NRL Fire Fighting Foams: Dynamics and Behavior
The Navy seeks research to develop environmentally safe firefighting foams that perform like existing foams, focusing on surfactant properties and their impact on fire suppression.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (Next deadline)
Funding Amounts: $99,200 stipend plus $3,000 travel allowance; relocation assistance available for eligible awardees. Typical award duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship at the Naval Research Laboratory to develop environmentally safe firefighting foams with performance comparable to aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), focusing on surfactant chemistry and foam behavior.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents; requires Ph.D. earned within last 5 years; health insurance provided; relocation support for those living >50 miles from host lab.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) supports research on firefighting foams, specifically aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), which is critical for fire protection in military and civilian applications. AFFF works by coating hydrocarbon fuels with foam that acts as a thermal barrier to extinguish fires. The foam’s effectiveness depends on surfactants that reduce surface tension, including hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon surfactants.
Due to environmental concerns about PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in traditional AFFF formulations, this research aims to identify and characterize novel, environmentally benign surfactants and foam formulations that match or exceed AFFF performance without harmful environmental impact. This includes exploring PFAS-free surfactants and biologically derived materials.
Key scientific challenges include:
- Understanding how surfactant and fuel molecular composition influence oleophobicity (resistance to oil).
- Investigating Langmuir-Blodgett film structures related to foam layers.
- Studying synergistic effects between different surfactants.
- Exploring the role of micelles in surfactant transport across interfaces.
- Examining how fuel type affects foam stability.
The research requires a strong background in surfactant chemistry, physical chemistry, and fire suppression science.
