Technical Bulletin ANSUL ®

Number 48

AFFF Compatibility ANSUL INCORPORATED

MARINETTE, WI 54143-2542

Compatibility Requirements
The question of the compatibility of different brands of AFFF concentrates is important because there are a num-
ber of manufacturers of this type of agent, both in the U.S. and other countries. ‘‘Compatibility,’’ when used in this
context, is a term which defines a situation when different manufacturer’s brands of the same type of concentrate
are mixed. Concentrates are said to be compatible when, after mixing, the physical and chemical characteristics
of the resulting mixture is such that, when used as intended, its performance is at least equal to that of each of
the individual concentrates in the mixture.
The National Fire Protection Association, in its Standard 412 (Standard for Evaluating Foam Fire Fighting
Equipment on Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles) and 11B (Standard on Synthetic Foam and Com-
bined Agent Systems), prohibits the mixing of AFFF concentrates unless it has been determined that they are
compatible, viz.:
NFPA 412, Paragraph 214
Mixing of protein, fluoroprotein or AFFF concentrates of different types or dif-
ferent manufacturers shall not be permitted unless it has been specifically
established that they are compatible for long-term storage and that such mix-
ing will not reduce the fire extinguishing effectiveness of the equipment in
which the agent is to be used.
NFPA 11B, 1-5.2
Different brands or types of AFFF concentrate shall not be mixed without
advice of the concentrate manufacturer of their interchangeability and com-
patibility and of the equivalency of generated foam.
The NFPA standards, while requiring compatibility, do not provide a method of determining it. Federal govern-
ment specifications, on the other hand, not only require compatibility but also provide a formalized method of
compatibility determination.
Government Specifications
United States Military Specification MIL-F24385C sets forth compatibility requirements in Paragraph 3.3.3, which
reads in part as follows:
Compatibility. The concentrates of one manufacturer shall be compatible in all
proportions with the concentrates furnished by other manufacturers listed on
the Qualified Products List.
The Mil-spec provision also requires that a qualifying concentrate meet, via a series of specifically described test
methods after 10 day storage at 65° ± 2 °C (150 °F), minimum requirements for:
— Foamability
— Film formation and sealability
— Fire performance: 28 sq. ft. fires using both fresh and
salt water premix solutions.
— Stratification
— Precipitation
Any concentrate which is qualified under the requirements of this specification must, by definition, be compatible
with any other concentrate which is qualified under the same specification or is in inventory in significant quanti-
ties. This testing is conducted by the U.S. Navy through the Naval Research Laboratories and, therefore, repre-
sents an independent third party determination of the compatibility of the concentrates. It is a reliable method of
making such a determination.
There are currently no military specifications covering freeze protected AFFF concentrates or those concentrates
that are suitable for use on polar or alcohol type fuels as well as the conventional hydrocarbon type fuels.

(over)
ANSULITE Brand Concentrates
ANSULITE 6% and ANSULITE 3% AFFF concentrates have been successfully tested by the Naval Research
Laboratories to the total requirements, including compatibility, of U.S. Military Specification MIL-F-24385C. These
agents have also been placed on the associated U.S. Government’s Qualified Products List for this specification
covering AFFF concentrates. Such listings indicate to the user that the ANSULITE 6% and 3% AFFF concen-
trates are compatible with the other AFFF concentrates meeting the requirements of that military specification,
and which are also contained on the Qualified Products List for that specification.
Non Mil-Spec Products
Not all AFFF products qualify under the military specification, either because of their nature or because they can-
not meet its requirements. Example of AFFF concentrates that fall outside this specification are those that may
be freeze protected or of such a nature that they can be used on both the nonpolar or hydrocarbon type fuels as
well as the polar or alcohol type fuels, such as ANSULITE ARC or ANSULITE Freeze Protected. In cases such
as this, or where a manufacturer’s brand of AFFF concentrate does not meet the requirements of the military
specification, to determine compatibility the user should consult the manufacturer of the products involved.

ANSUL and ANSULITE are registered trademarks.

Form No. F-8189-2 2000 Ansul Incorporated Litho in U.S.A.