The fireproof substance is made from recycled paper and a chemical compound.
Ronak Shaneh developed the paper, which is non- flammable, after months of hard work. It only changes color when exposed to high temperatures and flames.
The paper can be used as wallpaper and thwart the spread of fire in buildings.
The invention can be used for protecting valuable documents as well.
She performed thorough research and conducted trials, which finally resulted in such a brilliant achievement.
Continued testing
In the first trial, she dissolved two grams of sodium chloride in water; then she turned it into a homogeneous solution using a volumetric flask.
The same trial continued with two grams of iron chloride.
In both trials, she plunged pieces of paper into the solution to specify their resistance levels to fire.
Three Bunsen burners were used to specify how the pieces of paper burned.
A piece of regular paper burned in seven seconds while it took 18 seconds to burn a piece of paper impregnated with sodium chloride. The paper with iron chloride had an incomplete combustion which was a turning point. However, the result was not satisfactory.
Shaneh repeated the test with lithium chloride. She managed to dissolve it in water and turn it into a homogeneous solution using a volumetric flask. However, the flame reduced the paper to ash in 24 seconds.
She also conducted the test with a mixture of lithium chloride, sodium chloride and iron chloride, which took no more than 12 seconds to burn.
She was determined to produce fireproof paper. This encouraged her to proceed with fresh tests.
The intellect mixed pieces of paper in hot water in a big bowl. Shaneh also dissolved half a glass of starch in a glass of water and added it to the content of the bowl. At times, she stirred the materials for three days to eventually turn the paper into a gray pulp.
The student mixed half of a glass of iron chloride with the same amount of starch and mixed it with water. She then put it into a microwave oven to turn it into a solution. Orange dough was produced as this mixture was added to the gray pulp.
The dough was flattened and air dried to produce new paper.
This time, flames of the Bunsen burner could not burn the final product. This was the fireproof paper produced after months of hard work. It only changed color as it was exposed to hot flames of the burner.
Iron chloride
Iron chloride, also called ferric chloride, is an industrial scale commodity chemical compound. When dissolved in water, iron chloride undergoes hydrolysis and gives off heat in an exothermic reaction. The resulting brown, acidic, and corrosive solution is used as a flocculent in sewage treatment and drinking water production, and as an etchant for copper-based metals in printed circuit boards.
Fireproof paper usage
A fire could cause irreparable damage and casualties.
Since the fireproof paper can be used as wallpaper, it can reduce imminent threats.
If the electrical wiring of a building is engulfed in flames, the fireproof wallpaper prevents the fire from spreading through walls.
The fireproof paper also raises alarm about threats of a fire by changing its color.
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