Premium
Suppression of class a fires with HFC‐227ea
Author(s) -
Robin Mark L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
process safety progress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.378
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1547-5913
pISSN - 1066-8527
DOI - 10.1002/prs.680170310
Subject(s) - extinguishment , fire protection , range (aeronautics) , class (philosophy) , environmental science , forensic engineering , nuclear engineering , engineering , materials science , computer science , composite material , civil engineering , law , political science , artificial intelligence
HFC‐227ea (CF 3 CHFCF 3 ;1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3‐heptafluoropropane) is an effective replacement for Halon 1301 in fire suppression systems, providing rapid extinguishment of flames through a combination of physical and chemical mechanisms. The vast majority of applications for HFC‐227ea involve the protection of Class A hazards, which are characterized by low fuel loadings and low energy output, with fire sizes often in the range of 5–10 kW. Mid‐ and large‐scale testing has demonstrated that HFC‐227ea, at its minimum design concentration of 7.0% v/v, is effective at extinguishing fires typical of those expected to occur in electronic data processing (EDP) facilities, telecommunication facilities and anechoic chambers. The levels of HF produced following extinguishment of typical Class a fires with HFC–227ea were well below the estimated mammalian LC 50 and the human Dangerous Toxic Load (DTL), and do not appear to present a threat to electronic equipment.