If asked to name a nonflammable material, it’s unlikely that one would identify paper as a fireproof agent. Swiss researchers contend that paper would be the correct answer to such a burning question.

Materials scientists from Empa and Isofloc AG are developing a fireproof insulating material based on waste The blow-in insulation becomes solid. Source: Empapaper. The development hinged on identifying an affordable and non-toxic binding agent to prevent the machine-blown recycled paper cubes from crumbling. Scientists selected an agent used in the food sector as optimal. Applied as paper fibers, the agent was automatically blown into a cavity, forming a cube with sufficient firmness to keep their shape and retard destruction of the structure in which it is used in the event of a fire.

To test the fireproof potential of the material, paper flakes with and without the protective additive were blown into wooden frames, which were then subjected to flames at 800 to 1,000° F for an hour. The material lacking the additive fell out of the frame due to a lack of adhesion while the material-additive combo passed the test.

A new generation of blow-in machines will next be engineered from existing protoypes to comply with repeatability and quality control requirements. The machines and the insulating material should be commercially available in the near-term.