZONTAL TYPES)
Bladder tank is one component in balanced pressure foam proportioning system. It needs no external power, other than water pressure to ensure correct operation. The vertical and Horizontal Bladder Tanks are designed and constructed in accordance with the latest revisions to ASME code, section VIII for unfired pressure vessels with a working pressure of 175 psi and tested to one and one half times this pressure.

SFFECO is pleased to announce their tie up with the world-renowned Fortune 500 Company – 3M GULF Ltd for manufacturing their Reputed Light Water TM AFFF & ATC TM Foam concentrates at their state of art manufacturing facility at Riyadh in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.