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A partnership between UNSW Sydney and Flame Security International has produced BAL-40 accredited FSA FIRECOAT paint that could help prevent the spread of bushfires.

A new fire-retardant paint, formulated by engineers at UNSW Sydney, has become the first to pass a stringent Australian standard test that simulates a bushfire attack.

The paint, which is now on sale at selected Bunnings stores, achieved the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) 40 standard which assesses the bushfire resistance of buildings and construction materials.

BAL-40 indicates that a building or material has been tested and approved to withstand higher levels of radiant heat (up to 40kW/m²) and ember attack during a bushfire, and therefore provides increased protection against bushfires in areas prone to extreme fire conditions.

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The new paint, commercially branded as FSA FIRECOAT, was developed at UNSW in partnership with Flame Security International. It was partially funded via a $3m Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grant from the Australian government.

Professor Guan Yeoh, from UNSW’s School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, led the team that spent nearly five years perfecting the formula to ensure the paint incorporates the best fire-retardant properties.

The resulting product is a type of intumescent paint which means it is designed to expand as a result of heat exposure.

The specific chemicals in the paint also produce a thick layer of char which offers an insulating barrier and effectively deflects the heat from the fire away.