Fire-resistant polymers for aircraft safety applications

American Chemical Society. (March 5, 1999). "Smart Fire Resistant Polymers Under Study for Use for Aircraft." http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/03/990325052952.htm

Define the business research and its purpose

One problem that continues to plague the aircraft industry and continues to threaten consumer's comfort and use of air travel is the issue of safety. There is a lingering perception that airplane transport is unsafe, despite the fact that traveling in an airplane is actually, statistically safer than traveling in a car. However, rather than simply combat this problem with statistics, aeronautics industry analysts are also trying to engage in practical efforts to make air travel safer. According to a 1999 national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, "to prevent some of the deaths" in what are termed "survivable" or less damaging airplane accidents, "40% of which are due to fires," new polymers are being created by scientists, the industry, and the federal government, to address some of the issues of flammability in these 'survivable' accidents. (American Chemical Society, 1999)

Identify the parties involved in conducting the research

This polymer research was and continues to be conducted at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Federal Aviation Administration and was "part of an ongoing series of studies into new fire-resistant polymers," initially sponsored by a government and industry consortium created to improve aircraft safety. The study began in chemistry labs at Cornell University, but now has drawn the eye and the attention of the airline industry itself. (Cornell University, 1997).

Describe the method used to conduct the research project

Two new experimental techniques, "requiring only extremely small amounts of material were developed by the researchers to measure the combustibility of the new polymer." (American Chemical Society, 1999). Using the techniques to evaluate the polyhydroxyamide polymer, the researchers found it decomposed very little in contrast to other polymers. "The PHA that did decompose was converted to water vapor and another nearly nonflammable polymer," that actually could be used to put out the fire, because of its genesis into water vapor. (American Chemical Society, 1999). The scientists conducting the study noted "the new testing techniques also are useful for other new materials ... because it makes it possible to test very small samples efficiently, thereby reducing the need to spend time and money producing large amounts of the new material for analysis." Thus, science, consumer safety, and the business of the airline industry met in harmony in this particular study, ensuring safer air travel as well as new chemical compounds with multiple applicability to other areas of research, including

Work Cited

American Chemical Society. (March 5, 1999). "Smart Fire Resistant Polymers Under Study for Use for Aircraft." Science Daily. Retrieved on February 20, 2004 at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/03/990325052952.htm

Cornell University. (August 29, 1997). "Materials Engineers Usher in Age of Complex, Self-Organized Polymers." Science Daily. Retrieved on February 20, 2004 at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1997/08/970829054053.htm