Nanowerk  August 14, 2023 High-temperature flames can be difficult to control how it interacts with the material being processed. An international team of researchers (USA – Iowa State University, North Carolina State University, Ames National Laboratory, Canada) developed a technique that utilizes a molecule-thin protective layer to control how the flame’s heat interacts with the material allowing users to finely tune the characteristics of the processed material. They pyrolyzed alkysilanes grafted onto cellulose fibers into non-flammable SiO2 terminating surface ignition propagation, hence stalling flame propagating. Sustaining high temperatures, however, triggered gnition in the bulk of the fibers but under restricted […]