Aberdeen Foam 3x3% AR-F3

Alcohol-Resistant Fluorine Free Fire Fighting Foam Concentrate

An EN1568 pt 2, 3 & 4 certified Fluorine Free (F3) Fire Fighting Foam concentrate for extinguishing and securing both hydrocarbon and polar solvent liquid fires.

Aberdeen Foam 3x3% AR-F3 is a low viscosity newtonian Fluorine Free Foam designed for minimal environmental impact.

Quickly extinguishes and secures liquid fires of:
- Class B hydrocarbon fuels such as crude oil, gasoline, aviation kerosene and fuel oil.
- Polar solvents and water miscible liquids such as alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and ethers.
Formulated for use with either fresh or seawater.
Fully biodegradable - up to 98% after 7 days and 100% after 28 days.
Also suitable for combatting Class A fires.

Product details

Fire Performance Approvals

Aberdeen Foam 3x3% AR-F3 meets the requirements of:

EN 1568: 2018 Part 3 - Class IB in fresh water and seawater
EN 1568: 2018 Part 4 - Class IB in fresh water and acetone
EN 1568: 2018 Part 2
IMO MSC.1 Circ. 1312: 2009
FM 5130: 2014 Clause 4.1 - acetone and isopropanol

For further information, please contact us.

Environmental Impact

Non-persistent in the environment.
Fluorosurfactant free.
Fully biodegradable: up to 98% in 7 days and up to 100% at 28 days.
Meets EU2019/1021 - complies with EU and UK PFOA restrictions.
Not particularly toxic to microbial populations normally found in treatment plants. Compatible with the treatment plant’s flora.
Anti-foam agents may be used to reduce foam in in waste streams.

Applications

Aberdeen Foam 3x3% AR-F3 concentrate provides quality protection wherever hydrocarbons and/or polar solvents present a fire risk:

Petrochemical refining, processing and storage facilities
Marine terminals, power stations and road / rail loading racks
Rapid Intervention Vehicles and aircraft hangar systems

Produced AR-F3 foams can also be used as wetting agents for combating Class A fires (i.e.tyres, paper, wood) and for providing a vapour suppression blanket on hydrocarbon spills.

Proportioning information

Hydrocarbon fires: intended for use at 3% (3 parts foam concentrate to 97 parts water)
Polar solvent fires: intended for use at 3% (3 parts foam concentrate to 97 parts water)

Aberdeen Foam 3x3% AR-F3 concentrate is readily proportioned with the following equipment:

In-line inductors (fixed or portable)
Balanced pressure variable flow proportioners
Around the pump proportioners
Bladder tank Balanced Pressure proportioning skid
Handline, aspirating nozzles with fixed inductor pickup tube

Physical properties

Appearance	Amber liquid
Specific gravity	1.06
pH @ 20°C	8.0
Viscosity @ 20°C (mPas 375s^-1)	80-100
Viscosity @ 20°C (mPas 75s^-1)	270-310
Surface tension @ 20°C (mN/m)	< 30
Freezing point (°C)	< -4
Lowest use temp. (°C)	-2
Expansion*	> 6.5
25% drainage time (minutes)	> 8.0
Max. storage temp. (°C)	50
Min. storage temp. (°C)	-2
Freeze/thaw effect	None

* Foam quality will depend on the foam equipment used and the operating conditions. The above are tested in accordance with UK Defence Standard 42-40.

How it works

Aberdeen Foam 3x3% AR-F3 effectively extinguishes and secures liquid hydrocarbon fires by cooling the fuel’s surface, creating a stable blanket to suppress the release of flammable vapours and, in fires involving polar solvents, forming an insoluble polymer membrane.

Storage & shelf life

Best stored as supplied in original, unopened containers. Suitable for storage in containers and tanks manufactured from:

Stainless steel (Type 304L or 316L)
High density cross-linked polyethylene
FRP (vinyl ester epoxy resin only)
Carbon steel “black” pipe
Brass compounds
Concentrate must not be stored or come in contact with galvanised tanks, pipes or fittings

If kept in the original manufacturer’s supplied container and stored between -7°C and 50°C, a shelf life of at least 20 years can be expected.

To prolong the shelf life of any F3, do not expose to temperature extremes and prevent contamination from foreign materials. If product is frozen, thawing will not effect performance. Mixing after freeze/thaw is recommended.

Compatibility

As recommended by NFPA 11: 2021, we would advise that if mixing foam concentrates from different manufacturers a compatibility study is carried out beforehand.

For further information or advice on compatibility testing, please visit our Knowledge Base or contact us.

Disposal

Produced Aberdeen Foam 3x3% AR-F3 can be safely disposed of in biological waste water treatment systems.

Inspection & testing

As recommended by international foam standards NFPA 11: 2021 and BS:EN 13565-2: 2018, Aberdeen Foam concentrates should be inspected and tested at least annually as part of your fire fighting foam maintenance programme.

Oil Technics (Fire Fighting Products) Limited offers a worldwide foam testing service and in-house foam testing training. For further details, please contact us or visit our website.

Technical Sales & Support

For our UK customers, Aberdeen Foam is available 24/7 via our 24 hour emergency call out service: +44 (0) 1561 361515.

Additional information

For additional information on fire fighting foam concentrates including C6 foams, foam testing, compatibility, shelf life and pack sizes, please refer to our FAQs section.