AFP (Advanced Fire Protection) is redesigned PPE for firefighters. The suit is comprised of starlite/nomex composite tiles, allowing the suit to be lighter, more mobile, and resist higher temperatures.
The goal was to create a material to withstand extreme heat.
Some other goals I had were for the material to be lightweight, thin, cheap, and easy to make. I researched a material called Starlite. The material had amazing properties, but its ingredients were never released to the public. Even if they were, I wanted to create something that could withstand more physical abuse than traditional starlite. After much material exploration and experimentation, I created my own starlite mixture that led me closer to my desired goal. I then chose to create tiles by infusing my version of the material into a Nomex Honeycomb (another heat resistant material). The Nomex gives the tile structure, while the Starlite provides flame/heat protection.
The tiles can withstand minutes of direct exposure to high temperature flames. All samples were tested with a propane torch, which reaches roughly 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit (for reference, most residential fires burn between 1,000 - 2,000 degrees F). All of this is accomplished by a tile that is less than ½” thick.
