When heated to 300 degree C, the resin coating, which is just about 0.075mm thick and invisible to the naked eye, expands into a black char by more than 80 times its original thickness. The charred coating is heat resistant and acts as an insulating film, preventing the laminated wood from burning and thus preventing the spreading of flames. The coating also produces less smoke during combustion. The new invisible coating developed by NTU allows for the natural beauty of timber to shine and yet can still provide a flame barrier when "activated” by fire. It is low-cost, easy to apply, effective in kerbing the spread of fire and generates very little smoke when burnt.

With the popularity of mass engineered timber growing in the construction industry, one of the biggest challenges for wood is its flammability. When untreated, wood or timber can burn and combust easily. Over the last decade, mass-engineered timber is gaining popularity due to lower costs and faster construction. However, current practices to protect the interior of wooden buildings from fires require the use of fire-retardant panels or paint-like coatings that conceals the natural wood grains of timber.

The innovation has a technology disclosure filed through NTUitive, and the commercialisation project was funded S$250,000 through the NTUitive Gap Fund. Costing only S$2 to coat one square meter of wood material, the team is now in licensing talks with several companies. At least one company, Venturer Timberwork, is exploring the usage of this coating in one of its projects.