Starlite and thermal barrier fun

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the material Starlite, known for its exceptional thermal barrier properties, which was invented by Maurice Ward, who kept its formula secret until his death. A user with no scientific background attempted to replicate Starlite's properties by mixing hair products with various compounds and conducting an egg test, where an egg remained uncooked despite being exposed to high heat. The user seeks feedback on whether their experiment indicates they are onto something significant or if the egg test is not a noteworthy demonstration. A response argues that the egg test is not particularly impressive, noting that cooking eggs quickly is challenging due to their high water content and the heat required for proper cooking, suggesting that the results may not be as remarkable as initially thought.
Mazberplaz
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Hello everyone,

First up, I know nothing about physics or chemistry. That out of the way, let's begin. I recently read about a very interesting material called Starlite which is supposedly a remarkable thermal barrier but is presumed lost to the world because the inventor kept the formula secret and then rather inconveniently died. For more on this please read the following article from The New Scientist and watch its embedded video links:

http://ronbarak.tumblr.com/post/23539667349/the-power-of-cool-whatever-became-of-starlite-by

Since Starlite's inventor, Maurice Ward, was a former ladies hairdresser and had hinted at having discovered his remarkable product because of his hairdressing experience, I decided, along a friend who also has no scientific experience, to mix up some hair products, combine them with some other likely organic and inorganic compounds and torch the sh*t out of them. By the second day of doing this we could replicate the famous Starlite egg test. See our video here:



What I'd like to know from the gracious and learned members of this forum is: are we onto something or is the egg test actually not much of a big deal? Any advice much appreciated.
 
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"Yet after a few minutes, McCann picks it up and holds it in his hand. "It only just feels warm," he says. He cracks it open and out dribbles a runny yolk." from the OP's link.
Mazberplaz said:
is the egg test actually not much of a big deal?
Have you ever had the misfortune of stopping for breakfast during rush? You will be served cold, runny, raw egg that has been charred externally nine times out of ten. Short order cooks turn grills on to "Warp 8," slap the food on, burn the exterior, and holler, "Order up." Eggs simply do not cook that quickly, and contain an enormous amount of water to be evaporated or incorporated into denatured protein at a rather hefty expense of heat, so, "No, it's not a terribly impressive demonstration."
 
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