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Ahhh .. the dark, mysterious world of materials science, eh ?
There is often a lot more to applying a new material to solve a problem, than the creation of a test sample. The physical properties of materials goes way beyond a particular strength in one area .. say heat resistance.
What if it is difficult to bond to metals ?
What if it breaks down rapidly if exposed to a particular spectrum of light ?
What if it decays to highly toxic waste (or doesn't decay easily) ?
What if it reacts corrosively in the presence of common atmospheric gases ?
What if it is not (relatively) ductile or malleable ?
What if it is not abrasion resistant ?
What if the materials needed to manufacture it are rare ?
… the list goes on and on and on ...
All of this impacts the ultimate value of the material for industrial applications. Unless Mr Ward presents the world with a thorough analysis of all known properties of this material, how would anyone know its applicability to any one particular application (eg: aircraft design) ?
Who will pay for its properties to be accurately identified and what will it cost ? What is the tolerance of this material to different manufacturing (or operational) environments ?
There's a big leap between producing a sample of material and its commercialisation.
More scientifically, unless there is an accompanying theoretical explanation for its apparent heat-resistance, how could one ever position it for a particular application ? (And people poo-hoo scientific theory, eh) ? Without a scientific explanation, it will go nowhere. There's the value of the scientific process in everyday life, right there !!
By analogy, graphene is under intense investigation presently, and is slated as the next replacement for silicon as a substrate in semi-conductor manufacture. It has taken years to develop this material. It is difficult to manufacture and they're only just working out how to do it cost effectively.
Even if Mr Ward dreams he's in line for a Nobel prize, or even to become a billionaire, he's smokin' it, regardless of the truth, or otherwise, behind 'Starlite' ! ...
Cheers
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