Researchers described a new additive for plane fuel that reduces the risk of explosion in the event of a catastrophe without hindering its performance.

According to BBC News, authors of a study published in the journal Science detailed a polymer that prevented fuel from forming the tiny droplets that would otherwise join together in an explosive union.

"When used in jet fuel, (the new polymers) reduce the risk of explosion after impact; when used in diesel fuel, they reduce soot formation in the engine; and when added to fuel in pipelines, they reduce the pumping cost and increase the throughput," Xinhua News quoted Julia Kornfield, professor of chemical engineering at Caltech and the study's lead author, telling reporters on a conference call.

She indicated the idea for such an additive for fuel has been around for decades, dating back to 1977 after a runway explosion in Spain. Two planes collided on the ground and a jet fuel "mist" resulted in a catastrophic explosion that claimed 538 lives.

"Although the accident occurred on the ground, only 61 people survived," Kornfield said. "It was a watershed moment that galvanized international efforts to reduce the risk of post-crash fires."

For their study, the researchers tested their polymer by observing the "mist" with a high-speed camera after firing a "projectile" at a canister filled with fuel in the midst of open flames. The fuel with the additive produced positive results and it proved to not lose efficiency when tested in a generator.

Andrew Cooper, a chemistry professor at the University of Liverpool, told BBC News, "It's a nice example of basic polymer physics and polymer chemistry translating into something that is, in principle, very useful."