Vanishing Starlite - Anti Nuclear Plastic

In 1993 viewers of the BBC's Tomorrow's World were treated to a curious sight. Presenter Michael Rodd donned a welding mask and gloves, fired up an oxyacetylene torch and used it to attack an apparently ordinary egg.

After four minutes the egg was cracked open to reveal its interior, still raw and runny. The secret? A thin coating of Starlite, a miraculous, heat-proof substance invented by a middle-aged hairdresser from Blackburn.

Maurice Ward had no scientific background. He did like to tinker, however, and inside his rented workshop he created his own brand of hair products, using ordinary chemicals and a food mixer. He stumbled upon Starlite and its heat-proof properties by accident and, realising that he had something special on his hands, began contacting chemical companies.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/farout/story/0,13028,1187576,00.html