NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.
Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Evaporation of a Small Aqueous Suppressing Agent Droplet (NISTIR 5904)
Published
Author(s)
W. S. Chien, Jiann C. Yang, M D. King, William L. Grosshandler
Abstract
Due to its ozone-depleting potential, halon 1301 (CF3Br) has been banned from production under the Montreal Protocol. The research for halon replacement(s) has led to the reconsideration of using water in certain applications. However, under cold storage conditions (below 0DGC) water will freeze, thus posing a limitation in low temperature operations. Certain additives, if selected properly, not only can suppress the freezing point of water but also can improve its fire suppression effectiveness. Some water-based agents have recently been proven to be more effective than pure water when used in the form of mist to suppress a small JP-8 pool fire. Among the thirteen agents they tested, potassium lactate (60% w/w) and potassium acetate (60% w/w) were found to be far superior than pure water and other candidate solutions.
Chien, W.
, Yang, J.
, King, M.
and Grosshandler, W.
(1996),
Evaporation of a Small Aqueous Suppressing Agent Droplet (NISTIR 5904), NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.5904, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=911497
(Accessed October 13, 2025)