Preparation and firefighting performance study of a new AFFF firefighting material based on nano silicon dioxide

ABSTRACT To improve the firefighting performance of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), a new AFFF formulation containing nano silicon (SiO2) particles was developed in this study. Nano-SiO2 (average particle size: 105 nm) was synthesized and incorporated into the standard AFFF formula at a concentration of 5%. The physicochemical properties of modified AFFF were systematically analyzed, and then the new firefighting material was tested in a simulated fire environment to analyse its firefighting performance. The firefighting time of new firefighting materials for solid combustibles, liquid substances, and chemical fires was significantly improved compared to the unoptimized materials, ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 minutes, 0.7 to 1.3 minutes, and 1.1 to 2.3 minutes, respectively. After 7 days of exposure, the quality loss of SiO2-AFFF on steel (ASTM A36) was 0.9%, while the quality loss of the control AFFF was 9.8%, indicating a significant reduction in corrosiveness. Acute toxicity testing showed a significant reduction in toxicity compared to the control group. These results indicate that the addition of nano-SiO2 significantly raises the fire extinguishing performance of AFFF and reduces its corrosiveness, providing a potential pathway for the development of more effective and safer AFFF firefighting materials.