Subcommittee D26.09 on Fire Extinguishing Agents is dedicated to developing standards that provide end users with an assurance of quality in fire extinguishing agents, as well as to ensure the safe handling, transport and storage of such agents. The subcommittee, which is under the jurisdiction of ASTM International Committee D26 on Halogenated Organic Solvents and Fire Extinguishing Agents, is currently at work on two proposed standards, WK12666, Practice for Handling, Transportation, and Storage of HFC Blend B (CF₃CH₂F, CF₃CF₂H, and CO₂), and WK12667, Specification for HFC Blend B (CF₃CH₂F, CF₃CF₂H, and CO₂).
 
WK12666 will cover guidance and direction to suppliers, reclaimers, purchasers, and users in the handling, transportation and storage of the fire-extinguishing agent, HFC Blend B, while WK12667 will cover the requirements for HFC Blend B as a fire-fighting medium.
 
According to Mark L. Robin, chair of Subcommittee D26.09, WK12666 and WK12667 will join a number of standards that the subcommittee has developed for the handling, transportation and storage of fire extinguishing agents. Agents covered in the previously developed standards include bromotrifluoromethane, heptafluoropropane, pentafluoroethane, hexafluoropropane and HCFC Blend A.
 
“The standards that D26.09 develop are used by architects and engineers in the design of fire suppression systems for the protection of computer rooms, electronic data processing facilities, military facilities and vehicles and museums,” says Robin.
 
Interested parties are welcome to join in the standards developing activities of Subcommittee D26.09. Robin notes that the subcommittee would particularly like to see participation from other types of suppression systems, for example, aerosol type fire extinguishers.

For further technical information, contact: Mark L. Robin, DuPont Fluoroproducts, Wilmington, Del. (phone: 302/999-5002; mark.l.robin@usa.dupont.com). Committee D26 meets Jan. 31, 2007, at the January Committee Week in Costa Mesa, Calif. For membership or meeting information, contact Nancy Morrissey, manager, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9736; nmorriss@astm.org).

Release #7534