Mai al Abria -
Muscat, Nov 27 -
An artist who suffered from respiratory problems because of noxious odour from chemicals in the paint, has now invented an eco- friendly varnish, which he has named ‘Lubanium’.
Salim al Kaabi, the Omani inventor and artist, won fourth place in ‘Science Stars’, an Arab contest, for his invention, which used Luban (frankincense) for producing the varnish.
“Many artists suffer from respiratory problems due to the inhalation of such fumes. I decided to use Luban (frankincense). After intensive tests, I found frankincense contained materials that could be used for the purpose,” said Al Kaabi.
He used frankincense as the main component and added other “safe natural ingredients”.
He faced several challenges when conducting tests at home. “I suffered burns several times before I moved to a special lab and used my tools to conduct some 20 tests.”
Test No 21 fetched the desired outcome. And, Lubanium was born.
According to Al Kaabi, “Lubanium is a varnish used as an alternative to chemical products available in the market and is used by technicians and artists. It is free from toxic petroleum products.”
“Any inventor will encounter challenges in his work. One challenge was I worked alone and didn’t have a supervisor to guide me. I also didn’t have the necessary equipment which I had to procure from the US.”
‘Science Stars’ is a huge opportunity for youth to turn their ideas into reality. “I used to watch the programme since I was a child and when I was fully prepared, I participated and was nominated. I finally won the fourth place.”
In the contest, however, Al Kaabi was guided by experts, technicians and specialists.
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