Fire protection for tank farms and terminals
Dryfoam protects flammable liquid storage tanks without water, foam concentrate, piping or pumps. A six-inch layer of engineered beads floats on the liquid surface and suppresses the vapors that burn, preventing ignition. The beads stay in place all the time, so the tank is protected before anything goes wrong rather than after a foam system is deployed. Dryfoam is UL Listed for protection against full-surface fires in fixed flammable and combustible liquid tanks.
How does Dryfoam protect a storage tank?
Flammable liquids don't burn; the vapors above them do. The bead layer covers the liquid surface and holds a zone of saturated vapor inside it that wind can't strip away, which cuts the vapor released into the tank's headspace. Each bead carries oil-phobic, water-phobic and intumescent coatings; if flame reaches the surface, the top beads form a sacrificial crust that insulates the beads and liquid beneath.
In independent tests at Southwest Research Institute, a six-inch layer cut the evaporation rate of acetone by up to 98.7% in moving air, and by about 91–93% for heptane and acetone across tank sizes.
Is Dryfoam UL Listed for storage tanks?
Yes. Dryfoam is UL Listed as buoyant media for protection against full-surface fires in fixed flammable and combustible liquid tanks and repositories (UL category CPHW, file EX27169), investigated to UL 63345. Under the listing, the beads go on the liquid surface of an enclosed fixed-roof tank or repository as primary protection when there's no floating roof, or on an internal floating roof as supplemental protection. Consult the Authority Having Jurisdiction before installing; the specifications page has the full listing details.
Where does it go in a tank farm?
- On the liquid surface of fixed-roof tanks and repositories
- On internal floating roofs, as supplemental protection
- Floating roof rim seals
- Sunken floating roof tanks
- Sumps and temporary containment
It works on common flammable liquids, including crude oil, jet fuel, gasoline, ethanol, methanol, LPG and LNG.
Rim seal test
Why not a foam system?
Dryfoam began with crude oil tanks in the Arctic, where conventional foam protection is impractical: storing large volumes of water on permafrost is hard, pumps and piping stop working in extreme cold, and spraying water near −50°F (−46°C) endangers crews. The same trade-offs apply wherever water is scarce or a fire water network is expensive to build and maintain.
| AFFF and F3 foam | Dryfoam | |
|---|---|---|
| Water storage | Required | None |
| Fire water network, pumps, proportioning | Required | None |
| Special training | Required | None |
| Calm weather to apply | Needed | No: in place before a fire |
Does it work with existing foam systems?
Yes. In incident response, Dryfoam acts as an inert raft that lets small amounts of traditional water-based foam do more, even on polar solvents like ethanol, where foam alone struggles.
How much does a tank need?
A typical layer is six inches of beads over the liquid surface. The Dryfoam coverage calculator estimates the volume, and the number of bulk supersacks or outdoor bags, for your containment. Bulk supersacks hold 1 m³ (35 ft³) each.
Next steps
See the full specifications and testing, download the cut sheet (PDF), or email contact@dry-foam.com with your tank type, product and diameter for an engineering-first conversation.