Coating withstands 50 lb TNT blast is tested at FPED show

Santa Ana, California -- Line-X Franchise Development Corp. demonstrated the strength of its Paxcon industrial coating at the Force Protection Equipment Demonstration VI (FPED VI) show in Stafford, Virginia, 14-16 Aug, by blasting it with 50 lb (22.7 kg) of TNT.The demonstration, which was repeated three times, consisted of two identical wall panels - one coated with Paxcon and the other not. According to Line-X's 28 Aug statement, the uncoated wall was completely destroyed, resulting in debris being scattered up to 200 feet (61 meters) away. The Paxcon treated wall, however remained intact. The experiment was then repeated, this time 120 feet away - again the wall withstood the impact."It was an honour demonstrating to the attendees of FPED just how strong our Paxcon product really is," stated Steve Decker, vice president of Paxcon & Special Applications for Line-X, in the statement. "The Paxcon coated wall withstanding six blasts of fifty lb of TNT proves yet again the durability of the product," he added.Paxcon -- a spray-on polyurethane polymer -- is widely used as a blast mitigation material, containing fragmentation from the effects of a bomb blast, minimising the risk of injury to occupants of various structures, said the company. According to Decker, in a typical bomb blast, 80 percent of the casualty comes from fragmentation of the building. "The whole concept behind the Paxcon product is to mitigate that fragmentation by containing it, and increasing the exit time for the occupants of the building," he said.Picture -- The two panels after the blast. The one on the right is protected with Paxcon"