ARLINGTON, VA – R&D Magazine honored Office of Naval Research Scientist Dr. Roshdy George S. Barsoum with a 2011 R&D 100 award for the development of a revolutionary coating material that is blast and fire resistant.

The special high-tech surface technology, HybridSil Fire/Blast, acts like a force field that surrounds and protects any type of surface, making it blast, ballistic and fire resistant.

The coating is sprayed onto surfaces just like paint, with minimal surface preparation. It is applied in variable thicknesses, less for fireproofing and more for blast resistance.

The coating was developed with industry partner NanoSonic Inc., and the cost per gallon is equivalent to premium house paint. It can be used on new and old materials alike, making it easy to apply to existing ships or vehicles.

The research into this coating began after the bombing of the USS Cole (DDG 67) on Oct. 12, 2000. The research took off after 9/11, and the new defensive coating was applied to the rebuilt sections of the Pentagon.