THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recent blaze which gutted a Guwahati Express bogie at the Central Railway Station here could soon be a thing of the past. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a technology which can prevent such fires, whether it be on trains, buildings or automobiles.
CASPOL, as ISRO has named it, is a water-based ‘ready-to-coat and easy-to-use flame proof coating’ which has excellent flame retardant, waterproofing and thermal control properties, ISRO said in a statement. ISRO employs CASPOL to protect the fuel tanks of PSLV from catching fire.
“It can be applied on walls, clothes, paper, thatched roofs, wood etc. to protect them from fire. CASPOL contains no toxic materials and is very eco-friendly.
The emulsion can be sprayed or spread using a brush on surfaces that need fire protection. One litre CASPOL can coat 1.5 sq metre with a thickness of 500 micron which is practically adequate for fire protection and thermal insulation,” ISRO officials said. CASPOL can be used as a flame retardant material for use in railways and other vehicles. Even seat cushions can be made fireproof. Similarly, shopping malls and theatres also can use it for making seat cushions and walls fire resistant. “CASPOL can also be applied over the concrete surfaces of buildings to prevent water seeping as its application fills micro cracks and holes effectively. It also helps keep building cooler by at least five to six degrees celsius,” ISRO officials said. ISRO is on the search for a suitable industry partner to commercialise the technology.