The Role of Hydrofluorocarbons in Global Fire Protection: an Update

HISTORIC[1] Halogenated compounds have been employed as fire extinguishing agents since the early 1900s, when handheld extinguishers containing carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) were first introduced. In the late 1920s, methyl bromide (CH3Br) was found to be more effective than carbon tetrachloride, and was widely used as a fire extinguishing agent by the British in the late 1930s for aircraft protection and by the German military during World War II in aircraft and marine applications. Fire extinguishing systems employing bromochloromethane (CH2BrCl) were also developed in the late 1930s and were utilized by the German Luftwaffe. Bromochloromethane was evaluated by the United States military during the late 1930s to the late 1940s and was eventually employed by the U.S. Air Force for fire protection.