Life-Saving Plastics

For additional information, contact Kathy McDermott at kmm5@po.cwru.edu, 216-368-6518, or 1-800-368-CWRU.

LIFE-SAVING AIRCRAFT PLASTICS (running time 2:04)

SUGGESTED INTRO: THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION HAS HIGH HOPES FOR NEWLY DEVELOPED, FIRE-RESISTANT PLASTICS, THAT COULD BUY PASSENGERS PRECIOUS TIME TO EXIT AN AIRCRAFT IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE. MORE IN THIS REPORT:

[VIDEO]

VOICEOVER: THE IMPACT OF AN AIRPLANE CRASH ISN'T THE ONLY OBSTACLE FOR SURVIVAL. FIRE AND SMOKE FROM BURNING MATERIALS ARE A MAJOR CAUSE OF AIRCRAFT FATALITIES, ROBBING PASSENGERS OF PRECIOUS SECONDS NEEDED TO ESCAPE. BUT THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION IS OPTIMISTIC THAT NEW PLASTICS BEING DEVELOPED AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY WILL GREATLY IMPROVE AIRCRAFT SAFETY. THE F-A-A HAS GIVEN THE UNIVERSITY ALMOST 2 MILLION DOLLARS TO DEVELOP SLOW-BURNING PLASTICS THAT YIELD EXTREMELY LOW LEVELS OF TOXIC GAS WHEN IGNITED. PROFESSOR KEN ISHIDA LEADS THE NEW PLASTICS RESEARCH.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER:

KEN ISHIDA,

CWRU PROFESSOR OF MACROMOLECULAR SCIENCE

(OUTCUE: "...hidden from the passengers, but it's used throughout.") ( :33)

[VIDEO]

VOICEOVER: PROFESSOR ISHIDA SAYS THAT ANY ORGANIC POLYMER WILL BURN. THE QUESTION IS, HOW FAST OR SLOW, AND HOW MUCH TOXIC GAS WILL ESCAPE? MATERIALS COMMON IN CURRENT AIRCRAFT BURN QUICKLY AND PRODUCE SMOKE WITH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF DEADLY TOXINS. THE CASE WESTERN RESERVE MATERIALS RESIST BURNING EVEN AT EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES AND ON AVERAGE LOSE ONLY 15 PERCENT OF ITS COMPOSITION TO GAS, KEEPING TOXINS IN THE ATMOSPHERE TO A MINIMUM.

SOUND BITE / KEN ISHIDA

(OUTCUE: "...so that you don't have gas coming out in burn.") ( :09)

[VIDEO]

VOICEOVER: ISHIDA SAYS THE NEW MATERIALS ARE EASY TO MANUFACTURE AND INEXPENSIVE, AND ARE ALREADY RECEIVING A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM SUPPLIERS TO AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS.

THIS IS DAVE NAROSNY REPORTING FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND.

-CWRU-