For most competitions, runner-up positions are deemed insignificant. But for the runner-ups of this year’s James Dyson Awards Philippines, the future looks promising.
“We have consistent stakeholders meeting with industry partners, so we are also catering their inputs on what they think should be included in the properties of the cement or the formulation,” Rodel tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “We are still in the process of securing a patent for the intellectual property rights of this cement. Also, we are still in the process of ruling its mechanical properties. With that we can not give yet the formulation for GeopolyCement.
“Availability wise, the precursors that we used are locally available and are abundant in the Philippines,” Rodel explains. According to Zhytt and Alonzo, this coating is unique since it uses waste-derived nanosilica. It also offers superior fire resistance, adhesion, and thermal stability compared to commercial products. It is more affordable, making it accessible for wider use. Based on the team’s current price estimation, a liter of Fire GeoPrimer only costs P87, which is much cheaper than what’s currently available in the market, reaching up to P6,891 per liter.