FIRE SUPPRESSION MATERIALS - BIMMERWORLD

Halon For years halon was The Standard for racing fire systems because of its ability to suppress multiple types of fires. It was only because its production is harmful to the ozone that halon is no longer in widespread use. Any halon extinguisher that you find now is likely long past its service date. Halon is also considered an older fire suppressant while newer technology and chemicals are better in many areas.

CO2 The CO2 suppressant works by removing oxygen from the area and is extremely cold, thereby reducing temperature and ignition source. This can be very good for fuel and oil fires as well as electrical. But as a life-saving measure, CO2 may render you unable to exit the car. CO2 is not approved for any racing use as far as is known.

ABC (dry chemical, powder) This gets its name from the 3 classes of fire that it's designed to suppress - A for combustible material, B for flammable liquids, and C for electrical fires. The suppressant is known as a "dry chemical", "dry chem", or "powder" and is usually made up of monoammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate. Note: "Dry Powder" also refers to a different suppressant material for Class D fires but is most often referenced for ABC dry chemical suppressants. The dry chemical isolates the oxygen while separating the fuel source. As a powder the dry chemical is easy to disperse and coat surfaces, even hard to reach areas. However, the dry chemical is corrosive to metal and electrical items. And it can be spread everywhere, making clean-up very difficult. Powder will also settle and compact together over time, helped by vibration. Packed and hardened powder will not disperse through the system! We've seen a puff where there should have been a dense cloud! Most handheld extinguishers will use ABC because of its good all-around performance and low cost.

Monnex Powder. Monnex is the next generation of dry powder and surpasses ABC powder in many ways. When exposed to heat, Monnex breaks down into smaller particles which increases total surface area of the material and distributes it more evenly. This does a better job of smothering flames and separating oxygen and heat, preventing fire from occurring. In testing, Monnex knocked down a fire in half the time of ABC powder. Unlike ABC, Monnex is non-corrosive and wipes away like a fine powder. Monnex is classed for B and C flammable materials so it works very well on gas, liquids, and electronics. Monnex works great on its own but can also be combined with other suppressants to act as a "dual-agent" system.

AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam or foam for short) When people say "foam" they are referring to AFFF. The foam suppressant is a water-based liquid that coats surfaces, removing the ignition source and oxygen. The foam is two-dimensional and can only suppress what it can cover so the position of the nozzle is critical. There are typically more nozzles in a foam system than powder or gas so the installation will be more extensive and complex. Once the fire is smothered the foam stays behind to prevent flare-ups. It works especially well on fuel and oil fires but not good at all for an electrical fire because the water is conductive. Clean-up is easy but the chemical can be corrosive if left behind. Because it's water based it's susceptible to freezing but some products contain an antifreeze component. If this is a concern check for the freeze point. AFFF has often been used in forest fires but is being phased out because of the contamination left behind. Cold Fire is a similar material but is biodegradable and will be replacing AFFF in the future. The minimum requirement for an FIA fire system is an AFFF suppressant.

Cold Fire Similar but superior to AFFF but is environmentally friendly. It's non-toxic, non-corrosive, plant-based, and biodegradable. Like the name says it works by reducing the heat and penetrating and breaking down the fuel source. As a liquid it works well with fuel and oil but will not be effective for an electrical fire. Sometimes it's mixed with a small amount of dry chem to make it thicker and cling to surfaces for longer.

Novec Novec works by removing (absorbing) heat and blocking oxygen. It starts as a liquid but is atomized into a heavy gas as it exits the nozzle and the fog travels to all surfaces. The vapor alone is enough to suppress flame as it expands. This means you can do more with less - it does not require as much material so your bottle can be smaller (less weight). Novec is not harmful to electronics and is non-corrosive. It's not harmful to humans except in prolonged high levels where it can cause a heart arrhythmia. Clean-up is super easy as the material evaporates and there is no residue left behind. The beauty of Novec is that it knocks down the fire, allows you to exit, is non-toxic, and does not ruin your equipment.

We recommend Novec, we have seen it in action. It is initially more expensive, but the fact is does no damage to electronics and is non-corrosive makes Novec cost-effective.