PERLITE

A QU AR T E R LY P U B L I C ATI O N O F TH E PER L I TE I NS TI TU TE

TODAY WI N T E R 2 0 18

SAVE THE DATE

The Perlite Institute Annual Meeting!
September 23 – 27, 2018
It's not too early to plan for the 2018 Perlite Institute Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa. Stay tuned for more information on:
Exciting speaker sessions • Hotel accommodations • Attractions to see in this historic city
We hope to see you in Philadelphia!

In This Issue...
2 President's Message
3 Message from the Executive Director
4 Board Member Profile
5 Board of Directors
6 News from the Perlite Institute
8 Patents: Two Thumbs Up for Perlite
9 Perlite Patents
11 The Perlite Papers
12 Technical Q&As
13 Why Perlite Rocks
18 Selected Upcoming
Trade Shows and Meetings

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 P ER LITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8
Have Your Company
Featured in
PERLITE
TODAY
The Perlite Institute is seeking members to
feature in its quarterly newsletter, Perlite
Today. To have your company featured as a
member profile, please take some time to tell
us about how your company operates and
what it’s like for you to be a member of the
Perlite Institute. Click here to access the form
with the questions for you to answer.
Please return the form to Carolyn at
perliteeditor@hotmail.com.
Thank you!
THE P E R LITE I N S T I T U T E ’ S C O R E VAL U E S :
2 Integrity is Our Guiding Principle
President’s Message
by Matthew Malaghan
Tau Hou hari!
Happy New Year!
Welcome to the first edition of the Perlite Institute newsletter for 2018.
These quarterly newsletters are designed to share information across our
industry and to help connect members with one another.
As the New Year begins, the Institute is working on a number of items to
benefit members.
Our R&D committee is working on the following three specific projects:
• Wine technology/filtration: Preparing a research paper on the
differences between perlite and mechanical filtration.
• Wood product competition with perlite: Preparing a research paper
on the differences between perlite and alternatives in horticulture.
• Microspheres: Undertaking a comparative study between the use
of perlite microspheres and the 3M glass bubbles.
If you can provide any assistance to the R&D Committee, please contact
the Institute.
Preparations are already underway for our annual meeting to be held in
Philadelphia from Sept. 23-27. This will follow our usual Sunday through
Wednesday format, with the possibility for a further set of site visits on
Thursday.
The motion put to the floor at this year’s conference for inclusion of
service providers to the membership of the Perlite Institute has been
found to be invalid. Despite the approval of members in attendance,
our bylaws stipulate that any amendment must be advised to the entire
membership no less than two weeks prior to a vote. Directors will meet
in January to ascertain if we can undertake a postal/internet vote in
advance of our next annual meeting.
If you can assist in an area of the Institute, please do not hesitate to
contact me, any other members of the board or the relevant committee.
I trust all members have enjoyed the festive season, whether it be snowy
or sunny. Warm wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018.
Ka kite ano,
Matt
Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership Collaboration Generates Better Ideas

Message from the Executive Director
by Denise R. Calabrese, CAE
Mission Possible: The Perlite Institute
Every non-profit organization has a mission. The purpose of
the mission is to keep the organization focused on the
reason(s) it exists.
The mission of the Perlite Institute is to further the success
and growth of the perlite industry worldwide by providing its
members networking opportunities, education and research;
foster customer-driven marketing, promotion and product
development; and increase the public’s awareness and
knowledge of perlite and its current and potential uses.
Breaking the mission statement down into its various sections
and ascertaining how the Perlite Institute is helping to meet the
mission is an important process and something the board does
each year at its strategic planning session. Let’s take a look at the
mission of the Perlite Institute and the activities specifically tied
to those areas:
Further the success and growth of the perlite industry
worldwide by providing its members networking opportunities,
education and research.
The Perlite Institute attempts to reach this portion of the mission
statement through the annual meeting, webinars, newsletter,
website, and research committee. Networking is a big part of
the annual meeting as we bring members together from all over
the world to share information with each other, talk out issues,
and listen to speakers address various topics. The research
committee looks at issues affecting the industry and approaches
researchers to ascertain their ability to provide information to
the members through talks at the annual meeting, articles in the
newsletter, and research papers posted to the website. Some of
that information is used to develop the product and plant guides
available to every member.
Networking is a big part of the
annual meeting as we bring members
together from all over the world to share
information with each other, talk out
issues, and listen to speakers address
various topics.
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P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NTE R 2018
Foster customer-driven marketing, promotion and
product development.
Foster means “encourage” or “promote” and the
Perlite Institute encourages members to promote
perlite whenever possible. Doing so through your
customer marketing efforts (i.e. trade show exhibits,
on your website, and in your promotional materials)
helps the entire organization and the industry. The
Perlite Institute also exhibits at trade shows to
promote the use of perlite to various audiences. The
Perlite Institute logo is available to every member to
use on your promotional materials to push customers
to the website and to obtain information about the
many uses of perlite.
Increase the public’s awareness and knowledge of
perlite and its current and potential uses.
The Perlite Institute does this through its website,
public relations, and social media efforts. We have a
brochure task force that works diligently to update
product information to share with the general public.
Members are encouraged to visit the website and
download the brochures available to use in your
marketing efforts. The only way to increase the
public’s awareness and knowledge is to tell the story,
and our members are the best people to tell the story!
This article outlines just a few ways the Perlite Institute
attempts to address our mission. However, we need
every member to do so, as well! The more people we
have attending conferences, passing information to
customers, and telling the perlite story, the better the
chances are that our mission will be accomplished.
Mission Possible? With your help, absolutely! If you
aren’t helping, we ask that you consider some of
these ideas and start to implement them today. Thank
you for your support and dedication to the Perlite
Institute!
Collaboration Generates Better Ideas 3
 P ER LITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8

Board Member Profile

Bernhard Neukam
Bublon GmbH, Gleisdorf, Austria
Bernhard Neukam has been a member of the key account
management team at Bublon GmbH since 2015 as well as the
research and development team since early 2013. He was a key
member of engineering and project management for the first
Bublon customer plant projects in 2013 and 2014. He is focused
on worldwide filler markets and developing new business
opportunities with partners in various industries.
Neukam studied engineering and economics at a technical college
and successfully completed further specialized trainings during his
time at an assembly and carbon engineering company, as well as at
Bublon.
He hails from Graz, Austria and lives “in enjoyable nature,” where
he is active in mountaineering and other sports.
Q: Tell us a bit more about what you do in your
current position.
Q: Why did you want to work in the Perlite
industry?
A: First it was by coincidence, but once I was
involved, I liked it a lot. For many people, five years
might be short, but for me it is nearly an eternity—
and I want to add many more years in the perlite
industry. Many say their resources are “green”
and environmentally friendly, but perlite truly is,
especially with our electrical furnaces. Our industry
is relatively small compared to other commodity
industries, and that provides an excellent
opportunity to learn from the more experienced
ones. That’s a great way to grow my knowledge
and improve! I have already had the pleasure of
meeting a lot of awesome and interesting people
within the industry and in the Perlite Institute,
some of whom have become good friends. This
makes perlite not only a part of my business, but
also my private life.
Continued on page 5...

A: We were a pretty small team In the early days of the

company, which was founded in 2012 out of a development
project to create the expansion furnace we are working
with today, so that our partners and customers can use our
technology to produce and use perlite-based BUBLON® Spheres
in their products. My early days with the company allowed me
to get out of the office, and my interest in fillers and related
markets grew a lot. Over time, we realized that our potential
might lie in niches and specialties rather than in broad markets
and commodities, and so we have intensified our efforts to
spread our samples and get in touch with different industries
and applications. I enjoy my work in research and development
because it makes things a lot easier if you can provide sufficient
information because you have done your homework regarding
analysis and tests, compared to just providing a simple product
without any additional service. That’s also how I see myself,
being in the laboratory to understand things and their nature
better and listening to partners who might be searching for
exactly those properties that perlite-based
products can provide.
IPEMA Winter 2018 Bernhard Neukam

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 P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NTE R 2018

Q: Tell us about your history with the Perlite 2018 Board of Directors
Institute. Why did you join? Why get involved
with volunteering and leadership? Matthew Malaghan Keith Hoople
President Treasurer
A: The first real face-to-face experience with the Ausperl Pty Limited
64 Gow Street
Midwest Perlite, Inc.
4280 West Parkway Blvd.
Perlite Institute was during the annual meeting in Padstow, NSW 2211 Appleton, WI 54913
Barcelona in 2015; however, I was in touch with Phone: 61 2 8318 7819 Phone: (920) 731-2671
members before that as well. Erwin Brunnmair, matthew@ausperl.com.au
the “father” of the Bublon project, was invited to
speak, but he was not able to because of medical Linda Chirico
reasons, so colleagues and I went instead. After that Anita Mulqueeny Past President / Advisor
meeting, it was clear to us that we wanted to be Vice President Carolina Perlite Company, Inc.
part of this organization that brings together many Infigro Natural Technologies P.O. Box 158
people to share ideas and be partners in specific CNR Cullinan and Turk Streets Gold Hill, NC 28071
Olifantsfontein, South Africa Phone: (704) 279-2325
fields. For the 2016 annual meeting in Portland,
Phone: (27) 11 409‐5000 lchirico@carolina.rr.com
Ore., I took the chance to speak about spherical
Anita.mulqueeny@lake.co.za
fillers and some of our basic data and analysis of
perlite and other fillers. I really liked the constructive
and open atmosphere of the annual meeting, the
discussions and the knowledge shared. When I was Richard Barabé Konstantinos Mitsiou
unexpectedly asked whether I might be interested Perlite Canada Gulf Perlite, LLC
to be part of the Perlite Institute Board of Directors, 1775 52nd Avenue Techno Park, PO 263275
I felt honored. With Bublon’s internal support, I was Lachine, Quebec, Canada H8T Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE
happy to take the chance. 2Y1 Phone: (514) 631‐4251 Phone: +971 (0)56 123 5248
rbarabe@perlitecanada.com konstantinos.mitsiou@
uaeperlite.com
Q: Tell us about how you have seen the
Perlite industry/Perlite Institute grow or Sebastien Caspard
Imerys Performance & Bernhard Neukam
change and touch on your vision for what it Filtration Minerals Bublon GmbH
can be. What do you hope to contribute? 154 Rue de l’Universite Grazer Strasse 19‐25
Paris, France 75007 Gleisdorf, Styria 8200, Austria
A: First of all, I really need to learn more about Phone: (33) 633 50 82 17
sebastien.caspard@imerys.com
0043 664 5144 393
bernhard.neukam@bublon.com
how things work within the Perlite Institute, and
I might watch and listen a lot in the beginning.
Already, I know that the institute is doing a great job
Michael Dunlavey Rick Willis
to optimize the common value for all its members. PVP Industries Silbrico Corporation
I would really like to see this develop even further, P.O. Box 129 6300 River Road
because there is still a lot to learn from each other. North Bloomfield, OH 44450 Hodgkins, IL 60525-4257
It would be good to find more ways for all involved Phone: (800) 255-4801 Phone: (708) 354-3350
parties to gain a fair share so that more and mike@pvpind.com rwillis@silbrico.com
more will want to contribute, which will allow our
industry to keep up with industrial developments
and today’s Zeitgeist. Also, I think there are some Kathryn Louis
really interesting projects in early phases within the Sun Gro Horticulture Canada,
Perlite Institute, and it will be interesting to add my Ltd. 15831 NE 8th Street, #100
Bellevue, WA 98008
ideas and thoughts. I would be happy to help out
Phone: (425) 433-0170
wherever it might be needed to find the right spot kathrynl@sungro.com
for my contribution to be most valuable.

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 P ER LITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8
News from the Perlite Institute
Jerry Mishler
Mishler Retires
Working from his personal philosophy that “you get out of
something what you’re willing to put into it,” Jerry Mishler
worked tirelessly to advocate for the perlite industry and
value of the Perlite Institute.
Mishler, who served on the Perlite Institute Board from 2010
through 2015 and on numerous committees, announced his
retirement at the end of last year—sobering news for those
of us who counted on his constant encouragement and
enthusiasm for the work of the Perlite Institute.
“The assigned focus on a new website and updated
information excited me because I believe the more we
educate others about the fascinating attributes of perlite, the
more likely they will be to come to us with their questions
and ideas for use. An educated public really becomes a
multiplier for product development,” Mishler said, referring
to his work as co-chair on the communications committee,
now known as the brochure task force, with good friend Rick
Willis, of the Silbrico Corporation.
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6 Integrity is Our Guiding Principle Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership
In addition to his work on the new website, which
went live in 2011, Mishler continued to serve when the
communications committee became the brochure task
force. There, he helped develop new product guides and
revamp old ones, and he worked to create new content for
the website, “all the better to share the perlite story with a
new, digital audience,” he said. Mishler also was involved
with a search committee charged with finding new board
members last year.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with others on the board and
committees over the years and consider many of them good
friends. I owe much of my success in the perlite business to
these folks who willingly shared their own information and
experiences with me when I was the new kid on the block,”
he said. “My involvement with the Perlite Institute has been
a lot of fun, and I’ll fondly treasure memories of our annual
get-togethers.”
Mishler, who worked for Supreme Perlite Corporation in
Portland, Ore. since 2002 until his retirement in December,
said he will remain at Supreme in a consulting role.
“My retirement plans include spending more time on my art,
traveling more with my partner, Sara, and performing some
volunteer work in the community,” he said.
For those who don’t know, Mishler is a talented artist. His
painting and drawings come largely from photographs or as
plein air paintings, produced on his many road trips and
hikes. To see some of Mishler’s inspiring scenes from nature,
visit his website: www.jerrymishler.com
Jerry Mishler and Rick Willis at the 2014 StormCon conference.
Collaboration Generates Better Ideas
 P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NTE R 2018

WHO IS
Perlite Institute Committee Updates
Brochure: The committee reviewed the draft of “Perlite

VISITING
for Water Quality Management” and made some changes
at its recent meeting. The committee agreed to continue
work in 2018 on the following brochures: Perlite for Water
Quality Management, Water Holding Capacity of Perlite and WWW.PERLITE.ORG
Cementitious Plaster Brochure.
Did you know the Perlite Institute website,
Membership and Meetings: The committee is hard at www.perlite.org, receives thousands of visitors
work planning speakers, tours and networking activities for the each month? Consider these facts about web traffic
annual meeting in Philadelphia. to the site during the third quarter of this year:

Loss of a Perlite Pioneer During October, November

Perlite Institute member Alan Walters passed away last month, and December 2017,
and we at the Perlite Institute recognize we have lost a great the site had 7,781 visits.
friend. Here, Chuck Vogelsang shares his tribute to Alan.

Alan worked in perlite for some 40 years after traveling the Of those visits, about 74 percent
world as a maritime engineer. He loved perlite, building plants were from new visitors.
and spreading the word as to how great perlite was for most
everything.
Total pages views was 15,014.
Alan resided at the JM perlite plant in
Hessle, England but worked throughout
the world. He built plants in India, The average visitor viewed
Florida, North Carolina, Texas and 1.3 pages per visit and
California. He also implemented major spent almost two minutes
improvements in plants in Wyoming, viewing each page.
Michigan, Massachusetts, France, Italy
and Spain. He was always in demand
for what he could do for each location.

Alan had incredible drive and skill. He “felt” the systems—both

expansion and filteraid. He loved challenges and wouldn’t stop
until the task was completed, which meant many seven-day
weeks and 12-hour days away from home. He had a keen sense
of humor and definite convictions on how to run a system, but
he was always humble and willing to learn about other ways
to achieve the same results. He knew this served to open his
horizons to trying so many more new things.

Alan was the type that never met a stranger; what an enviable
trait. He was one of a kind. He had the ability to make most
everyone feel special. Furthermore, I don’t think he ever
encountered a problem he couldn’t address. The Perlite
Industry has lost another pioneer and will be missed by many.

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 P ER LITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8
PERLITE
TODAY
is a quarterly publication of the
PERLITE INSTITUTE, INC.
2207 Forest Hills Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17112 USA
Phone: 717.238.9723
Fax: 717.238.9985
www.perlite.org
Perlite Today is published
electronically four times per year:
Winter issue is distributed in January
Spring issue is distributed in April
Summer issue is distributed in July
Fall issue is distributed in October
The mission of the Perlite Institute is to further
thesuccess and growth of the perlite industry
worldwide by providing its members networking
opportunities, education and research; foster
customer-driven marketing, promotion and
product development; and increase the public’s
awareness and knowledge of perlite and its
current and potential uses.
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8 Integrity is Our Guiding Principle
Patents: Two Thumbs
Up for Perlite
by Kenneth Wiener
Members Receive Patents
Taking a quick look at the accompanying list, you will see that quite
a few Perlite Institute members or their associates have received
patents on their processes. Terajoule is one, for their heat capture
system for expanders, as is Binder, for the Bublon expanding
system. Imerys and Kyongdong One Corp are two others for,
respectively, fine particle fillers and insulation material.
Near the top of my presumed list of applications with commercial
sales in construction is Armstrong’s ‘307 patent on VOC and odor-
reducing panels. Recent sales of “stinky” wallboard make the
production of low-odor panels all the more attractive. Highways are
still in need of sound barriers, so Zhang’s ‘693 patent may generate
sales. In that case, as I repeat throughout my columns in this issue, it
is up to members to spread the message about the ability of perlite
to meet the needs of manufacturers and the public in general.
Soil applications are also represented here. The Havrda ‘871
patent assigned to Eurochem and Plant Tape USA’s ‘382 patent
both represent ways to introduce perlite into the ground. These
are in addition to the 11 assigned to Bayer Crop Science and Bayer
Intellectual Property.
There is an interesting mix of other applications here as well,
ranging from Halliburton’s ‘915 patent using perlite as an ingredient
for a lightweight proppant instead of frac sand, to Eliason, et al.
and their patent assigned to Paver Technologies. In that one, the
concrete mix, with the perlite, is placed where it will be and then
hydrated in situ. Most concrete applications require premixing of
the ingredients, adding water, followed by placement of the mix.
This is definitely a different path.
A “normal” use of perlite is for insulation. Both the ‘836 (assigned to
Tennaco) and ‘278 patents (assigned to H2O Global) use perlite for
that. However, I didn’t realize that desalination required insulation,
nor that perlite would be incorporated into an automotive device.
Even if none of the listed patents generate any sales for Perlite
Institute members, they keep pushing the boundaries of perlite
thinking, production and applications. Thanks for continuing this
journey with me.
Please refer to next 2 pages for list of patents...
Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership Collaboration Generates Better Ideas
 Perlite Patents Page 1

PATENT PATENT PATENT PERLITE: INNOVATIVE /

PATENT ASSIGNEE PATENT TOPIC ROLE OF PERLITE
NUMBER(S) ISSUED INVENTOR OLD TECHNOLOGY
9,763,382 19-Sep-17 Stroot, et al. Plant Tape USA Plant transplantation apparatus Carrier material Seems to prefer vermiculite but
& materials website shows perlite

9,763,454 19-Sep-17 Wachendorff- Bayer CropScience Biological control agent & Host for Rhizoctonia solani Perlite is useful as a test material
Neumann, et al. fungicide to demonstrate invention

Integrity is Our Guiding Principle

9,764,220 19-Sep-17 Keating, et al. Massachusetts Institute Reconfigurable devices such as Lightweight granular solid Invention is different, use of
of Technology furniture perlite is conventional

9,764,307 19-Sep-17 Caldwell, et al. Armstrong World VOC & odor-reducing panels Panel constituent or Non-preferred, but potentially
Industries coating filler useful, given porosity
improvement
9,765,034 19-Sep-17 Maechling, et al. Bayer Crop Science / Crop protection Efficiency enhancer Interesting note
9,770,023 26-Sep-17 Goertz, et al. Bayer Intellectual
9,770,027 26-Sep-17 Tsuchiya, et al. Property
9,775,349 3-Oct-17 Sawada, et al.
9,775,351 3-Oct-17 Sawada, et al.
9,776,993 3-Oct-17 Willms, et al.
9,783,509 10-Oct-17 Alig, et al.

Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership

9,795,135 24-Oct-17 Goertz, et al.
9,801,374 31-Oct-17 Cristau, et al.
9,822,099 21-Nov-17 Sudau, et al.

9,770,848 26-Sep-17 Baek, et al. Kyungdong One Corp. Insulation powder Insulator & carrier Milled perlite used with synthetic

THE P E R LITE I N S T I T U T E ’ S C O R E VAL U E S :

silica

9,771,278 26-Sep-17 Haynes H2O Global Water desalination Thermal insulator Used in double wall chamber

9,771,302 26-Sep-17 Chiang, et al. Institute of Nuclear Enviromentally friendly cement Post-industrial recycled Use as filler for recycling in a
Energy Research, R.O.C. with compressive strength >15 raw material geopolymer application

Collaboration Generates Better Ideas

kgf/sq.cm. (213 pcf)

9,771,693 26-Sep-17 Zhang, et al. PanAsian Microvent Tech Highway sound barrier Porous material for sound One of several suggested
Corp. absorption materials, but confirmation of the
P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NTE R 2018

concept

9
 10
Perlite Patents Page 2

PATENT PATENT PATENT PERLITE: INNOVATIVE /

PATENT ASSIGNEE PATENT TOPIC ROLE OF PERLITE
NUMBER(S) ISSUED INVENTOR OLD TECHNOLOGY
9,790,650 17-Oct-17 Eliason, et al. Paver Technologies Paver adhesive & method Pozzolan, promote Dry concrete mix to be applied,
dimensional stability hydrated in place

9,790,836 17-Oct-17 Latham, et al. Tennaco Automotive Exhaust gas treatment device Insulation Perlite recommended in
automotive application!

9,791,147 17-Oct-17 Spino Terajoule Expander (for perlite and Material to be expanded Innovative furnace design
others)

Integrity is Our Guiding Principle

9,795,088 24-Oct-17 Bayer, et al. Ecovative Design Panel bound by fungi Support for fungi Product in development for years
9,801,345 31-Oct-17 Bayer, et al.
P ER LITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8

9,795,112 24-Oct-17 Goff Healthy Happy Pets Animal litter Lightweight ingredient Used along with vermiculite
9,796,915 24-Oct-17 Wu, et al. Halliburton Energy Lightweight proppant Lightweight ingredient Used alone or with cemospheres
Services

9,802,871 31-Oct-17 Havrda, et al. Eurochem Seed pellets and soils Ingredient for a xerogel Interesting way to make a
xerogel: not a claimed method

9,803,123 31-Oct-17 Neal ----- Phase change material and use Substrate Microspheres preferred

9,809,495 7-Nov-17 Brunnmair Binder & Co. Closed cell expansion method Material to be expanded Closed cell perlite

Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership

9,826,822 28-Nov-17 Geiberger, et al. GlaxoSmithKline Toothbrush Abrasive Specific grade preferred

9,828,504 28-Nov-17 Ayambem, et al. Henry Company Water-resistant joint Lightweight filler Integral part of compounds
compound

THE P E R LITE I N S T I T U T E ’ S C O R E VAL U E S :

9,834,680 5-Dec-17 Ayambem, et al. Henry Company Water-resistant exterior joint Lightweight filler Integral part of compounds
compound

9,834,684 5-Dec-17 Wang, et al. Imerys Filtration Natural amorphous silica None: Amorphous but DE preferred
Minerals products SiO2

9,839,587 12-Dec-17 Chirayil, et al. BASF Corp. Treated platy substances Platy substrate Mica preferred

Collaboration Generates Better Ideas

9,840,434 12-Dec-17 Wang Imerys Filtration Product including ultrafine Perlite ore Small perlite particles
Minerals natural glass

9,840,851 12-Dec-17 Propst Propst Family Building and roofing panels Lightweight filler Perlite & vermiculite preferred

The Perlite Papers
by Kenneth Wiener
Innovative Uses of Perlite Explored
As we roll into 2018, so do the papers. Reference 1 shows
us that the chopped wood as a soil substrate phenomenon
centered in the southeastern United States can spread.
These researchers are from Illinois and California, and
though their intent is to show that sphagnum peat moss
can be replaced by biochar, it isn’t very far from a potential
conclusion that perhaps the perlite can be replaced as well.
Right now, I don’t believe that there is the infrastructure
available to create the quantities of biochar required at
the price that is needed, in the place that it is needed.
Permitting of facilities needed to create biochar can take
time and money and a way to deal with the emissions.
biochar
Appropriately, Reference 2 continues the theme expressed
in “Why Perlite Rocks” of how soil additives, whether
biological or chemical, can be added to the soil. These
Thai researchers found that soil inoculants immobilized
on perlite lost activity in the soil, especially when
compared with those immobilized on alginates or agar.
They concluded that alginates are too complicated to be
commercially viable, and perlite is more economical. Agar
can compete with both. My conclusion is that bacteria
need the nutrition provided by the alginates and the agar.
The bacteria starve on the inorganic perlite, so first coat
the perlite with the agar, and then put in the bacteria to
get both the economics and the growth medium.
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P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NTE R 2018
I have known about use of perlite in ceramics for many
years; however, I was never sure what it was used in, how,
or what role it played. Reference 3 answers some of those
questions. Addition of 10 percent perlite ore to a hard
porcelain glaze acts acceptably as a flux. That makes sense,
as some perlite ores start to soften below 900 degrees C.
Expanded perlite could also be used in the clay body to
make it lighter, shrink less during drying or improve porosity
during firing, thereby allowing fewer pieces to crack at those
high temperatures.
I continue to look forward to reading about and reporting
on innovative thinking out there in both the literature and
the real world.
1. A.J. Margenot, D.E. Griffin, B.S.Q. Alves, D.A. Rippner, C. Li, S.J. Parikh,
“Substitution of peat moss with softwood biochar for soil-free marigold
growth,” Industrial Crops & Products, Volume 112 (2018), pages 160-169,
accessed December 17, 2017.
2. P. Nimnoi, N. Pongsilp, S. Lumyong, “The Establishment and Activity of
Bacterial Inoculant Immobilized in Agar Compared with Those of Alginate
and Perlite After Being Introduced Into Soil,” Chiang Mai Journal of
Science, 2017, 44(3), pages 751-767, Accessed December 17, 2017.
3. H. Yildizay, H. Kadioğlu, “Effects of Perlite Addition on the Structure of
Hard Porcelain Glaze,” Journal of the Australian Ceramics Society (2017),
pages 1-7.
Collaboration Generates Better Ideas 11
 P ER LITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8
Technical Q&As
Q: When using perlite as an
aggregate, will the perlite have
any negative effect on the
bonding ability of the cement?
The particular application in
question is we are using a
Multi Bond (Latex Modified)
thin set to bond a porcelain tile
to ¼-inch cork sound control
(which has been glued to a
concrete substrate).
A: I have not been able to find
any specific information on perlite
bonding ability of concrete. The
Institute has done a lot of work in
the construction industry with
various cement and plaster mixes,
and it has not ever been mentioned.
mentioned. My instinct tells me it
would not be a significant effect.
Hopefully, the following bulletin
information will be informative
enough to mitigate your concerns.
Nail Holding Power of Perlite Concrete
Expanded perlite does improve the
nail holding capability of a mix; of
course it is dependent on the amount
of perlite used. The above illustrates
this. Note nothing about bonding is
mentioned, which I would think
would be if it were noticeable.
Expanded perlite does impact the
strength of concrete as shown in the
bulletin below. Once again, there is
no mention of any bonding issues.
The same is the case for the use of
perlite in plasters.
Overview of Perlite Concrete
THE P E R LITE I N S T I T U T E ’ S C O R E VAL U E S :
12 Integrity is Our Guiding Principle
Q: I heard perlite might be useful as an acid mist catcher. We are
extracting, cooling and drying smoke stack gas for a diesel-powered
IC engine. Significant amounts of acid mist form in the system and
foul up all the components and oxgyen and nitrogen oxide gas
analyzers.
We currently use steel wool as a sacrificial filter, but are looking for
a better solution. Will perlite be good in this application?
A: Expanded perlite has an incredible water holding capability—four to
eight times its own weight. A number of perlite producers make a grade
for sale into the market for oil spills as well as absorbent for disposal of
liquid hazardous waste. It is an inert volcanic glass, so one would not
have to worry about any solubility issues. However, I could not locate
any information in our Perlite Institute archives about using it in this
application. I would suggest trying it to see how it well it would work in
your environment. Please let me know how this works for you.
Here is our website from which you can search the directory for suppliers
in your area. Click on the directory to get specific sites and contact
information. Tell them what you are trying to do so they can better guide
you as to which grade of perlite to try.
http://www.perlite.org
Q: Can perlite be used in cast in place concrete walls? We are
a ready mix producer in Michigan and have a customer wanting
to pour walls with insulated concrete.
A: Perlite concrete has been used in wall construction especially
in apartments for use as both its firebreak and sound deadening
properties. Attached is a link to a brochure from one of our members
who does just this.
SCHUNDLER COMPANY
Lightweight Sound-Deadening Perlite Concrete
Lightweight, sound-deadening perlite concrete described with mix
designs, insulation values, product features, etc.
Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership Collaboration Generates Better Ideas
 P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NT E R 2018

Why Perlite Rocks A look at news

around the globe affecting perlite manufacturers
by Kenneth Wiener

Updates on RCS Limits, Climate Change,

Mine Safety, Competition and the Economy
Crystalline Silica and Dust
OSHA has been implementing the limits on allowable
respirable crystalline silica (RCS) from construction
operations since October 23. The date for the onset
of enforcement for general industry exposure is June
23, 2018. Perliters who don’t have dust issues are
not likely to be greatly affected; however, now is the
time to remind potential customers of how perlite
can help them reduce crystalline silica levels and
hence potentials for exposure.
MSHA still has not set any goals to match OSHA’s
new limits on RCS.
A special Montana state court has been set up to handle claims
from asbestos-tainted vermiculite mined in Libby, Mont. The
wheels of justice, though, grind exceedingly slow. In about
600 cases, litigation was suspended when WR Grace filed for
bankruptcy in 2001. The new court, announced in late November
2017, was made possible by the resolution of the bankruptcy
in 2015 and will accept claims until the end of December 2017.
That, however, doesn’t mean that an end is in sight. There was
supposed to be funding for this court in the original legislation,
but there isn’t any available. One county district court judge will
hear discovery and settlement discussions. Those that aren’t
settled will move on to their original regular district courts.

Global Warming & Politics

China, the world’s factory nation, is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Their plan is to continue increasing emissions
until reaching a peak in 2030 and then gradually reducing the emissions, in part by using tools such as carbon capture and
cap-and-trade. Carbon capture and sequestration projects are in the pilot plant phase, and new coal-powered electricity
generation facilities are supposed to be “ultra-supercritical.” If they are able to build new and transform old coal fired power
plants to be ultra-supercritical, all such Chinese facilities will be cleaner than any U.S.-based coal fired generating facility.

Subcritical plants do not reach water’s critical point:

705 degrees F (374 degrees C), and a pressure of 3,208 psi (218.3 atm, 22.12 MPa).
Supercritical plants do. They get up to over 1,000 degrees F (538 degrees C).

Ultra-supercritical plants get even hotter: up to 1,400 degrees F (760 degrees C) at pressures up to 5,000 psi (340 atm, 34.47
MPa). Burning coal at higher temperatures and pressures makes the process more efficient, and hence cleaner per unit of
energy produced. A study even has stated that natural gas- powered electrical generation would be dirtier than these high
temperature and pressure coal plants if natural gas leakage exceeded 2 percent of the gas being used.

Another study has estimated that a 1.5 percent leakage rate (the current average rate, plus or minus 0.5 percent) for natural
gas means that, over a 20-year period, coal would be a cleaner fuel. Tighten up those fittings, guys!

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 PERL ITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8
So simply substituting one fossil fuel to another
is not the answer. Making things more efficiently
and capturing waste by-products such as water
and carbon dioxide might be a better approach.
In the meantime, we should plan on more
extreme weather and consequences in the world.
Here in California, we are seeing fire season
becoming a year-round threat. Incidentally, I have
several times looked into a role that perlite could
play in fire suppression. Liquid water lasts longer
before turning into steam when combined with
perlite, and drops from helicopters and fixed wing
aircraft will hit their targets in a more defined
area. It’s a big deal, however, to get interest from
fire officials, approval of such an approach, and
finally a way to actually store, mix and transfer the
ingredients. After the fire, though, having perlite
on the ground is probably a very good thing. The
perlite would break up the hydrophobic layer
created during the fire and encourage subsequent
rains to actually soak into the ground rather than
flowing downhill and creating mudslides.
The impact of Hurricane Harvey on Houston
and surrounding areas in Texas is said to have
been enhanced by upward changes in global
temperatures as well.
Exxon-Mobil’s board has accepted a proposal by
stockholders to report on and plan for variability
in the value of fossil fuels in the ground as
temperatures rise. When Exxon-Mobil starts
investigating these factors, we in the public should
pay attention as well. And, I might add, when the
American Enterprise Institute (a conservative
think tank organization) agrees that climate
change is due to human activity (see the Biofuels
section, below), planning for a different future is a
reasonable idea.
Again, in my opinion, regardless of whether
climate change means that rainfall in any given
area will increase or decrease along with rising
temperatures, this is an opportunity to sell perlite
into the ground. Perlite will keep soils from
getting too soggy and drowning plant roots, or in
the other case, retain moisture for plants within
their root zone for longer periods of time.
THE P E R LITE I N S T I T U T E ’ S C O R E VAL U E S :
14 Integrity is Our Guiding Principle Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership
REACh, CLP, and GHS
The European REACh process has made the pharmaceutical
industry relatively happy because of the ability of one registration
for an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) to apply throughout
the EU. So, now what with Brexit? With registrations typically
costing several hundred thousand pounds each, what will happen?
Can chemical and pharmaceutical companies continue to utilize EU
authorizations, or do the European Chemicals Agency’s ties to the
European Court of Justice preclude any connections? And if the
U.K. is on its own in this matter, how quickly will new medications
be authorized for use there, given that only 2.6 percent of global
drug sales are in the U.K.?
Companies and consortia that deal with a single chemical or
material will need to find new representatives in the continental
EU. A United Kingdom firm having a satellite office may not be
good enough, and certainly a post office box will not suffice.
Mine Safety
While not strictly a mine safety issue, a worker in Australia’s
Northern Territory was killed in early December while installing
perlite insulation in an LNG tank. I have previously reported
on the dangers and rate of occurrence of workplace falls, and
indeed, Mr. Delaney fell into the perlite. The reports I have
seen did not indicate whether he suffered injuries in the fall,
was suffocated, or both. I also don’t know how much training
the construction contractor offered to employees such as Mr.
Delaney, but the safeguards needed to prevent or mitigate the
situation were not in place.
As a result, authorities halted work on the US $37 billion project
jointly owned by Japanese and French companies, probably
delaying the first deliveries of LNG by three or more months. One
would hope that when the insulation work on this and the other
tanks on site is restarted, more attention is paid to potential
hazards and how to mitigate the hazards, regardless of what
company gets to finish the job. The accident also should serve
notice to customers that their choice of a contractor can matter,
and notice to our members that a section on safety protocols be
included in bid proposals.
It looks like MSHA will be reviewing 2014 rules on lowered
exposure to coal and rock dust and diesel exhaust fumes in
coal mines. Anti-regulatory officials are looking to reduce the
frequency of testing for these contaminants.
Why Perlite Rocks continued on next page....
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 P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NT E R 2018

Competition
A town west of Paris, Craon, has chosen to use perlite to become more aware of the delivery systems involved in
filtration to clean its municipal swimming pool/aquatic crop treatment technologies.
center. They had planned on filters using glass beads to
clean the water, since that system was supposed to cost 60 So, why is this information in the “Competition” section?
percent less than the perlite system. The article found at Because this researcher is based in San Francisco and uses
www.hautanjou.com goes on to say that the installer agreed perlite in the soil, while another researcher highlighted
to do the job at that 60 percent discount. On top of that, the in my alumni magazine (available online at: http://www.
glass bead system required construction of a retention basin techer.caltech.edu/techer-2018-issuu) is based in North
able to hold 15 to 20 cubic meters of water. That was not Carolina, the epicenter of the wood-based peat and
the case with the perlite. The operators foresee operational perlite replacement phenomenon. The second researcher
savings of about 8,000 euros per year and at least 25,000 works with microbes and tries to connect the right strain
euros during construction. to the right application.
So far, she has gotten
The next big thing in agriculture may be very small. OMRI certification for
Readers of my column reporting on perlite research may one product that acts
remember that perlite has been used as a host for various as a fungicide to protect
microorganisms that can be beneficial to plant growth. crops such as tomatoes,
cucumbers and peppers.
Most of us are quite familiar with the concept illustrated in Her company is also
the photo on the right, i.e. a plant and roots growing out of marketing a product for
a soil medium containing perlite. In this case, the picture is golf course turf. Once
showing a laboratory plant that may or may not have been again, perlite may become
treated with a chemical intended to reduce or eliminate the part of or be left out of the
threat of striga, also known as witchweed, a parasitic plant delivery system. It is up to
that attacks crops, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Parts us as an industry to inform
of the United States are also susceptible to this parasite, people who are focused
and although there are soil treatments, the biochemical on other things about the
treatment may be more effective and/or cheaper. We have benefits perlite can offer.

The Economy
In researching information for this column, I found the following
graphical indicator to show where stock prices might be going:
the Ichimoku cloud. The “cloud” is a range of estimated future
prices over the next month or so based on past performance over
approximately two months. There are going to be exceptions of
course, but for those of us with that kind of horizon, this indicator
might be of interest. (Note: No financial guarantees involved!)
This time of year, many “research reports” are released for sale
at a high price, including a lot on our industry. The compilers of
these reports talk to, or say they have talked to, key industry
players and build a larger picture based on that information.
Unless you have had good experience with these, I would stay
away from these reports. You know your business better than
they do.
Back to the economy, though, several major mining
companies feel pretty good about their chances of
making a price increase stand up. Calcium carbonate
pricing is seeing an announced 5 percent increase, and
closer to home, prices may be higher by 3 to 10 percent
by 2018.
A December 2017 federal interest rate hike is expected,
and allegedly factored in by the stock market, making
three increases in 2017. Economists predict three more
interest rate increases in 2018, but perliters may be
more interested in natural gas pricing. Gas inventories
are high; demand is fairly weak unless the weather is
chillier than expected. Pricing in the U.S. may average
$3.1 per MMBtu in 2018.
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 P ER LITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8

Green Buildings
Through the years, LEED certification
awareness has grown, and what works is often
copied. There are currently about half a dozen
competing certification programs out there,
with fees as low as zero (U.S. EnergyStar). One
article I saw referenced what has been going
on in Connecticut. New LEED certifications of
buildings reached a peak of 48 in 2013, but only
12 applied for and received such certifications
in 2017.

Depending on their client base, some

developers are even choosing to design
in energy efficiency and not pay a third
party to provide the certification. Those
developers say that they can’t recoup the
cost of the certification. Others, who have
large corporations as customers, say that the According to Wikipedia, it’s all treated in the world’s biggest membrane
certification is vital to their image as good bioreactor recycled water facility and can handle the needs of the 4,000
corporate citizens. residents and the 15,000 or so workers and visitors.

Taking the other meaning of “green buildings,”
One Central Park, shown here on the right, is
part of a mixed use building in a “happening”
area of Sydney, Australia. Note the living
wall (or “hanging gardens”) and the planted
balconies. I don’t know whether the vertical
lines on which some plants seem to be growing
are irrigation lines or not. However, water
for the entire building is derived from these
sources:
The building also has an unusual, and either annoying or wonderful,
feature: mirrors. The cantilevered heliostat array is a striking design
element of the building and a way of reflecting light to the gardens
and atrium below. The use of the heliostat is optimized by a series of
motorized mirrors. The East Tower and its heliostat are shown here. I
don’t know what the state of the project was in 2013 when the Perlite
Institute meeting was held in Sydney, but the developers had sold
apartments and people were living in them prior to the official opening
of the building. One wonders how the hanging gardens affect the views
of residents.

• Rainwater from roofs.

• Storm water from impermeable surfaces/

planter box drainage.

• Groundwater from basement drainage

systems.

• Sewage from an adjacent public sewer.

• Sewage from all buildings within the

Central Park community.

• Irrigation water from all green walls.

• Drinking water from the public water

main.
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Biofuels & Other Sustainability Issues
As promised above, here are the findings of a report
from the American Enterprise Institute on how to best
make changes to the U.S. Farm Bill with regard to biofuels
and pricing. The Executive Summary of the November
2017 paper by Aaron Smith (see: https://www.aei.org/
publication/biofuels-the-renewable-fuel-standard-and-the-
farm-bill/) has three conclusions:
1. Incorporate uncertainty when making, Point 2 implies that industries, lobbyists, environmental
implementing and analyzing policy.
2. Don’t give the regulator too much discretion
because it enables political forces and legal
challenges to undermine policy.
3. Don’t mandate things that don’t exist.
The paper starts off by saying how much of U.S. production
of corn and soybeans went into making fuel in 2016:
40 percent of corn and 25 percent of soybeans. The author
then analyzes prices of ethanol and biodiesel since 2008.
Other Regulatory Issues
What happens when a mining company decides
to close a mine in the U.S.? In general, they
have to pay to put the land back into something
resembling the surrounding environment. But
what if they go bankrupt? In recent years, new
hard rock mines had to prove or guarantee that
they would be able to clean up the area. Prior
to that, the public was responsible financially.
The current administration is paving the way
for a return to the old rules and plans on
cutting the EPA budget by more than $2 billion,
essentially gutting their ability to monitor and
remediate abuses.
Regulatory complexity in Australia’s states is
also being blamed as a drag on mining activity.
Mining companies have issues with tenure
legislation, volatile commodity markets, high
labor costs and taxes. Queensland is
addressing the first of these by:
THE P E R LITE I N S T I T U T E ’ S C O R E VAL U E S :
Integrity is Our Guiding Principle Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership
P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NTE R 2018
Point 1 relates to giving a range of what may happen in
the future. Don’t be specific, but give industry a chance
to plan for this range instead of making duplicate plans
regarding hitting a specific target and missing. I gave an
example in the last column by stating that lithium ion
batteries have the best energy density known to date, but
other materials may make better batteries in the future.
groups and others may have ulterior motives that might
create financially or politically motivated exaggerated
goals. The report focuses on the fact that competing
interests (farmers, petroleum, livestock and automobile
producers, for example) are not likely to focus on the
environment first.
Point 3 goes further. Don’t test a vehicle’s fuel efficiency
by using a vehicle not equipped with standard equipment
such as back seats. Or closer to home, setting a goal of
selling thousands of tons of purple perlite before anyone
develops a way to make any.
• Allowing greater flexibility in the way resource companies
operate their programs, reducing administrative time and costs.
• Ensuring certainty with capped terms for exploration authorities,
better relinquishment settings and clearer thresholds,
encouraging investment.
• Improving productivity with simplified reporting and streamlined
annual report requirements.
Mineral exploration companies also want to see a greater distinction
between greenfield and brownfield efforts. I was unfamiliar with these
terms, so I looked them up. Brownfield exploration is probably more
productive; generally being done near existing mines to see whether
similar deposits can be discovered. Greenfield exploration is done
elsewhere, where no existing mines are located. We shall see whether
Australian mining companies feel that these efforts are sufficient.
Until next time, wishes for safe and happy expanding! Contact me at
k_wiener@hotmail.com if you have any questions.
Collaboration Generates Better Ideas 17
 P ER LITE TO D AY – W I N TER 2 0 1 8

Selected Upcoming Trade Shows and Meetings

Opening Closing
Date Date Name of Show Location Website


2/6/18 2/8/18 National Concrete Indianapolis, Ind. http://www.ncma.org/
Masonry Association Indianapolis Westing Hotel

2/13/18 2/15/18 World Ag Expo 2018 Tulare, Calif. http://www.worldagexpo.com/

International Agri-Center

2/22/18 2/24/18 National Precast Denver, Colo. http://precast.org/theprecastshow/

Concrete Association Colorado Convention Center

2/25/18 2/28/18 SME Annual Minneapolis, Minn. http://www.smeannualconference.com/

Conference Minneapolis Convention Center

3/6/18 3/8/18 World of Asphalt Houston, Texas http://www.worldofasphalt.com

(AND AGG1 Aggregates George Brown
Academy & Expo) Convention Center

3/8/18 3/9/18 NESEA Building Boston, Mass. http://nesea.org/conference/

Energy Conference Westin Boston Waterfront buildingenergy-boston

3/13/18 3/15/18 Filtech Cologne, Germany http://www.filtech.de/

KoelnMesse

3/13/18 3/15/18 Green Cities Melbourne, Australia http://www.greencities.org.au/
Australia Grand Hyatt Melbourne

3/22/18 3/24/18 Mid-America Louisville, Ky. http://www.truckingshow.com/

Trucking Show Kentucky Expo Center

4/23/18 4/28/18 World of Concrete Roissy, France http://www.worldofconcrete.com

Europe Paris Nord Villepinte
Exhibition Centre

4/26/18 4/29/18 IPPS New Zealand Palmerston North, NZ http://www.ipps.org.nz/

Hotel Coachman

5/24/18 5/25/18 IPPS Australia Hobart, Tasmania, Australia http://www.ipps.org.au/

TBD

Continued on next page....

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 P ERL IT E T O D AY – WI NTE R 2018

Selected Upcoming Trade Shows and Meetings

Opening Closing
Date Date Name of Show Location Website

6/7/18 6/9/18 Roof India Chennai, India http://roofindia.com/

Chennai Trade Center

6/19/18 6/22/18 World Mining Astana, Kazakhstan http://www.wmc2018.org/en/

Congress Venue TBD

7/24/18 7/26/18 Queensland Mining & Mackay, Australia http://www.queensland
Engineering Exhibition Mackay Showground miningexpo.com.au/

8/12/18 8/16/18 StormCon Denver, Colo. http://www.stormcon.com/

Hyatt Regency Denver at
Colorado Convention Center

8/14/18 Independent Garden Chicago, Ill. http://www.gardencenters

Center Show Navy Pier ofamerica.org/

8/22/18 8/24/18 Farwest Show Portland, Ore. http://www.farwestshow.com/

Oregon Convention
Center

8/22/18 8/25/18 Plantarium Boskoop, Netherlands http://www.plantarium.nl/

International index.php?TaalId=2
Trade Centre

9/23/18 9/27/18 Perlite Institute Philadelphia, Pa. http://www.perlite.org

Annual Meeting TBD

10/4/18 10/6/18 Landscape Show Orlando, Fla. http://www.fngla.org/

Orange County thelandscapeshow/
Convention Center

11/9/18 Central Coast Paso Robles, Calif. http://www.agexpo.biz/

Grape Expo Mid-State Fairgrounds

11/13/18 Grape, Nut & Fresno, Calif. http://www.agexpo.biz/

Tree Fruit Expo The BIG Fresno Fairgrounds

THE P E R LITE I N S T I T U T E ’ S C O R E VAL U E S :

Integrity is Our Guiding Principle Volunteering is the Best Form of Leadership Collaboration Generates Better Ideas 19