Onboard fire Extinguisher Systems

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What are the differences between extinguishing agents?

Halon 1211: Advantages are that it leaves no residue, effective, not thermal shocking and the bottle withstands higher cockpit heat compared to Halon 1301. Disadvantages are that it is toxic, does not quench the fire and is Ozone depleting. This chemical was not designed for system use as it is toxic, designed for hand held fire extinguishers only. This is one of two chemicals used by FireBottle (the other being CEA-614). – for high-heat installations, when the bottle is placed over exhaust systems or stored in an area where the bottle will be subjected to sustained temperatures at or above 130º F.

CEA-614: This is a Halon substitute. Advantages are that it leaves no residue, not thermal shocking, and relatively Ozone safe. Disadvantages are that it does not quench the fire and it takes twice as much material to do the same job as Halon. It is also expensive. It will not do the same job as Halon. This agent is not used very much anymore.

FE-36: This new agent is a Halon substitute. It is not considered Ozone-depleting. It leaves no residue and is not thermal shocking. Disadvantages are the same as CEA-614: it does not quench the fire and it takes twice as much material to do the same job as Halon. It is also more expensive than Halon.

AFFF or ColdFire: These are examples of foaming water-based systems. Advantages are that it quenches the fire. Disadvantages are that systems are heavier, will not spread out like Halon, leaves a mess both in the car and on the track.

Halon 1301: The best product on the market. Advantages are that it is effective, non-toxic, non-caustic, leave no residue, small, lightweight, industry standard with plenty of supply, no thermal shock, leaves no mess. Disadvantages are that it does not quench the fire and it is Ozone depleting.