message from the new presidentmember profile: keltech energies limited 8..... why perlite rocks...
TRANSCRIPT
PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.
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A Q u a r t e r l y P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Pe r l i t e I n s t i t u t e PU
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E 2 ...... 2015 Annual Meeting2 ...... Board of Directors3 ...... Message from the Executive Director4 ...... News from the Perlite Institute5 ...... Industry News7 ...... Member Profile: Keltech Energies Limited8 ...... Why Perlite Rocks
11 ...... The Perlite Papers13 ...... Patents: Two Thumbs Up for Perlite13 ...... Perlite Patents14 ...... Technical Q&As15 ...... Selected Upcoming
Trade Shows and Meetings
Message from the New Presidentby Matt Goecker
Welcome to 2015 and all the challenges andsuccesses that it will bring!
It seems like 2014 rolled by quickly, and it is alwaysgood to reflect on the major activities of the PerliteInstitute in the past year. The Board got together inPhiladelphia this past April to have a meeting andvisit Pennsylvania Perlite. Our Board meetingshave become very action-oriented, and we havereally benefited from the committee structure overthe last few years. The website is really impressive,and our membership continues to grow. InOctober, we had a fantastic meeting in Park City,Utah, and visited the Hess Pumice/Perliteoperation in Malad, Idaho. The hospitality wereceive at all of our member facilities is trulyappreciated and underscores one of the manybenefits of membership.
Here in North America, the economy remainsrobust and shows no signs of slowing down. In theperlite world, we have seen a growing market forexpanded perlite as a component for lightweightpet litter blends. This will likely be an ongoingtrend as ergonomics and functionality take a biggershare of the market demand versus traditional non-
clumping litters. Our membership continues topush perlite into more innovative and excitingapplications and the overall market will grow. Thegas and oil sectors have had major growth thisyear, and that should result in additionalopportunities for cryogenic perlite.
Looking forward to 2015, our membership drivecontinues to be an ongoing effort. The Board willbe meeting again this spring in Harrisburg, and wewill include the staff of the Perlite Institute toensure that we engage all the resources availableto us to serve the group.The communicationsgroup continues to driveupdated and newinformation to ourwebsite, and they havereally done anoutstanding job.
Our annual meeting will take place in Barcelona,Spain, sometime this October, and we will beworking diligently to make it a full and rewarding
Reflections on 2014 and Looking Ahead to Successes in 2015
Continued on page 2
Our membershipcontinues to push perliteinto more innovativeand exciting applicationsand the overall marketwill grow.
Welcome to a New Year!
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 2
2015 Board of Directors
program. Anyone who has ideas, requests or potential speakers inmind is encouraged to get in touch with the Perlite Institute staff toshare that information.
I am really excited to be taking over as president of the organizationand hope to provide sound leadership and direction for the next twoyears. Additionally, I want to thank Linda Chirico for all her efforts aspresident for the last two years as well as the rest of the Board andcommittee members for their dedication. Finally, thank you to all themembers who continue to make the Institute possible and help shapethe future of perlite worldwide.
Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2015!
—Matt Goecker
OFFICERSPRESIDENTMatt Goecker
EP Minerals LLCReno, Nev.
775-824-7658
VICE PRESIDENTMatthew Malaghan
Australian Perlite Pty LimitedSydney, Australia
61 2 9316 0054
TREASURERKeith Hoople
Midwest Perlite, Inc.Appleton, Wis.
920-731-2671
PAST PRESIDENT / ADVISORLinda Chirico
Carolina Perlite Company, Inc.Gold Hill, N.C.
704-279-2325
DIRECTORSRichard Barabé
Perlite CanadaLachine, Quebec, Canada
514-631-4251
Sebastien CaspardImerys Performance &Filtration MineralsParis, France
(33) 633 50 82 17
Michael DunlaveyPVP IndustriesNorth Bloomfield, Ohio
800-255-4801
Mike HessIdaho Minerals LLCMalad City, Idaho
208-766-4777 or 800-767- 4701
René van der MarkPull Rhenen b.v.Rhenen, Netherlands
(31) 318-471001
Jerry MishlerSupreme PerlitePortland, Ore.
503-286-4333
Rick WillisSilbrico CorporationHodgkins, Ill.
708-354-3350
Message from the New President
Continued from page 1
Matt joined EP Minerals in Reno, Nevada, in 2007, but he hasbeen in the minerals business since 1996. EP Minerals is aproducer of diatomaceous earth, perlite and montmorilloniteclays, which are used in a variety of applications, includingfilter aids, absorbents and fillers. Prior to joining EP Minerals,Matt was the business development officer for Zyvax, achemical compound manufacturer for the composites industry.He also spent nine years with Imerys in various roles, includingglobal distribution manager. His minerals career began withEvans Clay and Medusa Minerals, producers of air-float kaolinand calcium carbonate. Matt holds bachelor’s and master’s ofscience degrees in agriculture and resources economics fromthe University of Vermont.
As he steps into the role of president of the Perlite Institute,Matt says his goals for the organization match up with theInstitute’s mission statement developed several years ago.
“We need to find additional ways to promote the growth andapplications for perlite throughout the world and increase theawareness of our membership as to what those opportunitiesare,” he says.
He hopes to expand the membership base and find ways toinclude synergistic companies that will broaden our base ofknowledge and expertise. “I look forward to my term aspresident of the group,” he says, “and welcome input andsuggestions as to what members expect to gain from theirinvolvement in the group.”
Meet Matt Goecker
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 3
Did you make some New Year’s resolutions for2015? I’d like to suggest a couple more for you toadd to your list.
• Get involved in your professional tradeassociation.
The Perlite Institute has some very active committees,and we would like you to consider participating in oneof them! The 2015 committees are:
Communications – Jerry Mishler and Rick Willis, co-chairs
Meetings and Membership – MatthewMalaghan, chair
Technical – Richard Barabé, chair
Research – Kathryn Louis, chair
These committees are working on very importantprojects that benefit the entire membership, and
you can provide guidance andinput by joining one of them.The Willingness to Serve Formis available from the PerliteInstitute website or can beobtained by sending an email [email protected]. It’s very easyto get involved and you will notonly be helping the PerliteInstitute, but will meet newpeople in the industry for yourown networking. It’s a great wayto enhance your membershipexperience!
• Attend a webinar this year.
The Perlite Institute’s Board of Directors madewebinar access FREE! This benefit is now part ofyour membership dues. So, take advantage of thewonderful educational opportunities being madeavailable. And keep in mind that it’s not justavailable to the company president. Anybody whoworks for your company can participate! Use thewebinars as an employee benefit and allow them toparticipate in the webinars. Hold a discussion afterthe webinar with those who were involved to gainfeedback and ideas on how to improve yourinternal operations. Take advantage of this FREEbenefit!
• Register for the annualmeeting.
There is still no better way to network and obtainvaluable knowledge and connections than throughattending the annual meeting. In 2015, we will bemeeting in Barcelona, Spain. The committee isworking diligently to put together anotheroutstanding program, including top-notch speakersand tours. Please consider attending the annualmeeting or sending a representative from yourcompany if you are unable to attend. We guaranteeyou will pick up something of value that will makeit worthwhile to be there!
• Join a social media outlet and participate.
Social media is a communication vehicle you canno longer ignore. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedInare here to stay! You are never too old to learn howto use social media, and you may be surprised bywhat you gain from participating in just one ofthese vehicles. Just pick one and start by watchingthe interaction. As you get more comfortable, youcan make a comment or answer a question. Thinkabout all the opportunities you may be missing outon by not having your company mentioned onsome of the discussion threads. It’s anothermarketing tool that is on the rise, and you don’twant to miss out on the opportunities presented.The Perlite Institute’s pages can be found at thefollowing links:
Consider incorporating these New Year resolutionsinto your existing list. I think you’ll be glad youdid!
Some New Year’s Resolutions to Consider
Message from the Executive Directorby Denise R. Calabrese
The Perlite Institutehas some veryactive committees,and we would likeyou to considerparticipating in oneof them.
The Annual Meetingthis year will be inBarcelona, Spain.Please considerattending.
Photo credit: Americansin
Barcelona.com
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 4
The New Year Brings a New BoardThe Perlite Institute begins the new year with anew board, elected at the Annual Meeting lastSeptember in Park City, Utah. The followingofficers will serve in 2015:
President – Matt Goecker, EP Minerals, LLC
Vice President – Matthew Malaghan, AustralianPerlite Pty Limited
Treasurer – Keith Hoople, Midwest Perlite, Inc.
Past President/Advisor – Linda Chirico,Carolina Perlite Company, Inc.
In addition, the following members will serve asdirectors in the coming year:
Richard Barabé, Perlite Canada
Sebastien Caspard, Imerys Performance &Filtration Minerals
Michael Dunlavey, PVP Industries
Mike Hess, Idaho Minerals, LLC
Jerry Mishler, Supreme Perlite
René van der Mark, Pull Rhenen b.v.
Rick Willis, Silbrico Corporation
Make Your New Year’sResolution: Get Involved in the Perlite InstituteAll nonprofit organizations rely heavily on theirmembers to assist with activities that are identifiedas important to the positive direction of theorganization. The Perlite Institute is working todevelop active committees within the associationand is hoping you will volunteer your time andtalent to the organization.
Committees typically meet by conference call, andmembers and staff e-mail and call each other tocommunicate. The average amount of timedevoted to committee involvement is two to fourhours each month. The more volunteers we haveon committees, the more successful we will be asan organization.
Please volunteer to serve on a Perlite Institutecommittee today! Click here to access theWillingness to Serve form.
To learn more about other membership benefits,click here.
News from the Perlite Institute
is a quarterly publication
of the
Perlite Institute, Inc.2207 Forest Hills Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17112 USA
Phone: 717.238.9723Fax: 717.238.9985
Winter issue is distributed in January
Spring issue is distributed in April
Summer issue is distributed in July
Fall issue is distributed in October
www.perlite.orgThe mission of the Perlite Institute is to further thesuccess and growth of the perlite industry worldwideby providing its members networking opportunities,education and research; foster customer-drivenmarketing, promotion and product development; andincrease the public’s awareness and knowledge ofperlite and its current and potential uses.
Did you know the PerliteInstitute website,www.perlite.org, receivesthousands of visitors eachmonth? Consider thesefacts about web traffic tothe site during the third quarter of this year:
• During October, November and December2014, the site had 9,724 visits.
• Of those visits, 76 percent were from newvisitors.
• A total of 21,125 pages were viewedduring this three-month period.
• The average visitor viewed 2.21 pages pervisit and spent approximately 1.6 minutesviewing each page.
Who’s Visiting www.perlite.org?
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 5
Imerys Signs Deal to Absorb S&B MineralsImerys and S&B Industrial Minerals haveannounced an agreement among theirshareholders to combine S&B’s principal businessactivities with those of Imerys, the world leader inindustrial minerals. The deal between the France-based Imerys and S&B, a company originated inGreece and which has had strong internationalexpansion over the last 20 years, was signed Nov. 5.
“This transaction will be a decisive step in theglobal growth strategy of S&B and will enable us toleverage on the combined strengths of the twocompanies for the benefit of our customers,” saidBill Mihalopoulos, perlite business unit manager ofS&B’s Americas Region.
The transaction remains subject to the approval ofthe relevant regulatory authorities and is estimatedto be completed during the first quarter of 2015.Until then, business remains as usual.
At the completion of the absorption process, the Kyriacopoulos family will be in control of
4.4 percent of Imerys’s shares. UlyssesKyriacopoulos, chairman of S&B, will hold one ofthe two family seats on the Imerys governing board.
“This transaction represents a major milestone inImerys’s development strategy,” said Gilles Michel,chairman & CEO of Imerys. “By welcoming S&B’steams, sharing with us similar culture and values,we will strengthen together our global positions inthe mineral-based specialty solutions for industry.”
Ulysses Kyriacopoulos, chairman of S&B, added,“By combining our operations with the worldleader in industrial minerals, S&B takes a decisivestep in its global growth strategy for the benefit ofits customers. Driven by the same strongentrepreneurial values, our employees will findnew development opportunities in thiscombination. I would be honored to join the Boardof Directors of Imerys alongside representatives ofits controlling shareholders and participate in thestrategic decisions that will accelerate its growth.”
See page 6 for the press release from Imerys.
Industry News
The 2015 Annual Meeting:Join us in Barcelona, Spain!
Barcelona is hometo many WorldHeritage Sites.
Don’t miss out on the 2015 AnnualMeeting to be held thisfall in Barcelona, Spain.Watch the PerliteInstitute website andcheck your email asdetails about this eventbecome finalized.
PHOTO ABOVE: Façadeof the Nativity andcrypt of the SagradaFamilia,PHOTO LEFT: Palau dela Música Catalana
MON
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You can make a difference with the Perlite Instituteand contribute to the industry by getting involved.Consider becoming a committee member. Contactany of the chairs below to learn more about acommittee and how to listen in on a meeting:
Join a Committee, Make a Difference
Communications CommitteeJerry Mishler, Co-Chair
Rick Willis, [email protected]
Horticultural CommitteeChair to be determined
Meetings and Membership CommitteeMatthew Malaghan, Chair
Technical CommitteeRichard Barabé, Chair
Research CommitteeKathryn Louis, Chair
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 6
PRESS RELEASE
www.imerys.com Page 1/3
Imerys announces today a strategic combination for the integration of the main activities of S&B, a major player in industrial minerals held by the Kyriacopoulos founder family (61%) and Rhône Capital (39%). Through this operation, Imerys would accelerate its development by enlarging its specialties offer. The transaction, partially paid in Imerys shares, would rapidly create value for Imerys shareholders, based on a € 525 million equity value for 100% of the shares, increased by a performance amount not to exceed € 33 million. In this context, the Kyriacopoulos family, S&B s shareholders for more than 80 years, would become stockholders of Imerys together with its controlling shareholder, GBL group.
A major player in industrial minerals with a wide range of products and applications, S&B is serving diversified end-markets in Western Europe, North America as well as European and Asian emerging countries. A global supplier and European leader in bentonite (binders for foundry, sealing solutions, additives for drilling and for consumer products), S&B is the world leader in continuous casting fluxes for the steel industry as well as in wollastonite (functional additives for polymers and paints). S&B is providing also perlite-based solutions used in construction materials and horticulture.
Acting in 22 countries, S&B delivers a robust operating profitability. Its efficient industrial layout, based on abundant and well-located mineral resources, notably on Milos Island (Greece), and on performing assets, provide the company with very competitive positions in its markets. European activities of bauxite production for metallurgy would be excluded from the proposed transaction perimeter. The scope of the contemplated transaction had revenues of approximately € 207 million and a restated EBITDA margin close to 20% for the first-half 20141.
This strategic combination would be accretive to the Group s net income from current operations per share from the first year of integration and value creative from the third full year of consolidation, thanks especially to the significant development synergies that are expected. The consideration should be paid in cash for about € 311 million, financed by Imerys available financial resources. The balance of € 214 million should be paid in Imerys shares to be issued on a preemptive basis exclusively to the Kyriacopoulos family2. Including S&B s net financial debt which amounted € 235 million as of June 30, 2014, Imerys would maintain a very robust financial structure with a net financial debt to equity ratio below 60%, after the transaction.
The completion of this transaction remains subject to the approval of the relevant regulatory authorities and should take place during the first quarter of 2015. The Kyriacopoulos family, who would hold around 4.4% of Imerys' shares upon completion of the transaction, has entered into a shareholders' agreement with GBL group3
which would become effective as of completion date. This agreement in particular would grant to the Kyriacopoulos family the right of representation on the Imerys Board of Directors4.
1 Unaudited pro forma data – Source: S&B. 2 Under the authorization granted to the Board of Directors by the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders General Meeting
of April 25, 2013. 3 With no intent to act in concert. 4 Subject to the approval of Imerys shareholders at their next Annual General Meeting.
PARIS, NOVEMBER 5, 2014
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 7
Santosh ChowguleKeltech Energies Limited, Bangalore, Indiawww.keltechenergies.com
Please tell us about your business.Keltech Energies Ltd. (KEL) is a leadingmanufacturer of expanded perlite in India fordiverse applications, with technical collaborationwith Silbrico Corp USA. Keltech has been inbusiness for 29 years. We operate stationary perliteexpansion plants at two locations in India tosupply bagged perlite products to the cryogenic,construction, refractory, horticulture, steel andfoundry industries and other industrialapplications. We also have 10 mobile expanderswith necessary auxiliary equipment to carry outsite expansion and filling of perlite into cryogenictanks. These can be mobilized to any project sitealong with an execution team to carry out the workand return to India after completion.
We have 30 employees who help to manufactureour perlite products. Our customers are in thecryogenic, construction, refractory, horticultureand foundry industries, and we market ourbusiness to them through direct and onlinemarketing as well as network channels. Byupgrading our systems to be more automated, wehave avoided the non-availability of unskilledworkers and reduced our labor overheads.
How has your business changed through the years?We have achieved a steady growth in businesswith special achievement in the cryogenicapplication in the oil and gas sectors.
Describe your involvement with the Perlite Institute and your hopes for the association in the future.We have been a member of the Perlite Institute forall 29 years of our company’s existence. We benefitthrough our membership by obtainingdevelopments in the perlite market and applicationof the product. We enjoy getting to interact withother perlite manufacturers from all over the worldand sharing our experiences in the manufactureand application of expanded perlite. Through theInstitute, our directors have been closely involvedin the development of new applications of perlite.Some have also served as president of the Instituteon several occasions.* As we look to the new year,we hope that the Perlite Institute will help todevelop areas for new applications of perlite.
* Most recently, Santosh Chowgule served as president-electin 2003-2004, president in 2005-2006 and as an advisor tothe board in 2007-2008.
Member Profile
Perlite concrete blocksmade for ChemtexInternational Inc., USA,for an LNG tank project.
Keltech joined withS&B Minerals ofGreece at the LNGTechnical Summit atBarcelona, Spain, inOctober 2014 tomake a presen -tation on the use ofperlite in LNG tanksand to exhibitproducts andservices provided by the two companies. Pictured areDevan Menon, senior general manager of Keltech’sMarketing and Business Development, and LiaskasConstantinos, S&B’s perlite sales manager.
The Zhuhai LNG tankterminals in Chinawhere Keltechperformed theperlite insulationwork.
Two of 10 portable perlite expanders constructed withKeltech design and used for on-site expansion andfilling of cryogenic tanks and cold boxes.
Keltech’s perliteconcrete block facility ishighly specialized toundertake the mostdifficult designs.
If you want your company featured as a Member Profile in an upcoming issue, please email Amy at [email protected].
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 8
CRYSTALLINE SILICA and DUST
The evaluation of public comments on theproposed U.S. respirable crystalline silica (RCS)allowable exposure limits is expected to becomplete in June 2015. As always, some companiesview new rules as an opportunity, while othersview new rules as a disaster. Several companiesare viewing this as an opportunity to market their“new” dust suppressants, while others are relyingon their recently completed lobbying efforts tomaintain the status quo.
In other news, the radiologist involved with massfilings of silicosis and asbestosis lawsuits recentlylost an appeal of a $10,000 fine by the MississippiLicensure Department. The fine had been imposedin 2012, and a lower court had agreed with Dr.Herron. Now, the Mississippi Appeals court hasreversed the ruling, effectively reinstating the fine.Having dealt with lawyers in the past, perhaps itwould have been a lot cheaper for him to just havepaid the original fine and gotten on with his life.
GLOBAL WARMING & POLITICS
Although the United States and China agreed toeventual reductions in carbon emissions inNovember, the same old divisions resurfacedduring the December Climate Change Conferencein Lima, Peru. Asdeveloping nations,neither China (the #1emitter) nor India (the #3emitter) have ever beenrequired to cut emissions,and they are notinterested in any kind ofoversight of their actionsin the future.
The timeframe for implementation of the Parisaccords (which have not even been finalized orratified) is another factor. The United States ispushing for accomplishing the goals over a five-yearperiod, from 2020 to 2025, while the European Unionand others are looking to accomplish goals by 2030.
I hate to harp on the subject, but money is also afactor. $10 billion has been pledged so far duringthis Lima conference, with $3 billion from theUnited States. That simply will not be enough toget nations to construct facilities necessary toachieve the needed reductions in greenhouse gasemissions.
REACh, CLP and GHS
Reminder: 2015 will have two deadlines forimplementing the Globally Harmonized System ofClassification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)rules. By June 1, U.S. chemical manufacturers,importers, distributors and employers will berequired to comply with the final OSHA rule.Distributors will have until Dec. 1 to ship goodsmanufactured and labeled with non-GHS compliantlabels. The timeframe for implementation will varyfrom country to country. A summary of rulesaround the world is found at www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/implementation_e.html.
Another reminder, and this time I’m alsoreminding myself, all MSDSs (Material Safety DataSheets) should be renamed SDSs (Safety DataSheets). Saying SDS instead of MSDS will feelawkward to American ears at first, but keep doingit and it will sound more natural. And, if thoseSDSs (see, doesn’t that feel better?) don’t have 16sections, they won’t be compliant.
MINE SAFETY
Regardless of what we think about the U.S. MineSafety and Health Administration (MSHA), it seemsto pay to be a big violator. The agency can go afterthe little guys, but a little bit of investigation byNational Public Radio and Mine Safety andHealth News found that:
• Although 93 percent of mine operators pay theirpenalties, 2,700 mining company owners failedto pay nearly $70 million in delinquentpenalties.
Continued on page 9
Updates on RCS Limits, Climate Change,Mine Safety, Competition and the Economy
Why Perlite Rocks A look at news around the globe affectingperlite manufacturers
by Kenneth Wiener
The United States ispushing for accomplishingthe goals over a five-yearperiod, from 2020 to2025, while the EuropeanUnion and others arelooking to accomplishgoals by 2030.
• The top nine delinquents owe more than $1 million each.
• Mines that don’t pay their penalties are moredangerous than mines that do, with injury rates50 percent higher.
• Delinquent mines reported close to 4,000injuries in the years they failed to pay, includingaccidents that killed 25 workers and left 58others with permanent disabilities.
• Delinquent mines continued to violate the law,with more than 130,000 violations, while theyfailed to pay mine safety fines.
The violations at delinquent mines included 40,000that are labeled in government safety records as“significant and substantial,” which means seriousinjury or illness were likely if inspectors hadn'tintervened. More than 15,000 violations were thekind found in fatal accidents, major disasters ormining deaths.
In a related story, the former CEO of MasseyEnergy, Don Blankenship, has been indicted onfour federal charges related to the Upper BigBranch mine disaster in 2010 that killed 29 miners.The charges claim conspiracy to keep mineinspectors from doing their job to avoid fixingbroken equipment or remediating unsafe workingconditions and allowing high levels of airbornecoal dust in the mine.
COMPETITION
Filter aid sales to small- and medium-size brewerscan be expected to fall. I recently went on abrewery tour of a “craft” brewer that hadpurchased a centrifuge to clarify its beer. As Ilooked around, it was painfully obvious why. Thecentrifuge, with an initial cost of roughly $750,000,can handle projectedvolumes of production,versus the tiny plate andframe filter that thebrewer had used before.
All other phases of the brewing process wereoverbuilt as well. Apparently, sales are able tojustify the large numbers of tanks and otherequipment at the facility. The onsite restaurant andbanquet business revenue also contributes to thebrewer’s bottom line. I learned that several othermid-sized brewers, such as Sierra Nevada and New
Belgium Brewing, have also switched to thecentrifuge method.
This local brewery, which produces cans and kegsonly, may not be typical of an average brewer.However, the filling line gave some indication ofhow contamination as discussed in last quarter’sPerlite Today might find its way into the containers.Although cans are upside down some of the timein the process, other times they are right side upand the potential exists for foreign matter to fallinto the cans. The paper cited last time did notfollow up with visits to the brewers’ productionfacilities to rule out sources.
Diatomite made the news via some research atIowa State University. The material is being testedin vacuum insulation panels and has performedwell. There’s no indication yet whether theresearchers have tested or will test perlite powder.Another news item involved the sale of a diatomitedeposit in New Zealand, north of Dunedin.
The EPA’s final report on the Libby, Montana,contaminated vermiculite deposit has been issuedafter 15 years. The findings show that levels ofasbestos have dropped by a factor of 100,000,returning exposures back to ambient amounts.
THE ECONOMYIt is really interesting to see how some thingschange over the period of a few months. Oil pricesand gasoline prices are down, and the value ofenergy company stocks has slumped as well(perhaps an overreaction?). People are talkingabout the economies of whole countries collapsingdue to such low prices and about the lack ofresources from gasoline taxes to maintain andupgrade infrastructure as well. And yet, sinceconsumers have more money in their pockets,sectors of the economy such as restaurants areanticipating more business.
Housing is doing well also, but I am now readingthat certain areas of the United States may beapproaching “bubble” levels. That’s certainly notgood. Perhaps employment numbers combinedwith continued low interest rates can keep anybubble areas from bursting.
GREEN BUILDINGSLEED v4 implementation has been pushed backuntil Oct. 31, 2016. In the meantime, LEED 2009 willstill be in place. Whether the delay is due toconflicts over the use of certain plastics orwhether, as the U.S. Green Building Council
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 9
Continued on page 10
Why Perlite Rocks continued from page 8
Filter aid sales to small-and medium-size brewerscan be expected to fall.
(USGBC) maintains, international implementersare not ready for its use, the fact remains thatthere will be a delay.
The USGBC also claims that its stance on plasticsis intended to protect the public and inform peopleabout what ingredients are parts of any plasticssuch as piping. Researchers at Purdue Universityhave looked at pipes made from crosslinkedpolyethylene, high-density polyethylene,polyvinylchloride and polypropylene. Thecrosslinked polyethylene had been viewed as a“greener” alternative, but leaching tests resulted inwater that failed an odor test, and one brand evenexceeded allowable levels for a chemical normallyintended to boost oxygen levels in gasoline. Aschlorine (disinfectant) levels in the water runthrough pipes increased, the odor levels increasedas well. The USGBC’s point would seem to be thatthere needs to be better disclosure of what theingredients in plastics actually are.
The USGBC is additionally taking a look at clearplastics, such as Lucite. The use of acrylics inplace of glass could be beneficial in terms of initialenergy use and energy loss through windows.Long-term effects of weathering might push thebalance back toward glass.
Whether or not industry is ready for such disclosureof ingredients and performance now, it may be adirection that they will have to go by late 2016.
BIOFUELS & OTHER SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES
I have historically included biofuels in this columnas a field peripherally related to perlite from anenergy standpoint regarding the fuel we use to dryand expand perlite, from the view that such fuelscould need filtration, and from the potential forperlite to act as a carrier for organisms to interactwith input raw materials and deliver usefulmaterials. One article I’ve read has divided theworld of biofuels into conventional biofuels, suchas ethanol and butanol, versus oil or gasoline typematerials.
The contention is that ethanol, however produced,is a relatively low-energy density material.Whether produced from sugars or cellulose, theprocess is considered anaerobic and not limited bythe size of the equipment. These processes can becarried out in volumes of over 1 million gallons(about 4 million liters).
Research into higher energy density fuels, such asgasoline, other hydrocarbons, fatty acids oralcohols, or terpenes, is currently preferred by theDepartment of Energy. These materials are madein an aerobic environment. Therefore, there is alimit on the size of the reaction vessel. The volumemust be properly agitated and aerated. It remainsto be seen what role perlite might play in this typeof process.
Biofuels also have other issues associated withthem, including real-life factors such as their costrelative to the cost of petroleum-based fuels, thelost opportunity of using crops for food orreturning nutrients to agricultural soils, and thecost of gathering and transporting organicmaterials for processing. KiOS, a wood chip to fuelventure funded in 2013 bybillionaires Vinod Khoslaand Bill Gates andsupported by the state ofMississippi, has declaredbankruptcy after havingoperated slightly over a year, all the while losingmoney from every drop of fuel it produced. Andnow, with the price of crude oil below $70 perbarrel, not many of these ventures look toopromising.
OTHER REGULATORY ISSUES
An interesting case is before the U.S. SupremeCourt. At issue is whether the quasi-governmentpassenger rail company Amtrak can setperformance standards on rail lines owned andusually operated by freight companies. A 2008 lawseems to allow that, and the Association ofAmerican Railroads has objected. As it stands now,the association has won the last round in theAppeals Court, so if the Supreme Court agrees, oredeliveries might come a little faster.
Additionally, there is an outside chance that U.S.Congress will get around to revising the ToxicSubstances Control Act, as had been proposed in2013. Right now, there are two competing versions,one with more bipartisan support than the other.The then-reported-on Lautenberg-Vitter bill wasreintroduced in September 2014 as the Udall/VitterChemical Safety Improvement Act but has notgotten too far. Congress may give it someconsideration during 2015.
Until next time, happy expanding! Contact me [email protected] if you have any questions.
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 10
Why Perlite Rocks continued from page 9
It remains to be seenwhat role perlite mightplay in this type ofprocess.
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 11
The Perlite Papers Innovative Uses of Perlite Explored
by Kenneth Wiener
Research Explores Surfaces, Insulation, Filter and FillerI try to put new research ideas into this column.Papers that analyze the mathematics of anothermaterial adsorbed on perlite or report on anotherphase change material absorbed into a mass ofperlite to provide an insulation material just don’tinterest me. Admittedly, though, there are areas inwhich extra papers build a base of knowledge thatmay get exploited commercially.
One such area is synthetic zeolites. Only a fewcompanies are manufacturing materials in thatfield. If any Perlite Institute member wants me toresearch and/or explain these papers, I would behappy to do so. The various researchers generallyadd strong bases to expanded or unexpandedperlite at elevated temperatures for extendedperiods of time. We can all agree that this type ofprocess is beyond the realm of possibility for mostperliters.
Chemistry on Perlite Surfaces 1,2
References 1 and 2 pertain to the fact that the onlysurface chemistry on standard perlite is hydroxyl(OH--) groups. About the only thing that’s good foris adding silanes, silicones or other such couplingagents. Both papers discuss affixing activechemical sites onto perlite surfaces. The Kolvari,et al. paper confused me a bit at first because ofthe use of the word “catalyst.” As I read more ofthe paper, it became clearthat the covalentlybonded acid-coatedsurface was doing awonderful job creatinghigh purity, large organicmolecules from smallermolecules at relativelylow temperatures and in ashort amount of time. The authors comparedseveral syntheses using sulfonated perlite to thesame reactions using other catalysts, and theperlite came out on top consistently.
The Blaskov, et al. paper uses another mechanism,called spray pyrolysis, to put chemistry on thesurface of perlite, this time, silver (probably in the
form of nanoparticles). Those researchers tooreport high efficiency for the decomposition ofozone. Think about this as reducing smog in thelower portion of the atmosphere, rather thanaffecting the ozone levels (or holes) in the upperatmosphere.
While neither of these chemical modifications ofperlite are likely to be carried out in any perliter’sfacility, other surface modifications could be.Incidentally, I am currently working on a couple ofideas, which will be within the capability of theaverage mining company or expander.
Insulation3,4
References 3 and 4 deal with something that’srelatively well known within our industry butdeserves to bementioned again: Partsmade with perliteprovide insulation. In thecase of Abidi, et al., thetesting was performedwith panels made with(by volume) one-thirdplaster, one-third perliteand one-third vermiculite;fire protection was thegoal.
Sound insulation or isolation was the goal of Zhao,et al. The perlite they used had a bulk density ofabout 80 kg/m3. They found that of the threematerials tested, perlite had the best soundabsorption coefficient but created concrete thatwas too light. So, they created blocks of concretewith lightweight slag in the bottom layer andperlite in the top: 8 cm of slag concrete and 12 cmof perlite concrete worked out well from atheoretical and practical standpoint. Interestingly,the sound reduction varied, based on the speedthat the train was going when it passed over theconcrete (from 2.5 dB at 80 km/h to 4 dB at 200km/h).
Continued on page 12
While neither of thesechemical modifications ofperlite are likely to becarried out in anyperliter’s facility, othersurface modificationscould be.
They created blocks ofconcrete with lightweightslag in the bottom layerand perlite in the top: 8cm of slag concrete and12 cm of perlite concreteworked out well from atheoretical and practicalstandpoint.
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 12
Filter5 and Filler6
Zhao, et al. were not the only researchers to use atwo-layer system. Reference 5 uses a 150 mm layerof perlite (190 kg/m3, 0.3 – 1.0 mm) on top of sandto filter out roughly 1 micron sized aerosolparticles from air. Pressure drops took muchlonger to develop with the dual layer system, andthe efficiency of filtration was improved.
And lastly for this issue, Reference 7 is anotherarticle about something that is quite doable: usingperlite as a filler to create syntactic foam withaluminum. As far as I can tell, the main conclusionis that 1 mm or so perlite is better than 5 mmperlite.
I continue to look forward to reading about andreporting on innovative thinking out there in boththe literature and the real world.
References:1. V. Blaskov, I. Stambolova, V. Georgiev, T. Batakliev, A.
Eliyas, M. Shipochka, S. Vassilev, D. Mehandjiev,“Synthesis and Catalytic Activity of Silver CoatedPerlite in the Reaction of Ozone Decomposition,”Ozone: Science & Engineering, the Journal of the
International Ozone Association.2. E. Kolvari, N. Koukabi, M. Hosseini, “Perlite: A cheap
natural support for immobilization of sulfonic acid asa heterogeneous solid acid catalyst for theheterocyclic multicomponent reaction,” Journal of
Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical, Volume 397,February 2015, Pages 68–75.
3. S. Abidi, B. Nait-Ali, Y. Joliff, C. Favotto, “Impact ofperlite, vermiculite and cement on the thermalconductivity of a plaster composite material:Experimental and numerical approaches,” Composites
Part B: Engineering, Volume 68, January 2015, Pages392–400.
4. Caiyou Zhao, Ping Wang, Li Wang, Dan Liu, “ReducingRailway Noise with Porous Sound-Absorbing ConcreteSlabs,” Advances in Materials Science and Engineering,
Hindawi Publishing Corporation, Volume 2014, ArticleID 206549, 11 pages.
5. Kai-Yu Shi, Guo-Hua Yang, San Huang, Su-Rui Tian,Zhi-Fa Hu, Bo-Lun Huang, “Study on filteringcharacteristics of aerosol particulates in a powder-grain dual-layer granular bed,” Powder Technology,
Volume 272, March 2015, Pages 54-63.6. M. Taherishargh, M. Sulong, I. Belova, G. Murch, T.
Fiedler, “On the particle size effect in expanded perlitealuminium syntactic foam,” Materials & Design,
Volume 66, Part A, 5 February 2015, Pages 294-303.
The Perlite Papers continued from page 11
The Perlite Information Library has awide variety of product guides coveringthe many uses of perlite. Check it out!
D I D YO U K N O W ?
A major regional flower grower “Flowers by
Bauers” with many years of experience in growing
snapdragons in a hydroponic perlite process, has
radically changed both their method of growing
flowers and the perlite grade of choice. Their original
technique was initially reported to the Perlite Institute
in 2010, but increased demand for snapdragons
required updating their methods.
The following table compares the two techniques.
Snapdragon
Production in Perlite
Snapdragons hydroponically
grown in 100% perlite.
Data Reprinted with Permission by the Perlite Institute, Inc.
Utilization of Sensors to
Optimize Quality
COMPARATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR GROWING SNAPDRAGONS IN PERLITE
Growth Method
Hydroponic, Grow bags Hydroponic – Automated sensors
determine watering regime from drip tapes
Perlite Grade
Fine
Medium
Perlite Replacement Time
Container + Perlite Requirements Grow bags
Standard 1020 flats
Labor/Automation Requirements
seedlings by hand seeding and transplanting automated
Water Usage
trigger measuring volumetric water
content of substrate.
Compaction and Contamination
ORIGINAL TECHNIQUE UPDATED TECHNIQUE
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 13
The U.S. patents involving perlitegranted and published duringSeptember through December is downagain, after two impressively productivequarters.
Halliburton received the highestnumber for any individual assignee, andthe usual suspects such as Clariant andJames Hardie Technologies wererepresented as well. The use of perlite,both expanded and unexpanded, istaught in several Halliburton patents.
However, a patent granted to the U.S.Department of Agriculture teaches theopposite of a patent granted to acompany based in the Netherlands. TheDutch company wants to find microbesin a sample by attaching them to asurface. Microbes did not stick to perlitewhen they tested it, perhaps, as theysay, because of the negative electricalcharge on perlite’s surface. Whenpregelatinized wheat starch was addedto perlite by researchers working for theDepartment of Agriculture, microbesstuck. Those researchers did notmention the charge on the starch.
Keen readers of this column mayremember a patent granted to Mr.Lambert on biophysical geoengineering.As you can read in the patent list on thispage, he couldn’t stop at just one.There’s another one in the works aswell. Perlite meets his needs forsomething that floats, is white in colorand has a high reflectivity.
Even if none of the listed patentsgenerate any sales for Perlite Institutemembers, they keep pushing theboundaries of perlite thinking,production and applications. Thanks forcontinuing this journey with me.
Perlite Patents in LastQuarter of 2014 Are Down
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Patents:Two Thumbs Up for Perlite
by Kenneth Wiener
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 14
Technical Q&As Q: I am doing some research about the processor possibility of regenerating expanded perlite,which we use for insulation and as a desiccantin a high-vacuum system. After the perlite hasbeen exposed to atmosphere after having beenpumped down using heat to a high vacuum,may that same perlite again be returned to anuncontaminated state by using heat andvacuum, or has the perlite been “used” up? Ifso, what would be the adequate temperatureand vacuum needed to achieve the desiredgoal?
A: Perlite is an inert expanded silica. It does not
act as a desiccant and absorb. It is used as an
insulator, much like millions of small double-pane
windows, and it can remain that way indefinitely.
There are conditions within structures that leak
and thereby cause wetting of the perlite. In
cryogenic applications, when the perlite is
removed, it is discarded if it has become wet. Dry
material is often stored and then refilled into the
container after repairs are made.
The excavation of the perlite can be done either by
gravity or vacuum. The key in removal is to
minimize breakdown during this procedure. When
the material is conveyed too fast in the line, there
is always some nominal breakdown, which is why
units are topped off after refilling with some new
cryogenic perlite.
Q: I am working on a project of an industrialplant of nitrogen and oxygen liquid. Do you haveinformation about the behavior of the thermalconductivity of perlite between the temperatureof -196 degrees C and +200 degrees C?
A: Expanded perlite has been used for many, many
years in the cryogenic area due to its great
insulating and inert properties. The Perlite Institute
has produced two bulletins that provide basic
information in the range you have listed:
Evacuated perlite – wide range of temp:
http://tinyurl.com/EvacuatedPerlite
Cryogenic information – nonevacuated perlite:
http://tinyurl.com/PerliteNonevacuatedCryogenic
Q: I'’ve been doing sand-based glass fiberreinforced concrete (GFRC) for some time andrecently discovered perlite as an option forreplacing sand to cut weight. I have a goodGFRC with sand recipe I’m currently using, but Iam wondering if you could recommend a recipethat uses perlite.
A: You are in luck in that we revised one of our
bulletins on this very subject. Please check out
“Overview of Perlite Concrete” at
http://tinyurl.com/PerliteOverviewofConcrete.
Q: Can perlite be used to backfill and insulatearound buried pipes? Will the perlite degrade ifplaced below grade? Does the perlite have to beplaced with the bags or can the bags beemptied out around the pipe?
A: Perlite concrete is often used around pipe
installations. Also, perlite is used as an underslab
insulation. It is normally put into place in bags;
however, a few do it in bulk. With buried pipes, it
seems that bulk-like sand would be appropriate.
Perlite is an inert substance, but it is fragile since it
is glass bubbles. If there is no pressure or work
done to it, it remains relatively stable.
The Perlite Institute has produced two brochures
on this subject:
Perlite Concrete Insulating Underground Pipe
Ducting:
http://tinyurl.com/PerliteInsulatingUndergrPipe
Perlite Underslab Insulation:
http://tinyurl.com/PerliteUnderslabInsulation
Want to see more? Have your ownquestion for Chuck Vogelsang, the PerliteInstitute’s technical spokesperson?
Visit the Perlite Institute Facebook page at
http://tinyurl.com/Perlite-Institute-Facebook or the LinkedIn Group at
http://tinyurl.com/Perlite-Institute-LinkedIn or email [email protected].
Perlite Today—WINTER 2015 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 15
Opening ClosingDate Date Name of Show Location Website
2/2/2015 2/6/2015 World of Concrete Las Vegas, Nev. www.worldofconcrete.comLas Vegas Convention Center
2/4/2015 2/5/2015 Landscape Industry Show Ontario, Canada www.clca.org/lis/Ontario Convention Center
2/10/2015 2/12/2015 World Ag Expo 2015 Tulare, Calif. www.worldagexpo.comInternational Agri-Center
2/18/2015 2/19/2015 National Concrete San Antonio, Texas www.ncma.orgMasonry Association Hyatt Hill Country Resort
2/24/2015 2/26/2015 Filtech Cologne, Germany www.filtech.de/Koelnmesse
3/3/2015 3/5/2015 NESEA Building Energy Conference Boston, Mass. http://nesea.org/conference/buildingenergy-15Seaport World Trade Center
3/5/2015 3/7/2015 National Precast Concrete Assoc. Orlando, Fla. http://precast.org/theprecastshow/
3/17/2015 3/19/2015 World of Asphalt (and AGG1 Baltimore, Md. www.worldofasphalt.com/about/Aggregates Academy & Expo) Baltimore Convention Center
3/17/2015 3/19/2015 Green Cities – Australia Melbourne, Australia www.greencities.org.auGrand Hyatt Melbourne
3/18/2015 3/22/2015 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show San Mateo, Calif. www.sfgardenshow.comSan Mateo Event Center
4/9/2015 4/12/2015 IPPS New Zealand Nelson, NZ http://www.ipps.org.nz/conference/2015.htmRutherford Hotel
5/8/2015 5/10/2015 IPPS Australia Newcastle, NSW, AU http://www.ipps.org.au/
5/22/2015 5/24/2015 Roof India Mumbai, India http://roofindia.com/Bombay Exposition Centre
6/14/2015 6/17/2015 Western Roofing Expo Las Vegas, Nev. http://www.wsrca.com/Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
6/17/2015 6/20/2015 American Seed Trade Association Washington, D.C. http://www.amseed.org/events/asta-annual-convention/Annual Convention Washington Marriott Marquis
7/29/2015 7/30/2015 Penn Atlantic Nursery Trade Show Philadelphia, Pa. http://www.pantshow.com/Pennsylvania Convention Center
8/13/2015 8/15/2015 Nursery and Landscape Expo Dallas, Texas http://www.nurserylandscapeexpo.org/ComingSoon/Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
8/18/2015 8/20/2015 Independent Garden Center Show Chicago, Ill. http://www.gardencentersofamerica.org/event-1750794Navy Pier
8/19/2015 8/20/2015 Citrus Expo North Ft. Myers, Fla. http://www.citrusexpo.netLee Civic Center
8/26/2015 8/29/2015 Plantarium Boskoop, NL http://plantarium.nl/en/International Trade Centre
8/27/2015 8/29/2015 Farwest Show Portland, Ore. http://www.farwestshow.com/Oregon Convention Center
9/24/2015 9/25/2015 ONLA Annual Convention Oklahoma City, Okla http://www.oknla.org/and Trade Show Cox Convention Center
Selected Upcoming Trade Shows and Meetings