Starlite

Starlite is a material claimed to be able to withstand and insulate from extreme heat. It was invented by amateur chemist and hairdresser Maurice Ward (1933–2011) during the 1970s and 1980s, and received significant publicity after coverage of the material aired in 1990[1] on the science and technology show: Tomorrow's World. The name Starlite was coined by Ward's granddaughter Kimberly.

Despite interest from NASA and other major technological companies, Ward never revealed the composition of Starlite, which is still unknown. Ward once mentioned that his close family knows the fabrication process, but after his death neither his wife nor any of his four daughters have produced any sample to demonstrate that they know the process.

Firepaste[2] by Troy Hurtubise might be a material with similar properties.

Properties

Under tests, Starlite was claimed to be able to withstand attack by a laser beam that could produce a temperature of 10,000 degrees Celsius. Live demonstrations on Tomorrow's World and BBC Radio 4 showed that an egg coated in Starlight could remain raw, and cold enough to be picked up with a bare hand, even after five minutes in the flame of a blowtorch. It would also prevent a blowtorch from damaging a human hand.[3] When heat is applied, the material chars which creates an expanding low density foam of carbon which is very thermally resistant. [4]

Former Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence Sir Ronald Mason noted, "Maurice sometimes speaks scientific cobblers, but this is really the most remarkable material".[5]

Materials scientist Mark Miodownik described Starlite as one of the materials he would most like to see for himself.[6] Miodownik compares Starlite to paints that have an intumescent quality.[7]

NASA spokesman Rudi Narangor said of their discussions with Ward, "We have done a lot of evaluation and ...we know all the tremendous possibilities that this material has."[8]

Commercialisation

Ward allowed various organisations such as the Atomic Weapons Establishment and ICI to conduct tests on samples, but did not permit them to retain samples for fear of reverse engineering. Ward maintained that his invention was worth billions and he insisted he retain 51% ownership of the formula – a move that may have hindered Starlite's commercialisation.

Although Ward claimed discussions with various organisations such as NASA, he was very protective of the composition for fear of losing control of the rights to the material (not even letting samples out of his sight). By the time of his death in May 2011, there appeared to have been no commercialisation of Starlite, and the formulation of the material has not been released to the public. According to a 2016 broadcast of the BBC programme The Naked Scientists, Ward took his secrets with him when he died.[9]

In 2011, an anonymous contributor to The Guardian's Notes & Queries section said that the main issue was that Starlite came in the form of powder that had to be mixed with Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) glue to be coated, but that such coating had a very limited lifespan. He also says that "this is the true reason why Mr Ward was never able to sell or bring his incomplete product to market." This contributor also claims that there was at least one other complete and superior product undergoing tests at the time he published his comment.[10]

Composition

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 material claimed to be thermal and blast-proof, it is claimed to be not wholly inorganic but up to 90 percent organic.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Keene, Jamie (17 May 2012). "Starlite: the miracle material that could be lost forever". The Verge. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "firepaste". 4 October 2003.
  3. ↑ "Maurice on Tomorrow's World". YouTube. 29 March 2009.
  4. ↑ "How does Starlite work?". BBC Reel. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  5. ↑ "Soundbites". The Guardian. 12 Apr 1993.
  6. ↑ Fisher, Richard (16 May 2012). "The power of cool: Whatever became of Starlite?". New Scientist.
  7. ↑ What's inside Starlite? (at 5:15), October 2018
  8. 1 2 George, Rose (15 April 2009). "Starlite, the nuclear blast-defying plastic that could change the world". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Smith, Chris (2 August 2016). "The mystery of Starlite". The Naked Scientists. (Written transcript of audio programme). BBC.
  10. ↑ "Notes & Queries: What happened to 'starlite'..." Guardian News and Media Limited 2011
  • Starlite, Interesting Thing of the Day .
  • Maurice Ward: 2009 Radio Interview About Starlite (MPEG 3), Steven Rinehart
  • George, Rose (April 15, 2009), Starlite, the nuclear blast defying plastic that could change the world, London: The Telegraph, Interview with Maurice Ward .
  • Ward, Maurice, "Starlite Channel", YouTube, Google .
  • Ward, Maurice, "Starlite", Blogger (Blog), Google .
  • Waugh, Rob (May 17, 2012), The miracle 'everything-proof' paint that could change the world - but secret may have died with its inventor, London: The Daily Mail .
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