Aerospace industry.

Another hot technology that's taking wing is a paper-thin, flexible sheet material that will be used in the aerospace industry as a flame barrier and containment system. Developed by 3M Corp., St. Paul, MN, the Nextel 312 Flame Stopping Dot Paper has survived the FAA's 15 minute, 2000[degrees]F firewall test without flame penetration (testing in accordance with FAA AC2O-135). Testing also showed that the use of Dot Paper in an aircraft's fuselage could add as much as five minutes of escape time from a burning aircraft, while ensuring low heat transfer to the cabin from external heat sources. The material's unique feature is the dots, which help maintain the paper's integrity and flexibility even after its organic binders bum off. The ceramic textile material is a lightweight 2.3 oz per yard and, being ceramic, it won't melt, shrink, or produce smoke or gases when exposed to fire. Other areas in an aircraft that can use Nextel FSDP for protection would be galleys, cockpits, cargo bays, ducting, gaskets and sea ls, insulators and fire-resistant storage bays. Besides potential applications in commercial and industrial firewalls, firedoors and furnaces, 3M also anticipates other industries, from automotive and construction to processing facilities and telecommunications, will find use for the Dot Paper.