Document Qg5o2G6B9wXD5zjnLao4EK5d4

1-larch 13, 1980 Mr. C. B. Loflin Shop Superintendent Southern Railway Company 312 West Liddell Street Charlotte, NC 28206 Dear Mr. Loflin: \ Hiis ia in reply to your request for information concerning so called hazardous ingredients in the COBR/P Brake Shoes you are using on your M. W. vehicles. At the present time, the friction material in the COBRA brake shoes you are using is the same as the AAR approved COBRA brake shoe friction ma terial in use on interchange freight cars. This COBRA friction material contains a small amount of asbestos, but no lead. We are in the process of obtaining approval for a no-lead, no-asbestos friction material. We onticlpate having this material approved by the 4th quarter of 1980. For your further information, I am attaching a summary of a series of Environmental Safety tests that we have/made on COBRA brake shoes. ^ Sincerely, Enclosures EJB/j E. J. Brennan Registered TRADEMARK of Railroad Friction Products Corporation. . \ / ( COBRA High Friction Composition Brake Shoes _________ `Environmental Safety This is in response to your request for information concerning possible environmental hazards that could result from the use of COBRA Composi tion Brake Shoes. Investigations we have conducted offer reasonable assurance that COBRA brake shoes do not pose an environmental hazard to aither personnel handling them or personnel in close proximity to the point where they are utilized during braking operations. Specific actions that we have taken to insure the environmental safety of COBRA brake shoes are as follows: . - 1. A certain amount of asbestos fiber is included in the composition material and backing stock of each COBRA brake shoe. During the manufacturing process, the asbestos and other materials are molded into a hard block of friction material which is bonded to a steel backing plate. At this point, the asbestos is effectively contained within the friction material. As a further protection, the entire brake shoe is dipped in a sealant which will prevent any loose asbestos particles becoming airborne during handling of the brake shoes. The sealant also restricts rusting of the backing plate dur ing outside storage and provides the distinctive "red" shoe color. 2. We have been questioned by various gtoups and individuals concerning the amount of asbestos fiber released by COBRA brake shoes during braking action. To be able to answer these questions, we ran an elaborate series of dynamometer tests in 1971 during which all the wear dust from various types of braking cycles was collected and analyzed. The results of these tests show that almost all of the asbestos fiber is decomposed during brake applications. Less than one percent of the original asbestos fiber in the shoe remains as fiber in the wear dust and less than one tenth of that becomes airborne. Since each stop mSTtNCMOUSf A* IAAKI COMPANY f0$t tkm m jonns*manvilu coupon wears only a very small amount of material from each shoe, and since each shoe contains only a very small percentage of asbestos fiber, it can be seen that the amount of asbestos fiber chat becomes air borne with each stop is not significant. 3. During the same period of investigation covered in 2 above, possible toxicity of gases liberated by COBRA brake shoes during braking was also given attention. Stop and drag tests were performed and samples of gases given off during braking were collected by a technician from an independent testing laboratory. The samples were subsequently analyzed and Che results reported. Results showed that the COBRA brake shoes gave off no extremely toxic materials, and only small amounts of hydrocarbon gases. It was concluded that no amounts of harmful gases sufficient to be injurious to health were liberated. . . #- 4. The original COBRA brake shoe composition also contained lead. All shoes manufactured since November'1975 have utilized a lead-free com position. The primary reason for this change was to eliminate lead from our plant environment for the protection of. manufacturing employees exposed to the raw material. 5. In early 1977, WABCO, in cooperation with Johns-Hanvilie research personnell, conducted a series of air sample tests in the Boston Subway in an offort to capture chrysotile fiber during train operations. Samples were taken between the cars, near the track level, in the passenger and motorman's area, and on Che platforms over a 10 hour period of highest density operation. No significant fiber counts were seen on any of the filters. 6. In 1978-79, we developed and have in locomotive and mass transit ser vice a COBRA Composition Brake Shoe which contains neither asbestos or lead in the friction material. We crust the above Information will provide answers to questions that may arise as to the environmental characteristics of COBRA, brake shoes. Please let us know if any additional information is required. Sincerely yours. evk/j E. W. Kojsz Manager-COBRA Shoe Sales ATTACHMENT B Alexandria., 7a., April 3, 19-0. file i 130.1*511 Kn. C. L. B0gAS23Ai 2feroe* jour letter of Xoreh 7# 19^0. recerdlhg the Cobra 7-235 brake shoe used oa vork e^aipoeat, ' . The uasafaetcrer advise# the present composition shoe bee . . asbestos. They are eodlfjlas this shoe to el laj note the use of asbestos. ~ The asbestos la tightly bound la the rubber'typo notorial, and there la probably little free asbostoa fiber liberated during the' grinding operation; hoverer, a respirator aboold be vara vhen esy grinding ox ahraaiTO operation is perfarned. Zn this case, a cartridge, such as Xlze Safety Appliance (M3A) /^5l03 Ultra-Tvis, 8 7ilter cartridge, ahoalt be used ia the respirator. -- . .. ' . H7?/bls Dr. liax ? . Rogers.. Hr. 7. 5. Kaylor c.Kr. D. Kitcbell Kr. J. L. Stubbs ?Cr. C. fi. loflin . Sr. J. rrn e Scydes Director, Bescorch t Tests. LAB NO. Date Received Material LABORATORY L'ORK REPORT FILE NO. ________ Anticipated Completion Date_ BA ^ Manufacturer Submitted by Sample Assigned to_ & Sk n Purpose of Test____ ANALYSIS $ , A-ir~ C &C*Ou-*-AXcA****3&-' 0 CsjJ~ao) tT.//% /^. 4o J \ Aj/i ' // 7 % /Hi - y- ^ % (Ljr' * r^Y % 5^y A<7J> 5. <?V.?7 Cobra RAILROAD FRICTION PRODUCTS CORPORATION wilmeROInO, PENNSYLVANIA 1S14S AREA CODE <12 * 271-1000 March 27, 1980 Mr. J. S. Saxon Southern Railway Company P. 0. Box 233 Alexandria, VA 22314 t Dear Mr. Saxon: Attached is my letter to Mr. Loflin, Shop Superintendent in Charlotte. Also enclosed, is a report covering emissions from COBRA brake shoes. If we can be of any further assistance, please let me know. Sincerely, ft EJB/j E. J. Brannan Sales Engineer Ends. Registered TRADEMARK of Railroad Friction Products Corporation. wtrriNGMotm ai* sham company JOMMt.