Document aDyE69EoVRdxbZZNOmwkdJmdR

FILE NAME: RT Vanderbilt (RTV) DATE: 1983 Nov 11 DOC#: RTV202 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to McCrone Associates Letter from RTV 2050 RT. Vanderbilt Com pany, Inc. 50w w *iclCi c o n m (Ctcltt r m i *rw?* tu*11 c*&vL ~m\jv*+rmho*y**la. c ^ ^ c n c v f rw n t i3-***-3**g October 3L 1983 I. Mr. Cary Nichols McCrone Research Associates Ltd. , 2 McCrone Mews Belsire Lane London NW3 SBC England Dear Mr. Nichols: We are writing in regards to two samples submitted to you by D r. R . C . Moors of Expandlte Limited, your reference ME 907 C N /JB , copies attached. In particular reference to the 3X Talc and your findings that It contained in excess of 90% tremotlte asbestos, we are at a complete loss and In shock at such a finding. Expandite Limited was also shocked and had you repeat the test and you again had the same findings. Needless to say that this finding o f yours In regards to the alleged 3X sample is very damaging to us and will result in cancellation of all our business with this client unless we can obtain a retraction from you on what ever It was that was submitted to you. to you by iyyr British agent; Amtaic Association L t d ., for evaluation. If you are then cdhvlnced fie are correct in our beliefs, we would ask you to write a tetter expeditiously to our agent and his client clearing our good name from association with asbestos. We are sure you understand the seriousness of being associated with asbestos and the need to hurriedly clear us of such allegations. We respect fully ask that our product be cleared by you within M days of receipt of this letter. r 205t Mr. Cary Nichols R .I VondertiOt Company Inc. Our Mr. R . W. Owens of Amlaic Association. Ltd. will shortly be In touch with you with a true sample of 3X. Would you also be so kind as to submit to us or Mr. Owens asample of what you tested per your attached report for our evaluation, f. We thank you for your cooperation. HBVigik attachment cc: Mr. Ian M, Stewart Walter C . McCrone A sso c. Inc. 2820 South Michigan Avenue * Chicago; Illinois 60616 Ms. Lucy 8 . McCrone Senior Research Scientist Waller C . McCrone Assoc, tnc. 2820 South Michigan'Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60SI6 bcc: Guv F . D river, Ssq . Mr. T . T , Noland Mr. G . L . Fiederlefn Mr. A. M. Harvey 2048 |9 - Letter From McCronc Research Associated Ltd. to LW . Owens, Amtale Association dated November I I , 1983 (Pages 2048-20511 "Vrt^ONC `m e w s , artsicc ut. t.ooo " '= riu,,.0,t. i.iM.M* t,i m . m m Tfi-LCn*** LHB* H7 /ft \A \ Ccmlocl m t i 'c h *clinline hftTfjmvnu M itfoitpr. X `f*r tfffriiiien, jir, D^ens Amtslc Association Ltd. 1 Queens Avenue Dale Street Liverpool L2 4TI H A'ovenber 1983 Dear f-- . Ovens; He refer to ttie letter received from R.T, Vanderbilt Cooptny Inc., dated October, 31, 1983, relating to the analysis of the 3X Talc carried out by u* for Expandite Ltd, in London (reference our Report* HE 903 and HE 907AI. e apoiogire for the error in the reports, which stated that an esti mated quantity in excess of 90S tremollte asbastoa was found in the 3X Talc. This should have ream In exceas of 90% treoolita. The actual treoollte asbestos content is between 30% and 40%, Since receipt of the letter f r o g R.T. Vanderbilt Company Ice., v e re-examined the 3X Talc samples submitted for analysis hv Expandlte Ltd., trTKg"optical microscopy and K-ray diffraction a n a l y s i s . T h a reiults of t m s re-analysis, with estimated quantities, are as follows) Antigorite<2% Calcito <2% Quarte <2% Talc <4% Tremollte 550% The antigorite was identified by X-ray diffraction analysis. The results of tha re-examination agree with those reported to Expandite Ltd. in Report HE 907, dated 21 September 19B3. Tha high per centage of tremolite in the 3X Talc has also been confirmed. An additional study of the Talc by optical microscopy had shown that the troolite occurs as prisms, needles and fibres. Respirable fibres are defined as those particles having a length greater than 5pm, a width leas than 3pm. with an aspect ratio of greater than 3*1. Within the submitted sample* of 3X Talc, between 30% anq ant nf.Hi particles conformed to the regulatory definition of respirable fibres. It is Known tnat fine fibres become airborne much more readily than large particle*, especially if the large particles are piety. In order to assess the amount of fibres that would be encountered in an airborne cloud Dfieton; 04, J, ft. Mrt~ O . 4Hcn% Ml J, ftmiie Mi*. S* Ma* teaO , 1IC 2 0 49 Hr. K.H. Owens (continued) 2 of IX Talc, about 10 grams of the powder was placed into a polythene bag, 12* x 8", and this was gently shaken. .A sample of the airborne dust generated inside the bag was collected on a membrane filter, through which air was drawn at 2 litres per minute. This dust waj evaluated by optical microscopy and it was found that the percentage of respirable fibres in the airborne dust van between 70s end SOI. This indicates that work on the Talc powder enhances the percentage of respirable asbestos in an airborne cloud. One of the recommendations of the U.K. Advisory Consslttee on Asbestos, 1979, is that, wherever possible, a substitute for asbestos should be used. It 1* known that there are many sources of fibre-free Talc and,to comply with this recommendation,one of these should be used in place of Tal c which is significantly contaminated wit h asbestos. The U.K. health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974, places the respon sibility on all manufacturer* and suppliers to warn ussr* of potentially damaging materials in their products, and failure to do s o is to contra vene this Act, Individual products containing asbestos in the U.K. are voluntarily labelled as such by the manufacturers, even when the product is well b o nd e d wit h virtually no potential for the asbestos fibres to become airborne. Your method of trensport of the 3X Tele containing loose asbestos in such concentrations, in paper sacks, is contravening all British regulation*. If y o u have further enquiries regarding the suitability of this material for use in British industry, please contact either ourselves, the Asbesto* Information Centre or the U.K. Health and Safety Executive. Yours sincerely for H R A Ltd cc:Dr. R.C. Moore Expandite Ltd. 1-9 C hare Road London K W 1 0 6 PS H.S. Vanderbilt H.T, Vanderbilt Co-Inc 30 Winfield Street Norwalk, Connecticut ' 06055, USA Hr, Ian Halter C. HeCrone Aaaoc. Inc. 2820 south Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA Hr*. Luc y 8. HeCrone Senior Research Scientist Halter C. HeCrone Assoc. Inc, 2820 South Michigan AYenus Chicago, Illinois $0616, USA