Oysters used in fire-retarding boards

Taipei Times
Date: May 12, 2020
By: Fang Chih-hsien and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

High-school students in Kaohsiung said they have found a way to slow a fire’s spread, adding that the material could be used as fire retardant.

Students at Kaohsiung Municipal Chung-Cheng Industrial High School said that burning oyster shells releases gases that help prevent fires from spreading.

The students made the discovery while preparing for an annual competition for innovations in science, school principal Kao Jui-hsien (高瑞賢) said, adding that they won first place in the structural engineering category.

Pressed wood is often used in home decor, as it is cheap to manufacture, but it burns quickly, Kao said, adding that oyster shells, which are usually discarded, can be used instead.
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