F-500 Extinguishers provide the ultimate protection against lithium-ion battery fires for the marine, commercial and private sectors.
From mobile phones to power batteries for ship propulsion systems, lithium-ion batteries power devices used every day in the marine, commercial, and private sectors. As they have a high energy density, even lithium-ion batteries used in smaller devices — such as laptops, appliances, tools, and jet skis — present a variety of fire hazards that demand superior fire protection.
These batteries pose risks that include overheating—especially during charging—and internal pressure buildup that can lead to the explosion of the battery.
Multi-cell batteries can present an even higher risk, as neighbouring cells can ignite and transform the entire battery into a hazard with temperatures potentially exceeding 1000°C/1832°F.
Also, external forces, such as mechanical damage or external heat sources, can cause the battery to become a fire hazard.
Fire protection for hazardous areas that may involve lithium-ion batteries must be able to:
Suppress the lithium-ion
battery cell fire
Cool the battery cells to help
stop self-heating
Halt the ignition of
neighbouring cells (thermal runaway)
Help ensure the safety of
people in the hazard areas
New F-500 portable extinguishers really deliver
The new F-500 fire extinguishers provide superior protection through the cooling of superheated surfaces; high penetration of the extinguishing agent into the flammable material; and encapsulation of liquid fuel and potentially toxic exhaust gases. Fire extinguishers that blanket the burning battery with the goal of cutting off oxygen to help prevent reflash (e.g., D-powder) have not yielded positive results in practice. In some cases, a lithium-ion battery may release oxygen itself when burning, and the explosions of the cells can destroy the battery’s casing because of the kinetic energy of the violently discharged gases.
Why does the F-500 extinguisher agent succeed where other agents fail?
The F-500 extinguishing agent has proven more effective than other commonly used agents in the areas of cooling, agent penetration, and reduction of toxic gases.
Stronger cooling effect
Multiple tests have shown that the more powerful the cooling effect of the extinguisher/extinguishing agent, the more rapidly the fire is extinguished. Combining water with the F-500 additive creates a stronger cooling effect compared with pure water and other extinguishing agents (e.g., foam). The evaporation and extraction of heat begin at 70°C/158°F.
Greater penetrative effect
The surface tension of water is reduced considerably when the F-500 agent is added. This significantly increases the ability of the extinguishing agent to penetrate the battery and deliver the substantial cooling effect where it is most effective.
Reduction of toxic exhaust gases
The F-500 is an “encapsulation agent” that can envelop/contain combustibles and flammable gases, thus inhibiting their oxidizing effect (SAFE effect). This also helps reduce the impact of possible toxic exhaust gases (HF).
F-500 proves itself in rigorous testing
The fire hazard of lithium-ion batteries stems primarily from the flammable electrolytes — not the lithium — inside the battery. This may ignite if there is a temperature increase.
In cooperation with the Energy Research Centre of Lower Saxony (EFZN) Goslar, rigorous month-long fire behaviour tests were conducted on various types of lithium-ion batteries to address the spread of fire, temperature measurement, air emissions, and sewage water analysis with and without extinguishing the burning batteries. The extinguishing agent additive, F-500 (2 percent admixture to water), proved to be exceptionally effective.
The independent Dutch certification body KIWA, which oversees the testing and certification of extinguishing devices, tested and evaluated the F-500 extinguishing alongside common extinguishing agents such as powder and foam. Tests (KIWA no. 16120045) concluded that, of the tested agents, when used properly, only the F-500 was able to extinguish the burning lithium-ion batteries and reliably stop the spread of fire caused by thermal runaways before the cells exploded. The battery did not re-ignite in any test after suppression. This is because of the F-500‘s ability to penetrate and cool, a characteristic not found in dry chemical or powder agents.
| Type | Result | Remark | ||||
| Nr. 1 | Nr. 2 | Nr. 3 | ||||
| Powder Extinguisher |
Poor |
Poor |
Poor |
Do not apply on Li-ion battery fire |
||
| Foam Extinguisher | Moderate |
Poor / Moderate |
Moderate |
Not recommended to apply on Li-ion battery fire |
||
| F-500 Extinguisher |
Sufficient |
Sufficient |
Sufficient |
Can be recommended to apply on Li-ion battery fire |
||
According to the KIWA report:
A hand fire extinguisher unit with the F-500 Encapsulator Agent as an additive is significantly better at achieving suppression mode directly after ignition of a single 1.9 kWh Cleantron battery than a hand fire extinguisher using standard powder or foam.
The F-500 hand fire extinguisher is recommended for application on a lithium-ion battery fire, taking into account the attempt to achieve suppression of a lithium-ion battery fire is not without any danger because of the possible explosive behaviour of the battery.
Advantages of the F-500 Extinguisher
| Benefit |
Safety | Environment |
| Strong cooling effect (evaporation starts at 70°C/158°F) | + |
+ |
| High penetrative effect of the extinguishing agent into the flammable material |
+ |
+ |
| Encapsulation of liquid fuel and exhaust gases |
+ |
+ |
| Significant reduction of toxic gases (HF) |
+ |
+ |
| Simple and safe operation |
+ |
|
| Fluorine-free extinguishing agent |
+ |
|
| Quick and completely degradable |
+ |
|
| Extinguishing agent certification per UL, EN, maritime navigation regulations |
+ |
|
| NATO stock number | + |
|
| Low corrosive effect (pH value approx. 7) |
+ |
|
| Fulfils EN3 specifications on the applicability with electrical systems (up to 1 kV, 1m min distance) |
+ |
|
| Trajectory length 4-6 m |
+ |
|
| Tried and trusted inner and outer plastic coating of the containers |
+ |
|
| 100% pressure testing of all containers |
+ |
|
| Easy maintenance |
+ |
|
| Made in Germany |
+ |
Other Applications
In addition to lithium-ion batteries, F-500 portable extinguishers help protect against a wide array of potential fire hazards including:
- Solar panels
- Manufacturing, processing and storage of rubber (Including tyres)
- Plastic and foil processing
- Mixed waste (Disposal and recycling)
- Manufacturing, processing, storage and warehousing of plastics
- Small load carriers
Related Page List
Other Fire Extinguishers
Our fire extinguishers provide versatile fire protection that’s compact, portable, and cost effective. With top quality construction and performance, our products show why Johnson Controls is an industry leader.
Fire Suppression
From sprinkler systems to water mist installations, we provide commercial-grade fire suppression and life safety solutions for all kinds of facilities, all around the world.
Marine Solutions
Johnson Controls offer the complete range of turnkey solutions to the Naval and Commercial sectors within the marine industry.