Bio-Based Fire Foam Concentrate Without PFAS for Stable Wetting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire foam concentrates contain PFAS, which are harmful and difficult to eliminate due to their persistence in the environment, posing health risks and regulatory pressure to develop PFAS-free alternatives.
Innovation Solution
Development of PFAS-free fire foam concentrates using bio-based components such as plant proteins, surfactants, alcohols, and builders, with a bio-based content greater than 80%, utilizing enzymatic modifications to achieve suitable viscosity and effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If PFAS are used in fire foam concentrate, then fire suppression efficacy is improved, but environmental harm and health risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes PFAS from the fire foam concentrate formulation entirely, extracting the harmful substance while maintaining fire suppression functionality through alternative bio-based components including plant proteins, bio-based surfactants, alcohols, and builders
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing PFAS with bio-based alternatives, achieving >80% bio-based content through specific formulations that use plant proteins (e.g., soy-based), bio-based surfactants (e.g., CAPB, SLS), alcohols (e.g., 1-biobutanol), and builders (e.g., citric acid)
2Object-affected harmful factors
If PFAS are eliminated from fire foam concentrate, then environmental sustainability is improved, but wetting ability and fire suppression performance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite fire foam concentrate formulation combining multiple bio-based components: plant proteins, bio-based surfactants, alcohols, and builders, where the synergistic interaction of these components achieves both environmental sustainability and effective fire suppression performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes formulation parameters including bio-based content (>80%), specific component concentrations, and enzymatic modification conditions to maintain wetting ability and fire suppression efficacy while eliminating PFAS
3Stability of the object's composition
If plant proteins are enzymatically modified to reduce viscosity, then foam stability is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses enzymes as intermediary agents to chemically modify plant proteins, breaking down complex protein structures into simpler forms that reduce viscosity and improve foam stability, with the enzymes serving as catalytic mediators in the modification process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The PFAS-free fire foam concentrates effectively suppress Class A and Class B fires, demonstrating reduced absorption time into wood substrates and long-lasting foam stability, while being environmentally safer and compliant with regulatory standards.
Implementation Method 1
PFAS... due to its unique ability to vastly reduce the surface tension of the water phase and facilitate penetration of the water into various substrates such as wood products
Implementation Method 2
the plant protein has been modified with a protease enzyme to a Brookfield viscosity of less than 2000 cps utilizing spindle #4 at 100 rpm at 40° C.
Implementation Method 3
increasing the rate of water penetration into the substrate dramatically increases the rate of fire extinction
Data Source
AI summary
A PFAS-free fire foam concentrate composition comprising water, a plant-based protein, a surfactant, an alcohol, and a builder. The bio-based content of the PFAS-free fire foam is preferably 80% by weight or greater. There is also disclosed a process to produce the PFAS-free fire foam concentrate composition, and the application of the fire foam concentrate onto a Class A fire or Class B fire.