Editing Emulsion (section)

=== In firefighting ===
Emulsifying agents are effective at extinguishing fires on small, thin-layer spills of flammable liquids ([[Fire classes|class B fire]]s). Such agents encapsulate the fuel in a fuel-water emulsion, thereby trapping the flammable vapors in the water phase. This emulsion is achieved by applying an [[Aqueous solution|aqueous]] surfactant solution to the fuel through a high-pressure nozzle. Emulsifiers are not effective at extinguishing large fires involving bulk/deep liquid fuels, because the amount of emulsifier agent needed for extinguishment is a function of the volume of the fuel, whereas other agents such as [[Fire-fighting foam|aqueous film-forming foam]] <!-- (AFFF) --> need cover only the surface of the fuel to achieve vapor mitigation.<ref>{{cite book|title=Principles of Fire Protection Chemistry and Physics |author=Friedman, Raymond |isbn= 978-0-87765-440-7|year=1998|publisher=[[Jones & Bartlett Learning]]}}</ref>