For more than two decades, 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid was one of the most widely recognized clean agents used to protect data centers, electrical rooms, control rooms, power facilities, and other mission-critical environments.
In December 2022, 3M announced that it would exit PFAS manufacturing globally by the end of 2025. The decision was driven by increasing regulatory and environmental concerns surrounding PFAS. That same decision also set in motion the broader industry shift away from PFAS-based firefighting foam, covered in PFAS and the Future of Firefighting Foam.
When Did Novec 1230 Production Stop?
While 3M’s overall PFAS exit was completed at the end of 2025, 3M announced that Novec 1230 manufacturing would be discontinued by Dec. 31, 2024. This created significant concern throughout the fire protection industry because Novec 1230 had become a standard clean-agent solution for many critical applications.
Is FK-5-1-12 Gone?
No.
One important distinction is that Novec 1230 is a 3M brand name, while FK-5-1-12 is the underlying chemical designation.
Although 3M stopped manufacturing Novec 1230, FK-5-1-12 continues to be manufactured by other chemical suppliers around the world, including manufacturers in China and other markets. New suppliers and fire suppression manufacturers are also bringing UL-listed and FM-approved FK-5-1-12 products to the market.
What Has Changed?
3M’s exit has created both challenges and opportunities for the fire protection industry. Contractors and facility owners now need to consider:
- Who manufactures the agent
- UL listing and FM approval
- Agent purity and system compatibility
- Long-term availability
- Supply-chain reliability
- Recycled and alternative sources
- Future maintenance and recharge requirements
Some of those alternative sources are other clean-agent chemistries entirely—contractors weighing their options are also watching the ongoing phasedown of FM-200 under the AIM Act, discussed in The AIM Act and the Future of FM-200.
The end of Novec 1230 also highlights an important lesson: a fire suppression system should be evaluated not only by how well it performs today, but by whether the agent and equipment will remain available and supportable throughout the life of the facility.
Looking Ahead
The Novec 1230 name may be disappearing, but FK-5-1-12 remains an important clean-agent technology.
For data centers, modular facilities, electrical rooms, and other mission-critical applications, the industry is moving toward a more diversified supply chain with multiple manufacturers and product options.
The end of Novec 1230 is not the end of FK-5-1-12—it is the beginning of a new chapter for clean-agent fire suppression.
Related Reading
- PFAS and the Future of Firefighting Foam
- The AIM Act and the Future of FM-200
- Halon 1301: Why It Was Phased Out—and Why Fire Protection Professionals Still Need to Know It
Roshan Karki is a Special Hazards Subject Matter Expert for educational content created by Fire Tech Productions, Inc.
