Experimental Study on Rheological Behavior of Firefighting Foams

TL;DR

This study explores how firefighting foam changes over time and responds to shear forces, revealing unique behaviors that differ from general aqueous foams.

Contribution

The study introduces new insights into the rheological behavior of rapidly aging firefighting foams and highlights the inadequacy of general foam models for this specific application.

Findings

Firefighting foam's rheology follows the Burgers model in the linear viscoelastic region.

The foam exhibits ductile yielding and shear thinning, well described by the Herschel–Bulkley model.

Foam drainage and coarsening lead to distinct rheological responses in linear and nonlinear regions.

Abstract

The rheological behavior of firefighting foam is the basis for analyzing foam flow and foam spreading. This experimental study investigates the complex rheological behavior of rapidly aging firefighting foams, specifically focusing on alcohol-resistant aqueous film-forming foam. The primary objective is to characterize the time-dependent viscoelasticity, yielding, and viscous flow of firefighting foam under controlled shear conditions, addressing the significant challenge posed by its rapid structural evolution (drainage and coarsening) during measurement. Using a cylindrical Couette rheometer, conductivity measurements for the liquid fraction, and microscopy for the bubble size analysis, the study quantifies how foam aging impacts key rheological parameters. The results show that the creep and relaxation response of the firefighting foam in the linear viscoelastic region conforms to the Burgers model. The firefighting foam shows ductile yielding and significant shear thinning, and its flow curve under slow shear can be well represented by the Herschel–Bulkley model. Foam drainage and coarsening have competitive effects on the rheology of the firefighting foam, which results in monotonic and nonmonotonic variations in the rheological response in the linear and nonlinear viscoelastic regions, respectively. The work reveals that established empirical relationships between rheology, liquid fraction, and bubble size for general aqueous foams are inadequate for firefighting foams, highlighting the need for foam-specific constitutive models.

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