DIY "Starlite" like supermaterial - can melt coins in your palm with no burns - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2018, 10:44:34 pm
content: Not fake:Full BBC documentary about the story of the original Starlite:

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 01:13:03 am
content: So it's self raising bread dough basically. Baking soda, some carbon based material and something to hold it together. Could be quite useful for projects.

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 01:45:44 am
content: Interesting video. The purported Starlite formula was a combination of 20+ substances which were nearly all organic and supposedly edible.I remember Starlite on TV way back. The inventor wanted somebody to pay megabucks to get partial ownership of the formula but refused to allow anybody to do thorough testing. It isn't too surprising that nobody took him up on his offer. One of the theories why he only allowed basic testing under close supervision was that it wasn't a stable substance and would degrade rapidly which would limit actual uses of it. Only way you'd find that out was to pay up but then its far too late.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 03:07:30 am
content: Looks like what's essentially a basic ablative shield.

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 03:30:00 am
content: There is an additional component though, the dough puff up when heated, creating a foam, which turns into carbon foam when exposed to heat. The carbon foam works as an ablative shield.That makes me wonder. In the video he says it would be better to let it dry first, since the moisture will conduct more heat than necessary. However, if it was dry would the bakingsoda still be able to create a foam?AvE has made some carbon foam in the past:

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 05:34:28 am
content: uh yea did you never eat at macdonalds before?

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 07:53:18 pm
content: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2018, 12:46:15 am
content: Yes, baking soda releases CO2 when heated. There are other materials that release more gas on heating, but it's a pretty good one for "kitchen" supplies.Tim

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2018, 04:31:36 am
content: Aerogel is cool but it's notoriously difficult (somewhat dangerous actually) to make yourself (consequently expensive), unlike bread, baking soda, etc.

author: MT
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2019, 02:53:17 am
content: Codys lab's take on above Hawklite and not on original Starlite, but anyway.

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2019, 05:41:01 am
content: It would be an interesting experiment to compare it to an industry standard fire proofing.Take some Type-X drywall and some normal 1/2 inch drywall with an added 1/8" of hawklite and see how long it takes a bunsen burner to burn through both and how well they insulate until they burn through.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2019, 06:00:41 am
content: heat a dry bowl of carbonate salt on a flame and it is very peculiar. If its really fine (flour +). Because its turning into gas, it has very low friction. Its rather bizzare. Milled copper carbonate works well for this demonstration, as it turns into black copper oxide. Color change and this super-low friction stuff going on. Its like a witches cauldron.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2019, 01:05:05 pm
content: It's called a fluidized bed, gas bubbling up through a fine granular substance. It's as industrially useful as it is cool-looking!Tim

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2019, 02:41:28 pm
content: Oh, that should work for electronics PCB, too!http://www.seattlerobotics.org/encoder/199804/breadbrd.html

author: MT
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2019, 02:52:36 pm
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on February 01, 2019, 01:05:05 pmSuch as electrostatic powder coating. Its surprising how expensive fire proofing paint are.

author: MT
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 12:04:52 am
content: Hawklite crucible filled with termite: