| OBSERVATION'S |
The new fire-fighting fluid was the result of serendipity. Co.'s researchers first made the fluoroketone in 1995 by reacting the acyl fluoride CF3CF2COF with perfluoropropylene in the presence of a catalyst (KF). They were intending to use the fluoroketone as an intermediate in the manufacture of hydrofluoroethers, a family of compounds that Co. commercialized in 1996. But once the Co.'s researchers had accumulated some 200 lb of the fluoroketone, they decided to see what effect it would have on flames. "It did a very nice job of putting out fires. A patent on its use was filed in 2000 and production was scaled up to provide test quantities for toxicity, performance, and other tests. In 2001, the regulatory green lights began shining. And the first sales of the product were made last year--only 2.5 years after its effect on fires was established. This is very fast by industry standards, he added.
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