Document 5kbVZmJvLj53aXx6pG7q8Y2V0

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS DIVISION TO: Ray Rothfelder/Los Angeles ZONO July 16, 1971 FROM: R. C. Ericson cc: J. Huxley/Los Angeles ZONO W. R. Wright J. H. Schachter SUBJ: JM7 MO-2 Specifications I noted in your letter of July 9th to Mr. McCarthy that you ask him to hold to certain quality levels the JM7 MO-2 special specification material which you purchase on the West Coast. I felt that I should point out to you that your request does not fit with our current agreement with Johns-Manville regarding asbestos specifications. First of all, I am attaching a copy of a report made to me listing the penetration efficiency and QAMA "wet volume" for ail asbestos shipments made to us for a six month period. As we studied this over with J-M we agreed that there was no strong positive correlation between efficiency and QAMA wet volume. Our lab work in Cambridge had definitely established that penetration efficiency was directly related to asbestos performance in Mono-Kote. Consequently, we have dropped any further interest in wet volume as a purchasing specification. Next, I noted that the lot about which you complained had a penetration efficiency of 189. Again it is my under standing that we have an established efficiency range of 180-210 for Western specification asbestos; consequently, J-M would be perfectly correct in telling you that the lot you have said was substandard met specifications, although it was obviously in the low end of the range. Your letter does not make it clear, but I gather you were producing some Mono-Kote which did not meet our Quality Control standards and that you increased the packing weight by 1.5 lbs. per bag to compensate for the loss in quality. Are you sure that the asbestos was the cause? My experience leads me to believe that you cam maintain quality level with your Western vermiculite at asbestos efficiencies below 130. In other words, I suggest that you should look toward the vermiculite s the* primary causative factor of a crop in Mono-Koto quality. exhibit rci: : rc R. C. Ericson