What Is BrX?
Halotron BrX (stabilized 2-BTP) is a high performance clean extinguishing agent (i.e., volatile and electrically non-conductive) that is designed for applications where efficient firefighting performance is the most important factor. The unique molecule employed contains bromine, which is "chemically active" (i.e., a chain breaker atom which interferes with the chemical transitions necessary to support combustion) and therefore offers an advantage over conventional clean agents. These other common clean agents, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and fluoroketones, extinguish fires primarily utilizing a physical action (heat removal) effect. This property of Halotron BrX enables a lower weight equivalence to halon 1211 compared to other halocarbon clean agents that do not have the chain breaking effect and require larger and heavier extinguishers. This weight effectiveness has resulted in Halotron BrX gaining acceptance as an effective replacement for halon in aviation uses. Since it is a clean agent, it does not leave potentially harmful residues after application. This is in contrast to conventional dry chemical agents such as mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) ("ABC Dry Chemical") and potassium bicarbonate ("Purple K") which both leave fine particle dust that has to be cleaned up and that can be corrosive.

Physical Advantages
Halotron BrX has a relatively high boiling point of 93°F (34°C) and this makes it suitable in portable fire extinguishers where the operator can apply the agent at extended distances. This is in contrast to other volatile agents (HFCs) that have lower boiling points (and are therefore more gaseous). This property has proven to be advantageous during qualification testing.

How Does It Work?
Bromine (Br) from the Halotron BrX scavenges the chemical reaction by stripping hydrogen from the fuel source, creating HBr, which interrupts the combustion cycle by reacting with combustion radicals to create water. The bromine is then free to start the process again. This chain breaking scavenging along with physical properties of the agent that cool the fire result in a quick extinguishment of the fire.