BAFSA FOCUS SPRING 2026
Fluorine-free foam transition in sprinkler systems The transition from aqueous film forming foam containing intentionally added fluorine (AFFF) to non-fluorinated firefighting foam (NFF) is no longer a future consideration – it is already underway. Gerard Visser, Business Development Manager for Foam Products at Johnson Controls gives Sprinkler Focus an overview
The transition from aqueous film forming foam containing intentionally added fluorine (AFFF) to non-fluorinated firefighting foam (NFF) is no longer a future consideration – it is already underway. Gerard Visser, Business Development Manager for Foam Products at Johnson Controls gives Sprinkler Focus an overview. In October 2025, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restriction process resulted in new European legislation under REACH governing PFAS in firefighting foams. This requires that, by October 2026, all sites must have identified and clearly labelled any PFAS-containing firefighting foam stocks, together with a documented management and transition plan. By October 2030, the majority of foam-based sprinkler systems will need to be converted to fluorine-free alternatives unless they fall under COMAH. The question, therefore, is no longer if a transition is required, but how it should be implemented? Non-fluorinated foams (NFF, SFFF or F3) do not contain intentionally added PFAS, whilst still providing effective fire suppression. However, their behaviour differs fundamentally from that of AFFF. This leads to three critical parameters that determine a successful transition: EVA – Expansion, Viscosity, Application Density These three parameters are closely interrelated and collectively determine whether a fluorine-free foam will perform effectively in a 22 | BAFSA .ORG.UK
sprinkler system. In practice, EVA analysis should not be considered as three separate checks, but as a single, balanced exercise. Any deviation in one parameter will immediately influence the others and ultimately the firefighting performance. But what is different with non-fluorinated foam? Expansion Non-fluorinated foam (NFF or F3) operates differently from AFFF. The key distinction is straightforward: there is no film formation. Where AFFF spreads across the fuel surface by forming a film, NFF relies entirely on creating and maintaining a foam blanket. As the foam solution is predominantly water-based, most fluorinefree foams do not naturally float on hydrocarbons. Consequently, effective fire control depends on achieving a sufficiently stable and continuous foam layer. This is where expansion becomes critical. For fluorine-free foams, expansion is not merely a desirable characteristic it is a fundamental performance parameter. Either a highly stable bubble structure is required to remain on the fuel surface, or increased air aspiration (and therefore higher expansion) is needed to build a sufficiently thick foam blanket. In practice, it is often a combination of both. The challenge lies in the fact that most existing sprinkler systems are low-expansion or non-aspirating. If a foam requires higher expansion but the system cannot deliver it, the foam will not perform as intended.