Physical Properties
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Abstract
3M ™ Novec ™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid is a next-generation halon alternative offering outstanding performance, large margin of safety, and an excellent environmental profile. • Zero ozone depletion potential • 5-day atmospheric lifetime • A global warming potential of 1 • A large margin of safety for occupied spaces Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid is based on a proprietary chemical from 3M called a fluoroketone. The full chemical name for this compound is dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one. Its ASHRAE nomenclature – the way it is designated in the NFPA 2001 and ISO 14520 clean agent standards – is FK-5-1-12. Novec 1230 fluid offers a unique combination of safety, low environmental impact and extinguishing performance, making it the first chemical halon replacement to offer a viable, long-term, sustainable technology for special hazards fire protection. Novec 1230 fluid is applied as a gas, but is liquid at room temperature. It is electrically non-conducting in both the liquid and gaseous state. The breakdown voltage of Novec 1230 fluid vapor under saturated conditions at 1 atm, 21°C over a 2.7 mm electrode gap is 15.6 kV, nearly 2.3 times that of dry nitrogen. The breakdown voltage of liquid Novec 1230 fluid under the same conditions is 48 kV. The properties of Novec 1230 fluid are similar to many of the first generation halon alternatives with one primary exception – this compound is a liquid at ambient conditions. The boiling point of Novec 1230 fluid is 49.2°C, meaning this product has a much lower vapor pressure than other clean agents, which are gases at ambient conditions. Novec 1230 fluid has a very low heat of vaporization, approximately 25 times less than that of water. This, along with a higher vapor pressure, causes Novec 1230 fluid to evaporate more than 50 times faster than water. This allows the agent to transition from a liquid to a gaseous state very rapidly when discharged through a nozzle. In a properly designed system, Novec 1230 fluid will rapidly vaporize and evenly distribute throughout the protected space.