Document 0q2Gjp6Mmj6ymdYGLor280onR

V 1. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS of the First Meeting of the STEERING SUBCOIuL'I TTEE, ASSOCIATE COLSJITTEE ON ASBESTOS Held in Montreal, September 12, 1936, Present: Dr. G. S. Whitby, chairman Capt. J. G. 'Ross Mr. C, H. Shoemaker . Mr. D. Wolochow, secretary. 1. Organization Offioers were elected as indicated above. 2. General Captain Ross stated that the condition of the market had undergone a radical change so that there was now a very heavy demand for almost all grades of fibre. To meet this situation an effort must be made to reduoe the number of grades and to improve processes so as to increase production. In the lest few years the quality of the asbestos has in general been improved, so that many grades contained twice the value they had five years ego. Further improvement in the treatment of rock and of fibre was however essential to meet present and prospective demands. It was admitted that the present methods end equipment were as a rule deleterious in their effects on fibre, but the more urgent problem was the development of a really efficient method of opening fibre which has already been separated from the rook. The difficulty lay in the faot that fibre spicules became entangled in the mass and were therefore difficult to reeoh. The present methods used throughout the industry were therefore too harsh in their ection. Greatest returns would be obtained from improvements in this field.