The Annual Meeting is fast approaching! · 2015-01-14 · Perlite Today—SUMMER 2014 PAGE 2...

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Photo by Scott Catron

From informative educational sessions toscheduled tours, the Annual Meeting is theperfect opportunity to be surrounded by avibrant destination.

Park City combines access to naturalrecreation, remarkable history, warmhospitality and Utah’s Greatest Snow on Earth.It offers a one-of-a-kind combination ofmetro and peaceful oasis with a breathtakingalpine backyard. The meeting includes a bustour of Salt Lake City. Don’t miss theopportunity to network with attendees allacross the world in beautiful Park City!

The following global speakers are lined up for this year’s Annual Meeting:Perlite/DE Geology Overview

Skylar Burdette, EaglePicher Technologies, LLCThe Application of High-Incline Cambelt Belt Conveyors in Perlite Handling

Dave Hansen, VP, Cambelt International Corp.The History of Harborlite Corporation: 1951 to the Present

Chris Hayward, Immerys Filtration Minerals, Inc. Perlite Packaging Updates and Options

Hans Peckhaus, JohnPac, Inc.Fabric Filters for Perlite and Perlite for Fabric Filters

Reid Thomas, Menardi-Filtex (baghouses)Solutions for Air-Flow Problems in Perlite Processing

Chuck Vogelsang, Perlite Institute Consultant

The meeting features a visit to the Hess Pumice/Perlite Mining and

Processing Facilities in southeastern Idaho.

Book your stay at the WaldorfAstoria Park City by Aug. 7 andreceive a discounted room rate of$179 (plus applicable fees andtaxes). Attendees must maketheir own reservations by calling435-647-5511. Please mention the PerliteInstitute and the conference datesto take advantage of the offeredrate. The quoted rate is availableduring the conference only;however, the hotel’s reservationsteam will offer the rate on otherdates if there is availability.

Book Your Hotel Today!

Join Fellow Members Sept. 7–10 in Park City, Utah

The Annual Meetingis fast approaching!

Click herefor the attendee

brochure. You can also register online.

We look forward to seeing you in Utah!

Park City, Utah

Marketing with InformationMichael Waite, Bonefrog Creative Group

Health, Environmental and Regulatory UpdateKen Wiener, Perlite Institute Consultant

Safety ExpandedBrian Jeppsen, Hess Pumice Products

New Mexico Bureau of Geology's Perlite TestingLaboratory-A Public Service Facility

Gretchen Hoffman, New Mexico Bureau ofGeology & Mineral Resources

Report on StormCon ConferenceJerry Mishler, Supreme Perlite Company

The Effect of Perlite and Biological Systems on Organically Enhanced Growing Media

Anita Mulqueeny, Infigro National TechnologiesTopic to be Determined

Grant Cardon, Nephi Dryland Research Farm

http://tinyurl.com/PerliteAnnualMeeting2014broch

Perlite Today—SUMMER 2014 PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.PAGE 2

2014 Board of Directors

Hope to See You in Park City!Since publication of our last newsletter, we arepleased to welcome two new members to the PerliteInstitute:

Nestle Purina Pet Care Company, St. Louis, Mo., and

JohnPac, Inc., Crowley, La.

We look forward to their participation in the activities of the PerliteInstitute and to seeing them at our upcoming Annual Meeting in Park

City, Utah.

Speaking of Park City, Utah, we have anexcellent program planned for the AnnualMeeting. I hope you all have received themeeting announcement and registration

materials and are in the process of making plans to attend.

The Perlite Institute will be sharing a booth with Supreme Perlite atthe StormCon Conference and Trade Show Aug. 3 through 7 inPortland, Ore. Members interested in participating are encouraged toattend and learn more about this developing market.

I look forward to seeing you all in Park City Sept. 7 through 10.

Message from the Presidentby Linda Chirico

OFFICERSPRESIDENTLinda Chirico

Carolina Perlite Company, Inc.Gold Hill, N.C.

704-279-2325

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENTMatt Goecker

EP Minerals LLCReno, Nev.

775-824-7658

[email protected]

TREASURERKeith Hoople

Midwest Perlite, Inc.Appleton, Wis.

920-731-2671

[email protected]

PAST PRESIDENT / ADVISORKathryn Louis

Sun Gro Horticulture Canada, Ltd.Bellevue, Wash.

425-433-0170

[email protected]

DIRECTORSRichard Barabé

Perlite CanadaLachine, Quebec, Canada

514-631-4251

[email protected]

Sebastien CaspardImerys Performance & Filtration MineralsParis, France

(33) 633 50 82 17

[email protected]

Mike HessIdaho Minerals LLCMalad City, Idaho

208-766-4777 or 800-767- 4701

[email protected]

René van der MarkPull Rhenen b.v.Rhenen, Netherlands

(31) 318-471001

[email protected]

Matthew MalaghanAustralian Perlite Pty LimitedSydney, Australia

61 2 9316 0054

[email protected]

Jerry MishlerSupreme PerlitePortland, Ore.

503-286-4333

[email protected]

Rick WillisSilbrico CorporationHodgkins, Ill.

708-354-3350

[email protected]

Please plan to join us Sept. 7-10 in Park City, Utah.

IN THIS ISSUE3 Message from the Executive

Director

4 News from the Perlite Institute

4 Member Profile: PennsylvaniaPerlite

5 Why Perlite Rocks

9 The Perlite Papers

10 Patents: Two Thumbs Up for Perlite

11 Perlite Patents

12 Industry News

14 Technical Q&As

15 Selected Upcoming Trade Shows and Meetings

16 New Product Guide

Join Us!

Visit the Perlite Institute’s websitefor more information about the 2014 Annual Meeting.

The Perlite InstituteAnnual Meeting

Sept 7-10 includes a tour of nearby

Salt Lake City.Photo by Adam Barker

https://perlite.org//support/upcoming-events.html

mailto:[email protected]












The Perlite Institute recently held its very firstwebinar. What is a webinar? A webinar is an onlineevent that is broadcast to a select group ofindividuals through theircomputers andtelephones. The speakercan share a PowerPointpresentation, videos, webpages and any othercontent with audienceswho can be locatedanywhere in the world!

This online venue is justone idea the Institute isusing to reach our members with educationalinformation in a productive and cost-effectivemanner. If you did not participate in this firstwebinar, you missed an outstanding opportunity.Brian Jeppsen from Hess Pumice sharedinformation on safety. His presentation wasinformative and educational. I received a call fromone of our members stating this was a greatopportunity for the four individuals he had sittingin an office watching the presentation. What afantastic way to provide an educationalopportunity for your staff and not have to pay forflights and overnight accommodations or havethem out of the office for an extended period oftime.

I agree there is nothing like networking face-to-faceat a meeting, and I would be the first to tell you Iam of the generation thatlikes that one-on-onecontact with others.However, the future is intechnology and utilizingthat technology to reachothers who, for whateverreasons, are unable toattend those face-to-face meetings. I stronglyencourage you to take part in the webinars beingheld and invite your staff or co-workers toparticipate with you.

Speaking of face-to-face, if you are able to attendthe upcoming Annual Meeting, I hope you will doso. Nothing compares to being able to chat with

someone who does whatyou do on a day-to-daybasis, talk about theindustry and how toimprove your processes,and glean new andexciting information fromsome fantastic speakers.Our meetings committeehas once again done afabulous job of pulling

together a spectacular lineup of speakers andtopics that will help you in your business whenyou get back home.

I hope to see all of you in Utah…or hear you on awebinar! Have a wonderful summer.

Message from the Executive Directorby Denise R. Calabrese

Education and Networking…Are You a Participating Member?

The future is intechnology and utilizingthat technology to reachothers who are unable toattend face-to-facemeetings.

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.org

A webinar is a fantasticway to provide aneducational opportunity foryour staff and not have topay for flights andovernight accommodationsor have them out of theoffice for an extendedperiod of time.

Our meetings committeehas once again done afabulous job of pullingtogether a spectacularlineup of speakers andtopics that will help youin your business whenyou get back home.

Growing Snapdragons in PerliteIn a brand new product guide, the Perlite Institute reportsthat major regional flower grower “Flowers by Bauers,” whichhas many years’ experience growing snapdragons in ahydroponic perlite process, has radically changed both itsmethod of growing flowers and the perlite grade of choice.See page 16 for more information about growing snapdragonsin perlite. Click here to see the product guide.

http://tinyurl.com/Snapdragons-in-Perlite

http://www.perlite.org


Keep Your Company Webpage Up-to-DateAre you keeping your information and pictures up-to-date on the Perlite Institute’s website? As amember, you are provided your own webpage onour website where you can feature your companyinformation, logo and two pictures related to yourcompany. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!Please review your company page and send editsto [email protected].

Welcome, New Perlite Institute MembersThe following new members recently joined thePerlite Institute. Let’s help welcome them to ourmembership!

Associate

Mary Ellen Henry, JohnPac, Inc., Crowley, La.

Alison Jemmott, Nestle Purina PetCare Co., St.Louis, Mo.

Who’s Visitingwww.perlite.org?Did you know the Perlite Institutewebsite, www.perlite.org, receives thousands ofvisitors each month?Consider these facts aboutweb traffic to the site duringthe second quarter of thisyear:

• During April, May andJune, the site had 8,646 visits.

• Of those visits, 77.5 percent were from newvisitors.

• A total of 22,052 pages were viewed during thisthree-month period.

• The average visitor viewed 2.5 pages per visitand spent more than one and a half minutesviewing each page.

News from the Perlite Institute

Jose AbudPennsylvania Perlite Corp.Bethlehem, Pennsylvaniawww.pennperlite.com

Please tell us aboutyour business.Pennsylvania Perlite Corporation has been inbusiness since 1949. We manufacture perlite forcryogenic, horticultural, construction, plaster,refractory, coatings and paint aggregates. We havetwo furnaces and 22 employees. Our customers areprimarily from the horticultural, construction,industrial, chemical and cryogenic industries aswell as the U.S. government. We market ourbusiness through direct sales, trade shows, theinternet and Twitter. By upgrading our systems tobe more automated, we have increased efficiencyand provided more production controls.

How has your business changed?We face the constant challenge of dealing withsources of raw materials and new competingproducts versus perlite. On the plus side, there

have been somestability in theenergy sector,positive growth insome marketsectors and arefreshing knowledgeable customer base.

Describe your involvement with the Perlite Institute and your hopes for the association in the future.We rejoined the Institute in 2010. Prior to that, wewere a member for about 30 years since theInstitute’s formation. We value the exchange ofinformation and the use of the website as part ofour membership. My involvement in the Institutehas been as co-chair of the HorticulturalCommittee and as a technical advisor and speakeron various perlite-related subjects. In the future, Ihope that the Perlite Institute will continue toincrease membership, market trends, and studynew perlite applications and markets.

If you want your company featured as a MemberProfile in an upcoming issue, please email Amy [email protected].

Member Profile

https://perlite.org/members/memberDirectory-alpha.html


http://www.perlite.org?


http://www.pennperlite.com



Updates on RCS Limits, Carbon Emission Reductions,the World Economy and Stormwater Runoff

CRYSTALLINE SILICA and DUST

OSHA’s proposed limits on respirable crystallinesilica (RCS) concentrations continue drawingnegative responses from the construction industry.The most comprehensive I have seen is from theConstruction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC),whose 235-page response (including appendices)pokes holes at the research cited by OSHA inarriving at the proposed PEL and Action Level. Isympathize with their positions and problems, butI really see opportunities for increased use ofmaterials with lowcrystalline silica content(such as perlite). Now thehard part will be toconvince manufacturersto change! Perhaps it isup to us to improve someaspects of our products.Research presented in mypatents and published papers’ columns presentsome ways to improve compression strengths anddurability. Surely there are other ways to improveas well.

In the real world, companies in the UnitedKingdom and the United States are being fined forallowing overexposures to respirable crystallinesilica.

In some apparently good news though, SouthAfrican cases of silicosis peaked in 2008, and bycherry-picking the data, a 42 percent decline inreported new cases has been advertised by SouthAfrica’s Department of Mineral Resources (datasince 2012 is unavailable, though). Helping thisstatistic is the fact that mining output has shrunkby about 25 percent, and the platinum miningbusiness is facing its longest strike in SouthAfrica’s history. Mine owners there are said to bestalling existing lawsuits in the hopes that manyplaintiffs will die before becoming eligible for“general damages.”

Recent columns have reported on attempts to

make California’s Proposition 65 a little lessattractive to “bounty hunter” attorneys and their“clients.” A compliance period was instituted, butit looks as though more lawsuits than before maybe generated. A provision in the legislationinvalidates many generic warning labels posted inretail establishments as well as places of work,apartment buildings, etc., that simply say thathazards might exist. Now, one has to be specific interms of what the hazard is.

GLOBAL WARMING & POLITICS

This is a topic with many sides, especially at thetime that this column is being written. The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recentlyannounced goals for electrical power generationcompanies in terms of carbon emission reductions.The companies got what they wanted as the baseyear – 2005 – and, states received flexibility interms of how they would meet their emissionreduction goals. As the rulemaking progresses,your local media will keep you informed, and I willcontinue to offer highlights.

One creative solution reported to me by one of ourmembers involves a greenhouse situated next to apower plant. The power plant harvests its wasteheat and sends it to the greenhouse during thewinter. The greenhouse gets a jump on itscompetition in terms ofstarting bulbs and otherplants sooner in the year(more growing = highercarbon capture); theydon’t have to burn fuel toheat their facility (lesscarbon emissions); andthe power plant gets to take credit. Of course, thissituation will not happen everywhere, but wasteheat can generally be converted into useful energyin other ways as well.

Don’t expect human ingenuity to fail in this case.

Why Perlite Rocks A look at news around the globe affectingperlite manufacturers

by Kenneth Wiener

OSHA’s proposed limits onrespirable crystallinesilica (RCS) concentrationscontinue drawingnegative responses fromthe construction industry.

Continued on page 6

Can perlite be part offood companies’emissions reductionefforts? I would say,“Yes.”

http://tinyurl.com/OSHA-Silica-NPRM-Comments


Improvements in efficiency save money and loweremissions. And, know-how developed in makingchanges can be marketed, which will also improveprofits.

At this point, the EPA has not proposed any impacton general industry, unlike with California’s AB32legislation. California’s diatomite producers, due totheir large carbon footprint, are subject to AB32rules, but perliters in California fall below theoutput threshold of the law.

In other greenhouse gas emission news, OxfamInternational has urged the world’s 10 largest foodand beverage companies to intensify theircommitment to emission reductions. Thecompanies, including Coca-Cola, Danone, GeneralMills, Kellogg, Mars, Nestle, PepsiCo and Unilever,emitted more than 260 million tons of greenhousegasses in 2013. Together, that’s equivalent to theoutput of the 25th most polluting country in theworld. But Oxfam acknowledged that thecompanies have accomplished some goals, andmost are working with independent organizationsto fully report their emissions. At least Oxfam wasnot like the party-pooper kill-joy I heard on theradio on National Donut Day recently, whocomplained that donuts are fried in palm oilproduced on vast tropical plantations (bad) thathave replaced pristine jungles (good).

Can perlite be part of food companies’ emissionsreduction efforts? I would say, “Yes.” The key is tofind the right department and personnel willing tomake changes.

REACh, CLP & GHS

There are a variety of EU regulations to report onthis quarter, but none that specifically apply toperlite. Among these are several REACh issuesinvolving the German chemicals company BASF.For instance, BASF will not support calls forregistration or regulation of nanomaterials outsideof the EU’s REACh program, even though Belgiumand France have already set up registers and thereare calls for similar measures in other Europeancountries.

A second case involves “Substitute it Now” (SIN)chemicals. The list, developed by thenongovernmental organization InternationalChemical Secretariat (ChemSec), contains morethan four times (626) the 151 chemicals officiallylisted by the EU as Substances of Very High

Concern (SVHC). The list of chemicals is aimed atinvestors, formulators, retailers and consumerswho want to be aware of potential risk from theuse of such chemicals. Included on the list are thecompanies that produce or import SIN listedsubstances into or out of the EU market. BASFproduces more SIN chemicals (46) than any othercompany.

A senior manager at BASF told a recent chemicalsconference: “I am afraid we will stay on the list.”He noted that substitution is not easy, but pointedout that his company is this year in the process ofsubstituting a highly brominated flame retardant(HBCDD) with a new polymeric flame retardant(PolyFR) in all of its products.

In other news, U.S. and European authorities maynever be able to reconcile their regulatoryschemes for chemicals and cosmetics, but theycould cooperate more closely in a number of ways,including how they classify and label chemicals,according to two positionpapers published by theEuropean CommissionMay 14. Negotiations onregulatory cooperation aspart of an EU-U.S.Transatlantic Trade andInvestment Partnership (TTIP) are provingchallenging. This theoretically could involveperlite, as some amount is being sold into thecosmetics market.

Malaysia is now requiring use of the GloballyHarmonized System under its CLASS regulation.The regulations in Bahasa Malay and English areavailable online or by clicking on the appropriatelink on the Society for Chemical HazardCommunication website. Notable points includethe requirement that Safety Data Sheets must berevised at least every five years. The CLASS rulesdo not apply to cosmetics or their ingredients.And, as far as perlite is concerned, if the respirablecrystalline silica content is under 0.1 percent,warning labels might not be needed.

MINE SAFETY

I mentioned earlier about statistical improvementsin South Africa’s mining safety record. Keep inmind that we don’t know yet how much of thatimprovement is statistical, how much of that is realand how much of that is sustainable once the

Why Perlite Rocks continued from page 5

Continued on page 7

If the respirablecrystalline silica content isunder 0.1 percent,warning labels might notbe needed.

http://tinyurl.com/FederalGazetteGHSregulations

http://tinyurl.com/schsGHSMalaysia


situation returns to normal.

Turkey’s recent coal mine disaster was thecountry’s worst ever. Approximately 300 minerswere killed. Coincidentally, the location of the coaldeposit is less than 50 miles (80 kilometers) awayfrom some of İperlit’s perlite mines. Geologicalmaps show that the geology and faulting of Turkeyis extremely complicated. The accompanying mapshows many areas of igneous intrusion withinearlier rock formations.

COMPETITION

A company from the United Kingdom is in theinitial stages of evaluating a deposit of diatomitenear Reno, Nev., in the United States (see newsitem on page 13). Sunrise Resources expects thematerial to compete in the filler and filter aidmarkets.

Then, there are issues that have one just shakingone’s head. The June 2014 ASSE SafetyProfessional Development Conference in Floridahas a session titled “Vermiculite: The NewAsbestos?” The description focuses on what to doabout the tens of thousands of installations in theUnited States of vermiculite from Libby, Mont. As ifthat’s something new!

THE ECONOMY

The U.S. economy appears to be slowly improving,based on the number of added jobs and totalpayroll amounts. There could be factors that arebeyond the control of small businesses, though.One independent resin formulator I deal with hasindicated that their suppliers are instituting moreaggressive pricing with the type of customer theyusually deal with. This cuts margins for the smallguys.

On a larger scale, the European Central Bank(ECB) took an unusual step, dropping interest rates

in Europe below zero. The central bank seems tofear deflation amid persistently highunemployment and constrained governmentbudgets, particularly in the Eurozone’s periphery.In practice, by lowering the overnight bank depositrate to -0.1 percent from zero, the ECB willessentially be charging lenders to park their fundswith the central bank. The hope is that it willencourage banks to make more loans and weakenthe euro, spurring exports and inflation, which haddropped to a four-year low of 0.5 percent in May.Will the small drop be sufficient to do any of this?The day that this change was announced, tradersin euros responded initially by devaluing the euroversus the U.S. dollar, but later in the day, the eurohad more than recovered and finished even higherthan it had started at. Time will tell whetherstronger measures will be needed.

GREEN BUILDINGS

One word: stormwater. Stormwater from buildingsand businesses has been an issue for a while. Nowthe Clean Water Act of 1972 is being used toimplement cleanup of water from nonpointsources as well as point sources. Cities andcounties are going to be held responsible for anyand everything that goes into their storm drains aspart of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System(MS4). Cities in my local area are working onpreparing their joint Enhanced WatershedManagement Plan (EWMP) that outlines how thecities will identifypollutants in the waterand establishes controlmeasures to preventthose pollutants fromentering the water. Asupporting document, theCoordinated IntegratedMonitoring Plan (CIMP),is needed because thesefour cities share a stormdrain system. The CIMPdocuments methods foridentifying andmonitoring pollutants.

Bioswales, grass strips, detention ponds and stormdrain inserts will be among possible methods ofcapturing rainwater, recharging groundwater andpreventing nonpoint source pollutants fromreaching streams. New and redeveloped properties

Continued on page 8


By participating in theStormCon stormwatertrade show in August inPortland, Ore., the PerliteInstitute hopes to raiseawareness of perlite inthe industry involvedwith minimizingstormwater runoff andimproving the quality ofwater that enters stormdrains.

http://tinyurl.com/GeologyMapTurkey

will be required to implement such measures.

The Perlite Institute will be participating in theStormCon stormwatertrade show in August inPortland, Ore. We hopeto raise awareness ofperlite in the industryinvolved withminimizing stormwaterrunoff and improving the quality of water thatenters storm drains. Depending on results, look fornotices of regional trade shows in Perlite Today’scalendar of upcoming events.

BIOFUELS & OTHER SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES

A major California grocery chain, part of a largernational chain, recently published a flyer (withcoupons), which contained the photo above.

Looks to me like perlite could be a vital part oftheir sustainability efforts, although I have noinformation that they are actually using any. I havereported earlier on their food waste digester toenergy project. They continue to get 20 percent ofthe power they need for daily operations out of theequipment, and they are estimating that area trucktrips are reduced by at least 500,000 miles (800,000km) per year.

The chain’s director of sustainability cites zerowaste as the most important initiative in achievingthe “triple bottom line” involving social, financialand environmental parameters. Diverted waste isat 58 percent, and the goal is 70 percent by 2015.Twenty-one of the chain’s 35 manufacturingfacilities are sending nothing to landfills and areworking with their dairy suppliers to implementwaste-to-energy solutions as well. Aside from thefiscal impact, the company’s efforts have beenrecognized by inclusion in the 2013 Dow JonesSustainability Index.

OTHER REGULATORY ISSUES

Perlite is acknowledged by the Organic MaterialsReview Institute as acceptable in soils. What I didnot know is that there is a higher level umbrellaorganization regarding organic farming. Thatorganization, based in Bonn, Germany, is calledthe International Federation of Organic AgricultureMovements (IFOAM). At this time, I do not knowwhether they have considered perlite for approvalor not. However, they are against geneticengineering.

Genetic engineering can result from simplytinkering with plant reproduction, as it has beendone for thousands of years, by using genes fromother organisms in the same family, or byintroducing genes from completely differentorganisms. Makingchickens glow in the darkby introducing genes fromphosphorescent planktonis transgenic, that lattercategory. Making a newcross between twostrawberry varieties (open pollination) is in thefirst category. However, putting genes fromBrussels sprouts into cauliflower falls in thatmiddle category, called cell fusion or cisgenicgenetic engineering. IFOAM considers cell fusionto be genetic engineering, but neither the USDAnor the EU considers cell fusion to be a geneticengineering technique. The controversy boilsdown to whether the product or the process isconsidered as important.

So for most of us, the question becomes: How welldo these plants grow in perlite, and how can wesell more of it?

Until next time, happy expanding! Contact me [email protected] if you have anyquestions.



So for most of us, thequestion becomes: Howwell do these plants growin perlite, and how canwe sell more of it?

The Perlite Institute willbe participating in theStormCon stormwatertrade show in August inPortland, Ore.



The Perlite Papers Innovative Uses of Perlite Explored

by Kenneth Wiener

Perlite Tested in Expanded Form and as a Bacteria Carrier Only four of this quarter’s papers about perlitehave made the grade for this review. Of those,three papers involve creating structures from theexpanded form, and the fourth uses perlite as acarrier for bacteria to remove odors.

Starch as a Binder1

This paper reports on the use of starch as a binderand compares the strength of the resulting perlitefoam with a specificgravity of 0.3 with gypsumfoam with a specificgravity of 0.9. Perlitecreated a product thatwas three times lighter and just as strong. Thanksgo out to Australian Perlite for providing the perlitefor testing.

Addition of Colemanite2

The second paper explains what happens when aboron compound, colemanite, is added, up to 20percent, to a composition of perlite, coal dust,carboxymethyl cellulose (water thickener) andwater. The researchers tested strengths and otherparameters after no heating vs. heating at 200, 300,and 400 degrees C. They actually produced a verygood block product but did not go into theeconomics or describe the time required for thecalcining. This method also strengthened theperlite composite material.

Mixed with Molten Aluminum3

The third paper reports on what happened when 3to 4 mm perlite was mixedwith molten aluminum.For one thing, the specificgravity of thecompounded aluminumwas only a little over 1.0.Also, the lightestcompounded aluminum foam tested served as agood energy absorber, while slightly heavierdensity materials showed better mechanicalproperties.

Again, kudos to Australian Perlite for supplying

material for these researchers as well. Metal-perlitecomposites could be a new market for many of ourmembers.

Odor Removal from Animal Waste4

For years, many in the perlite world havewondered about and actually tested perlite as amaterial for removing odors from animal waste,without any definite success. The fourth paper I’mreporting on tells us that the actual way to do thisis via bacteria. Perlite (20 percent by weight) andbentonite (80 percent by weight) were used in thisstudy as carriers for seven different species ofbacteria. I’m not sure of the reason for the choiceof the two minerals (the researchers mention anearlier study, published in Polish, establishing thechoice) or any physical properties of eithermineral product. The researchers do say that thisratio creates an easy-to-apply (mid-weight)absorbent product that does not create any dust.

I continue to look forward to reading about andreporting on innovative thinking out there in boththe literature and the real world.

References:1D. Shastri, H. S. Kim, “A new consolidation process for

expanded perlite particles,” Construction and Building

Materials, Volume 60, 16 June 2014, Pages 1-7.

2A. G. Celik, T. Depci, A. M. Kılıc, “New lightweight

colemanite-added perlite brick and comparison of its

physicomechanical properties with other commercial

lightweight materials,” Construction and Building

Materials, Volume 62, 15 July 2014, Pages 59-66.

3M. Taherishargh, I. V. Belova, G. E. Murch, T. Fiedler,

“Low-density expanded perlite–aluminium syntactic

foam,” Materials Science and Engineering: A, Volume

604, 16 May 2014, Pages 127-134.

4B. Gutarowska, K. Matusiak, S. Borowski, A.

Rajkowska, B. Brycki, “Removal of odorous

compounds from poultry manure by microorganisms

on perlite – bentonite carrier,” Journal of

Environmental Management, Volume 141, 1 August

2014, Pages 70-76.

Metal-perlite compositescould be a new marketfor many of ourmembers.

Perlite created a productthat was three timeslighter and just as strong.

Take a look at the patents in the grid on the nextpage. Most are fairly regular, and some are worthwriting about in this column, but some show someabsurdities about patents and their limitations.

Let’s start with the ’348 Dodd, et al., patentregarding microwave expansion. This onespecifically states thatperlite cannot beexpanded usingmicrowave energy. Notjust that it can’t be donewith their technology, butthat it cannot be done!

Maze, et al., teach in the ’856 patent thatvermiculite is preferred in the bituminous coatingbecause perlite dissolves in water! If I saw such astatement in a publication, I would write a letter tothe editor refuting the statement, but since it is thePatent Office, I don’t know what to do at all.

Several patents were issued to Bayer CropScience(’974, ’878, ’118 and ’420) on the development ofa fungicide. All note that if the fungicide is appliedto perlite used as a growing medium, only one-third as much is needed. Perlite improves theefficiency of the fungicide that much, and yet thatcomment is only a side note, not even a claim.

And now to the normal, but notable, patents. Yuan,et al. (’393) coat perlite with a hydrophobicmaterial, which improves the oil/water absorbanceratio for spill cleanup.

Kneis, et al. teach in their ’511 patent thatremoving boron from silanes is an importantprocess for certain electronics applications, andthey prefer perlite as a material in the firstpurification step.

Remember: Getting the patent is just the first step.Enforcing the patent you receive is even moreimportant. Consider Amazon’s recently grantedpatent on taking a pictureof an object against awhite background.Common sense in thelaw, and apparentlyparticularly in patent law,is not that common.We’ll see what will result if and when any of thesepatents are challenged.

Even if none of the listed patents generate anysales for Perlite Institute members, they keeppushing the boundaries of perlite thinking,production and applications. Thanks forcontinuing this journey with me.


Patents: Two Thumbs Up for Perlite by Kenneth Wiener

A Look at Some Absurd Patents

Remember: Getting thepatent is just the firststep. Enforcing the patentyou receive is even moreimportant.

Please help us make Perlite Today themost relevant and useful it can be foryou, our members. Email your ideas andany leads you may have for futurearticles to the editor, Amy, at

[email protected] hope to hear from yousoon with your suggestions.

Help Us Make Your NewsletterEven More Useful

Examples this quartershow some absurditiesabout patents and theirlimitations.

Did you know?The Perlite Institute has an online library featuringan in-depth collection of the research, tests,applicable uses and technical data the PerliteInstitute and its members have compiled andpublished for perlite, grouped by industry:

• Horticulture

• Construction

• Insulation

• Industrial Applications

• Filtration

Check it out at www.perlite.org.

http://www.perlite.org/library-perlite-info/perlite-library.html



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USGS Staff Changes AnnouncedRecent staff changes at the National MineralInformation Center of the U.S. Geological Survey inReston, Va., will affect the commodity specialistswho deal with perlite. Wally Bolen, commodityspecialist, has moved from perlite to salt and sodaash. Taking his place in perlite is Shawnna Bennett,commodities specialist in the Mineral CommoditiesSection. Watch for a profile of Shawnna in theupcoming Fall issue of Perlite Today.

Father of Hungarian Perlite DiesDr. Pal Rudnyanszky, retiredprofessor at the BudapestUniversity of Technology andEconomics, a long-timehonorary member of thePerlite Institute and theauthor of a book on 50 yearsof Hungarian perlite, passedaway May 26, 2014, just shy ofhis 90th birthday. He was tobe honored the followingweek by the HungarianParliament for his heroism inWorld War II and for hiscontributions to rebuilding the country.

“Perlite was my uncle’s overriding passion,” sayshis nephew Dr. Zoltan G. Turi. “He was a partisanresistance fighter against the Nazis in the SecondWorld War, survived that, got his Ph.D. and spent

his career overseeingthe building ofhousing for largenumbers of people(tens of thousands ofapartments, forexample) in acountry that hadbeen devastated bybeing caught in themiddle of a hugeRussian-Nazi battlethat went on formonths, withartillery and aerialbombardments.

“In Budapest, a city of 2 million people, not asingle window survived the war, and half thebuildings were destroyed,” Dr. Turi continues.“Perlite was, in his opinion, the perfect solution asa material for a variety of construction needs, andhe collected samples from around the world. Hebuilt a small perlite exhibit, a tiny museum of sortsthat I believe is still in place at the university.”

Dr.Rudnyanszky attended several Annual Meetingsof the Perlite Institute and was a speaker onseveral occasions. He also organized andsponsored a number of technical conferences onperlite held in Hungary. In May 1999, during thePerlite Institute’s 50th Annual Meeting in ColoradoSprings, Dr. Rudnyanszky was given honorarymembership in the Perlite Institute. He proudlydisplayed his honorary membership certificate in afoldout of his book.

The Perlite Institute expresses its appreciation to Dr.Rudnyanszky for his achievements championingperlite and extends its deepest sympathy to hisfamily on the loss of this great man.

Global Habitat Resources, Inc., AcquiresPerlite Mine in CaliforniaGlobal Habitat Resources, Inc., has entered into ajoint venture agreement with CAPERLITE, Inc., toacquire the largest perlite mine in California. Themine, which is located on 340 acres of privateproperty with mineral claims and patents fromboth the county and the federal government, hascurrent mining permits but has been dormant forthe past three years.

The company planned to restart production within90 days of the agreement. Initially, the productionof perlite will be focused on the construction andthe agriculture industries in California. Raw

Industry News

Dr. PalRudnyanszky

“Throughout his professional life, he was passionatelyinterested in and involved in the development of perlite,continuing this work long after retirement... He wasparticularly interested in new technologies and insupporting those in the early part of their careers.”

— Excerpt from obituary in Hungarian trade journal

Continued on page 13

processed perlite is expected to be produced forthe cement, construction, masonry and agricultureindustries in addition to expandable perlite for theindustrial, lightweight concrete, insulation,horticulture and agriculture markets.

The company has initiated discussions with UnionPacific for transporting perlite from the companyoperations in Mexico and in California. The companyalso plans to set up a staging area in Mojave, Calif., bybuilding a kiln for perlite expansion.

Source: www.digitaljournal.com

Sunrise Resources Finds Positive Resultsin its Diatomite Samples in Nevada Analysis of diatomite samples from SunriseResources’ recently acquired reserves in Nevadashows high-quality mineralization and low level ofimpurities. With these results, the company couldpotentially develop a commercially viable productand enter the U.S. fillers and filters market.

In February, the UK-based exploration company

acquired the County Line diatomite project, a 5-kilometer area approximately 200 kilometerssoutheast of the city of Reno, Nev. The companywill next pursue further exploration of the area,including mapping, trenching and drilling.

Source: www.stockmarketwire.com

Demand Grows for Cryogenic Insulation MaterialsThe global insulation market reports a growingdemand for cryogenic insulation materials.Cryogenic equipment is extensively used in the oiland gas industry, and the increasing demand foroil and gas globally is driving the need forcryogenic equipment. Special insulators, such asaerogel beads, glass bubbles and perlite powder,are mainly used in cryogenic equipment.

According to a 2014-2018 global insulation marketreport, one of the major drivers in this market isthe spurt in construction projects in developingcountries. The changing face of urban buildingshas created a demand for insulation materials.

Source: www.digitaljournal.com


Do you have

information to share

with the members of

the Perlite Institute?

Do you want to write

an article for the

newsletter?

Contact the Editor

Submissions should be sent to the

editor at

[email protected].

Join PerliteInstituteonline!

Click on logos to connect.

http://tinyurl.com/Perlite-Institute-Facebook

http://tinyurl.com/Perlite-Institute-LinkedIn


www.perlite.org

Industry NewsContinued from page 12

www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1942895

www.stockmarketwire.com/article/4808551/Sunrise-says-positive-test-results-from-County-Line-Diatomite-Project.html

www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1906979









Technical Q&As Q: Does the Perlite Institute have anyinformation related to fuel usage for a naturalgas-fired perlite expanding plant (fuelconsumed per weight or volume of expandedperlite produced)?

A: The amount of fuel needed to expand perlitevaries depending on the ore source, the size of theperlite ore grade that is being expanded, and towhat density. Perlite sized ore is ~ 65 – 70 #/ Ft3(1040 – 1120 kg/M3) and comes in various sizeranges (small, medium, large) depending on thefinal purpose (horticulture, construction,insulation, cryogenic and filtration). Uponexpansion, the density is in the 3 – 7 #/ft3 (48 – 112kg/m3) range. The amount of fuel requiredobviously varies as a result. In general, it takes ~ 3.5 – 6 MBTU/ton of ore to expand. I recognizethis is quite a range, but it helps to give you areference starting point.

Q: A customer has water in the comb of theblock (CMU). Would it be acceptable to pour inperlite, or do we have to remove the water first?

A: It would be best to try to remove the majority ofthe water from the block before putting in theperlite. This is especially the case when peopleseal the top layer of block after the fill. If there isjust a little water remaining, it could evaporate ifthe block is not sealed. If there is much water inthe block, it can also have a negative effect if youare planning to coat the exterior of the brick. Thesurface adhesion is poor, and the coating will notadhere well to it.

You could suck out the water with a wet vac ordrill weep holes in the bottom tier to allow fordrainage. If you do the latter, you would have tocaulk the weep holes. Perlite flows like water andwould flow out the holes unless they are sealed.

Q: A question has been raised about indicatingon a bag the expiration dates of the product(pure expanded perlite for industry). Is thereany standard regarding expiration date ofexpanded perlite? Should an expiration date beindicated on the bags?

A: Being an inert mineral, expanded perlite doesnot change over time. No one in the industry that Iam aware of puts an expiration date on the bag,

since it is not an applicable piece of information.Some producers do, however, put a productiondate on the bag. This helps identify when the orewas expanded. It is also helpful in guiding users toturn over their inventory. The primary reason isthat the packaging, regardless of it being paper orplastic, will deteriorate over time and weatherconditions. Inventory turnover minimizes the dustymess that results when the package tears apart.

Q: I am building a wood-burning pizza oven,and once the oven is insulated, I plan to pourperlite on top for extra insulation. However, oneoven builder told me not to use loose perlitebecause it would break down from the heat andturn into dust. Is that true?

A: Unfortunately, the oven builder has given youincorrect information. Expanded perlite is stable attemperatures from -450º F to 2,000º+ F and will notmelt or break down to a powder. Wood-burningovens never get hotter than 600º F, which is wellbelow any range to be concerned with. Expandedperlite is used in many insulation applicationsbecause of its stability and inertness. The PerliteInstitute has tested the settling of expanded perliteand found that it loses only 0.4 percent of itsoriginal space over the period of an entire year.

Q: Do you know of any concrete floors whereperlite has been used and then polished? If so,how successful was it?

A: Unfortunately, none of the Perlite Institutemembers contacted about this question had anydirect experience with such an application. Onedid think that the surface would not be as smoothwith lightweight cement composites (LWC) as it iswith normal cement. Anyone with experience inpolished concrete floors made with perlite shouldcontact Chuck Vogelsang [email protected].

Want to see more? Have your own question forChuck Vogelsang, the Perlite Institute’s technicalspokesperson? 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].







Opening ClosingDate Date Name of Show Location Website

8/3/2014 8/7/2014 StormCon 2014 Portland, Ore. www.stormcon.comOregon Convention Center

8/13/2014 8/14/2014 Citrus Expo North Ft. Myers, Fla. www.citrusexpo.net

8/14/2014 8/16/2014 Nursery & Landscape Expo San Antonio, Texas www.nurserylandscapeexpo.org/Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

8/19/2014 8/21/2014 Independent Garden Center Show Chicago, Ill. www.igcshow.com/chicago2014/public/enter.aspxNavy Pier

8/21/2014 8/23/2014 Farwest Show Portland, Ore. www.farwestshow.com/Oregon Convention Center

8/27/2014 8/29/2014 Concrete Show South America Sao Paulo, Brazil http://10times.com/concrete-show-southamericaCentro de Exposicoes Imigrantes

8/27/2014 8/30/2014 Plantarium Boskoop, NL www.plantarium.nl/Page/nctrue/ml2/index.htmlInternational Trade Centre

8/28/2014 8/30/2014 Green is Life Warsaw, Poland http://10times.com/green-is-lifeEXPO XXI Warsaw International Expocentre

9/3/2014 9/5/2014 PU China Shanghai, China http://www.utech-asia.com/Shanghai New International Expo Centre

9/7/2014 9/10/2014 Perlite Institute Annual Meeting Park City, Utah www.perlite.org

9/25/2014 9/26/2014 ONLA Annual Conv. & Trade Show Tulsa, Okla. www.oknla.org/custom/showpage.php?id=101&toplevel=62Cox Business Center

9/25/2014 9/27/2014 Landscape Show Orlando, Fla. www.fngla.org/thelandscapeshow/Orange County Convention Center

11/12/2014 11/15/2014 Green Roof & Wall Conference Nashville, Tenn. www.citiesalive.org/Cities Alive Omni Hotel and Resort

11/13/2014 11/14/2014 Green Industry Show Edmonton, Alberta, Canada www.greenindustryshow.com/Edmonton EXPO Centre at Northlands

11/18/2014 11/18/2014 Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo Fresno, Calif. http://www.agexpo.biz/cvgrexpo.htmlThe BIG Fresno Fairgrounds

11/18/2014 11/20/2014 Filtration Baltimore, Md. www.inda.org/inda-events/Baltimore Convention Center

2/2/2015 2/6/2015 World of Concrete Las Vegas, Nev. www.worldofconcrete.comLas Vegas Convention Center

2/10/2015 2/12/2015 World Ag Expo 2015 Tulare, Calif. www.worldagexpo.comInternational Agri-Center

2/24/2015 2/26/2015 Filtech Cologne, Germany www.filtech.de/Koelnmesse

3/17/2015 3/19/2015 World of Asphalt/Aggregates Forum Baltimore, Md. www.worldofasphalt.com/about/(Biennial — 2015) Baltimore Convention Center

Selected Upcoming Trade Shows and Meetings

https://perlite.org//support/upcoming-events.html

http://www.inda.org/inda-events/events-calendar/event_items/filtration-international-conference-exposition-2014/?instance_id=1495

http://www.stormcon.com

http://www.citrusexpo.net

http://www.nurserylandscapeexpo.org/

http://www.igcshow.com/chicago2014/public/enter.aspx

http://www.farwestshow.com/

http://10times.com/concrete-show-southamerica

http://www.plantarium.nl/Page/nctrue/ml2/index.html

http://10times.com/green-is-life

http://www.utech-asia.com/

http://www.oknla.org/custom/showpage.php?id=101&toplevel=62

http://www.fngla.org/thelandscapeshow/

http://www.citiesalive.org/

http://www.greenindustryshow.com/

http://www.agexpo.biz/cvgrexpo.html

http://www.worldofconcrete.com

http://www.worldagexpo.com

http://www.filtech.de/

http://www.worldofasphalt.com/about/


New Product Guide

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

Snapdragon Production in Perlite

Using standard trays makes way for automation, as with this Seederman GS3-HD Needle Seeder.

Other benefits of a low volume perlite system include inexpensive standard-sized flats, greater efficiency in growing procedures, and low pest pressures with each crop.

ANTIRRHINUM, commonly known as snapdragons or dragon flowers.

An important point to take away from the technique comparisons is that the smaller the volume of perlite per plant, the more important it is to get the water content of the root zone correct. The goal of at least 92% top quality blooms was achieved with perlite using this updated growing system, as opposed to less than 70% with the original technique.

Perlite Institute, Inc.www.perlite.org (717) 238-9723

Photo courtesy of Seederman Products

size that works well with the sensors used. The ‘medium’ grade described in the table is large enough to provide good aeration for the plants yet small enough that the sensors maintain sufficient contact with enough perlite particles to accurately represent the available water content in the tray. This choice of perlite grade provides an adequate reservoir for nutrients and water.

Flowers by Bauers began collaborating with the

irrigation and nutrient management for nurseries, greenhouses and green roof systems using wireless sensor networks.

Smart Farms’ academic and industrial partners

Decagon Devices, and Antir Software.

To view this product guide andmany more, go to the

Perlite Information Library.

http://www.perlite.org/library-perlite-info/perlite-library.html

The Annual Meeting is fast approaching! · 2015-01-14 · Perlite Today—SUMMER 2014 PAGE 2...

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