AFFF has been used by the DoD for about 50 years but discoveries about the persistent nature and human-health impacts of PFAS ingredients in these formulations necessitate development of PFAS-free firefighting foams. AFFF is a very effective tool used in fighting class B pool fires. The hydrophobic and oleophobic nature of PFAS surfactants allows these foam formulations to quickly form an effective barrier between the fuel and flame and extinguish the flame. The initial performance criteria in the current military specification requires that a 28-square-foot, alcohol free, fuel fire be completely extinguished in less than 30 seconds utilizing an application rate of two gallons per minute. The foams are thermally stable and can remain intact for several minutes, thus allowing firefighters safe ingress and egress. The qualification test for this criteria is termed burnback.

Efforts to develop alternative formulations were initiated in 2017 and have continued since then. To date no formulations can meet all the performance specifications of AFFF, but researchers are starting to identify commercial and developmental formulations that meet burnback but do not meet extinguishment criteria.