FY 2018 STATEMENT OF NEED

Weapons Systems and Platforms (WP) Program Area

The objective of this limited-scope Statement of Need (SON) was to develop a fluorine-free surfactant formulation for use in Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) fire-suppression operations. Specifically, the goal was to address the following research needs:

• Identify and test fluorine-free surfactants for use in AFFF that could potentially meet the performance requirements defined in Section 3.4, 4.7.13.1 and 4.7.13.2 of MIL-F-24385F.
• Test alternative materials to validate persistence and aquatic toxicity.

The projects listed below were selected to address the objectives of this SON. Additional information on individual projects can be found by clicking the project title.

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  • Lead Investigator: Matthew Davis, NAWCWD China Lake
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  • Lead Investigator: Ramagopal Ananth, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
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  • Lead Investigator: Jaspreet Dhau, Molekule, Inc.
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  • Lead Investigator: Kris Rangan, Materials Modification, Inc.

New fluorine-free surfactants will enable sustained manufacture and use of AFFF by meeting environmental requirements while maintaining equivalent performance to ensure safety of DoD personnel at airfields and onboard ships.