RedSpider
22nd April, 2012, 11:28 AM
During the 1970's and 80's, Maurice Ward, a retired hairdresser and science hobbyist from Yorkshire, developed a material which he named 'Starlite'.
Starlite is a thermal shielding material (plastic) that has proved to be better than anything ever produced by the worlds top scientists at institutions like NASA.
Live demonstrations of the material, shown on BBC's Tomorrows World in 1993, showed that an egg coated in Starlite could withstand a sustained blowtorch attack without any signs of cooking when the egg was cracked open.
It could also prevent a blowtorch from damaging a human hand.
Maurice Ward Starlite The Great Egg test - YouTube
Maurice on Tomorrows World - YouTube
When tested using a military laser it was discovered that Starlite could withstand the heat flash from a nuclear explosion. They tested it to over 10000 centigrade , there is no known material that can survive that sort of temperature.
Most of the heat resistant materials currently in production produce toxic fumes when heated, Starlite did not produce harmful fumes.
This material has so many potential applications in the world today that it benefit mankind immensely. If applied to paint it could make houses burn proof, create heat resistant suits for fire fighters, it could shield military vehicles against nuclear blasts, even make something invisible to infra-red detection, protect missiles from lasers or be used in private space ventures.
?Starlite has a Q-value [an energy absorption rating] of 2,470. The space shuttle tiles have a Q-value of 1.? Not only that, but because Starlite is so lightweight ? 1mm thick, compared to 75mm for the space tiles ? it?s actually ?2,470 x 75 times better?.
Starlite's composition is a closely guarded secret, but it is said to contain a variety of (organic) polymers and co-polymers with both organic and inorganic additives, including borates and small quantities of ceramics and other special barrier ingredients ? up to 21 in all. Perhaps uniquely for a thermal and blast-proof material, it is not wholly inorganic but up to 90 percent organic.
After many years of trying to get Starlite onto the market, Maurice was finally in talks with NASA and Boeing but Ward insisted on maintaining a 51% share of commercial profits, which may have hindered Starlite's takeup.
By the time of Wards death in May 2011, there appeared to be no commercialisation of Starlite and the secret of it's composition may well have gone to the grave with him.
Starlite is a thermal shielding material (plastic) that has proved to be better than anything ever produced by the worlds top scientists at institutions like NASA.
Live demonstrations of the material, shown on BBC's Tomorrows World in 1993, showed that an egg coated in Starlite could withstand a sustained blowtorch attack without any signs of cooking when the egg was cracked open.
It could also prevent a blowtorch from damaging a human hand.
Maurice Ward Starlite The Great Egg test - YouTube
Maurice on Tomorrows World - YouTube
When tested using a military laser it was discovered that Starlite could withstand the heat flash from a nuclear explosion. They tested it to over 10000 centigrade , there is no known material that can survive that sort of temperature.
Most of the heat resistant materials currently in production produce toxic fumes when heated, Starlite did not produce harmful fumes.
This material has so many potential applications in the world today that it benefit mankind immensely. If applied to paint it could make houses burn proof, create heat resistant suits for fire fighters, it could shield military vehicles against nuclear blasts, even make something invisible to infra-red detection, protect missiles from lasers or be used in private space ventures.
?Starlite has a Q-value [an energy absorption rating] of 2,470. The space shuttle tiles have a Q-value of 1.? Not only that, but because Starlite is so lightweight ? 1mm thick, compared to 75mm for the space tiles ? it?s actually ?2,470 x 75 times better?.
Starlite's composition is a closely guarded secret, but it is said to contain a variety of (organic) polymers and co-polymers with both organic and inorganic additives, including borates and small quantities of ceramics and other special barrier ingredients ? up to 21 in all. Perhaps uniquely for a thermal and blast-proof material, it is not wholly inorganic but up to 90 percent organic.
After many years of trying to get Starlite onto the market, Maurice was finally in talks with NASA and Boeing but Ward insisted on maintaining a 51% share of commercial profits, which may have hindered Starlite's takeup.
By the time of Wards death in May 2011, there appeared to be no commercialisation of Starlite and the secret of it's composition may well have gone to the grave with him.