Document evMv6Xyb8848DOqR2pZ937gv4

Asbestos in the Construction Industry By L. O. MONTPETIT (Annual General Meeting, Edmonton, April, 1963) ABSTRACT The economics of the asbestos min ing industry of Canada, and the physical and chemical characteristics of asbestos fibre, as well as explora tion, mining, milling and quality control methods, have been described by several authors in the past few years. The scope of this presentation is to survey the application of asbestos fibres in the major product groups of the construction industry in North America. Principal categories considered in clude flooring materials, asbestos-ce ment pipes and building products, high-temperature insulation, textiles, saturated asbestos felts and asphalt compounds. During 1962, the asbestos mining industry of Canada produced an esti mated 1.3 million tons of chrysotile fibre grades, and production capacity is expanding. The market demand for chrysotile fibre, on this continent, has been in the order of SO per cent of the production volume. The asbestos industry is dependent for growth on the construction indus try. Product research is active in finding new uses for asbestos fibre; some of the new developments are presented, including the use of shortfibre asbestos grades for extending the life of asphalt pavement. That development could mean a market for an additional half-million tons of as bestos per year. Figure 1.--Chrysotile Cron Fibre in Serpcndnized Peridotite. Introduction CONSIDERABLE information has been published in the C.I.M. Transactione detailing characteristics, the mining and mill ing, and the quality control of as bestos fibre. The utilisation of as bestos in fabricated form has been the subject of a volume of product information disseminated by in dividual Canadian and U.S. manu facturing companies and by the expressed to members of the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association and to the Canadian Department of Trade and Commerce for the assistance thgeiven the writer in obtaining the reference material necessary for this study. The Asbestos Industry The world production of asbestos fibre, for the years 1958 to 1962, is Quebec Asbestos Information Serv given in Table I. ice in Montreal (see selected Biblio The Canadian production, which is graphy). entirely chrysotile fibre, is now sup The economic importance and the plied by ten firms operating four role of asbestos products in the con teen mines -- twelve in Quebec, one Vice-President and Mine Mana ger, Nicolet Asbestos Mines Ltd., Warwick, Que. struction industry will be presented in the following pages. Acknowledgments and thanks are in Ontario and another in British Columbia. Canadian capacity is ex panding, with several potential pro ducers in the process of develop TABLE I ment. World Asbestos Production Data The Mineral Asbestos 1958 1959 1960 1%1 1962 Est. Year (tons) (tons) (tons) (tons) (tons) World Production........... Canada* . 2.055.000 925,331 United States.................. 43.979 South America................ 13.253 Europe............................ 630.000 Asia................................. 96.000 Africa.............................. 331.088 Australasia...................... 16,024 2.270.000 1,050.429 45.459 17.908 690.000 118.000 328.903 18.515 2.440,000 1,118.456 45.223 19.319 765.000 132.000 344.340 15,932 2.770.000 1,173.695 52.814 17.500 990.000 131.000 389.974 17,076 2.830,000 1,223,509* 60,000 Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior; Bureau of Mines Minerals Yearbook; Do minion Bureau of Statistics. Exclusive of asbestos sand and gravel. (1) -- The name "asbestos" is applied to a group of hydrated sili cates. The common characteristic of all these minerals is their naturally fibrous form. A chemical feature common to all types of asbestos is their varying degree of hydration, ranging from 1.5 per cent in amphibole asbestos to 14.3 per cent in chrysotile. (2) -- The following is the min eral classification of the commer cially important types of asbestos: Bullotin for September, 1963, Montreal MTC 000344 737 TABLE II Distribution cf Canadian Asbestos Shipments Item Value of Canadian Production............ Tons of Asbestos Fibre..................... Tons of Asbestos Sand..................... Apparent Canadian Consumotion of Asbestos Fibre....... Export Tons Asbestos Fibre . United States............ Europe..................... United Kingdom....... Asia.......................... Latin America........... Others....................... 1958 1959 $92,276,743 925.331 18.449 $107,433,334 1,050,429 29,532 38.030 (4.1%)* 40,003 (3.8%) 856,630193.6%) - 582.366(62.9%) 123,097(13.3%) 65.304( 7.0%) 32,752( 3.5%) 35.955( 3.8%) 27,156( 2.9%) 1,013,923(95.0%) 629,231(59.9%) 179,795(17.1%) 69,234( 6.5%) 66,428( 6.5%) 39.568( 3.7%) 29,666( 2.8%) I960 1961 1962 Est. $121,400,015 1.118,456 51,625 $128,955,700 1,173,695 41.695 $132,060,710 1,223,509 -- 50.003 (4.4%) 57.000 (4.8%) 63.000 (5.1%) 1.058.493(95.6) 596,838(53.3) 220.327(19.6) 74,816( 6.6) 82,730( 7.4) 50,409( 4.5) 43,373( 3.8) 1,116,880(95.2) 558.033(47.5) 258,776(22.0) 74,516( 6.3) 112,219( 9.6) 65.546( 5.5) 47,790( 4.0) 1.160,000(94.9) 630.000(51.5) 250.000(20.4) 70.000( 5.7) 75.000( 6.1) 60.000( 4.9) 45,000( 3.5; Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics; Trade and Commerce. *% " per cent fibre production tonnage (a) Serpentine Group -- chrysotile, with minor amounts of antigorite and picrolite. (b) Amphibole Group -- crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, actinolite. Each type has its own field of ac tivity, but the most important vari ety is chrysotile (Figure 1). Some 95 per cent of the total world pro duction is comprised of chrysotile asbestos. (3) -- Asbestos fibres can be di vided and subdivided to such a fine degree that only the electron micro scope will reveal the finest fibres (chrysotile). The basic single fibre is a cylinder, approximately 180 Angstrom units in diameter (710 x 10-* in.). (4) -- The surface area per unit weight of asbestos is ten times as great as that of organic and inor ganic fibres (Figure 2). (5) -- Single asbestos fibres are extremely flexible and have a high modulus of elasticity, comparable to that of steel. The strength is not im paired at temperatures up to 700F. The low tensile strength of asbestos fabrics is due to the lack of co herence and smoothness of the fi bres. (6) -- Amphibole asbestos be comes extremely brittle at 750F, but chrysotile retains its flexibility. At 1,800F, all of the water of crystallization is driven off from chrysotile and the mineral alters to olivine, with pronounced changes in physical properties. However, rela tively high tensile strength values are retained at 1,200F. Organic and inorganic fibres, by compari son, are completely destroyed, or melt, between 200 and 900F. Asbestos fibre mechanically breaks down at approximately 1,500F, and completely disinte grates at 2,770F. With phenolic re sins, asbestos products will provide insulation and retain strength when subjected to temperatures of 5,000 F for periods of 1 to 30 min utes. (7) -- More than 95 per cent of the asbestos used is combined with other materials and, in most cases, asbestos loses its Identity in the fin ished products. Used with other ma terials, the strong and flexible as bestos fibres interlock to form rein forcing webs. Tests using tempera tures as high as 20,000F have been conducted on various products.. (8) -- The main qualities of as bestos are strength and durability. Asbestos will resist: weather, cor rosion, fire, heat, acid, vermin, and fungus growth. Asbestos will insu late against: vibration, electricity and sound. Asbestos will bind: fill ers, magnesia, cement and rubber. Asbestos will attract: sludge and dust. Market requirements are based principally on fibre length, but strength, flexibility, colour, chem ical composition and cleanliness may have an important bearing on use. Canadian Asbestos Production The distribution of the Canadian asbestos shipments, for the years 1958 to 1962, is given in Table II. The Construction Industry Described as the largest business in Canada,* making up 20 per cent of the Gross National Product, the construction industry reached a value of over $7 billion in 1962. The Canadian construction industry could handle a business volume of $10 billion. Competition is therefore fierce, and profit margins low. The construction industry can be subdivided into categories, as has Figure 2.--Fibre Grades. `Hugh R. Montgomery, president, Canadian Construction Association, in the Montreal Gazette. 738 The Canadian Mining and Metallurgical MTC 000345 TABLE III Estimated Value of Expenditures. Canadian Construction Industry, 1963 Housing........................ $2,100,000,000 Commercial................... 750.000.000 Industrial...................... 500.000.000 Institutional.................. 800.000.000 Marine, Water & Sewage Power and Communi cations; Oil and Gas Works......................... 2,000.000,000 Roads............................ 1,000,000.000 Total. $7,150,000,000 (Canadian Construction Association) been done in Table III, which shows the estimated Canadian volume of expenditures for 1963. In the United States, the con struction market was estimated by F. W. Dodge Corporation at $12 billion for the year 1962. This was up 11 per cent from 1961, and rep resents the largest market ever pre sented to any fabricating industry. Housing accounts for $18.3 bil lion. with a decline in expenditures on single homes but an increase in expenditures on apartment build ings. Commercial, industrial and in stitutional construction, combined, shows an expenditure of $13.2 bil lion; engineering shows $10.5 bil lion. U.S. Imports of Canadian Fibre Taking the year 1961 as an ex ample. the tonnage of Canadian as bestos fibre imported by the United States was in the proportions shown in Table IV. It is estimated, in the U.S. Bu reau of Mines Yearbook, that the chrvsotile fibre consumed in the United States was used mainly in asbestos-cement, asbestos paper and asbestos asphalt building materials. Therefore, the Canadian asbestos industry and the North American asbestos products industry are de pendent for growth on industrial, TABLE IV U.S. Imports -- 1961 Canadian Fibre Grades Tons Crude.... Spinning . Shingle... Paper___ Shorts.... 437 16.903 86.070 40.409 426,234 Total... 570.053 Per Cent 0.7 2.9 15.0 7.1 74.7 Averaie Value/ Ton $800 360 180 120 60 $ 90 commercial and residential con struction. The tonnage of Canadian asbes tos fibre imported by the United States has shown a substantial in crease during 1962; the tonnage ex ported to European countries con tinued at a high level. Asbestos Products Manufactured in Canada Quoting from Foreign Trade.** "the Canadian asbestos industry has been built upon export markets, and about 95 per cent of total output goes to foreign countries. . . . Seventeen Canadian firms spe cialize in the manufacture of asbeston products. . . . It is significant that the volume of production has almost reached domestic demand." Table V, using figures available for 1959 and 1960, shows the dis tribution of the asbestos products manufactured in Canada. Asbestos Products Industry Much has been written on the mul titude of uses for asbestos, but lit tle information is available on the quantities required for several of these uses. *R. P. Mulvihill, Department of Trade and Commerce, Ottawa. TABLE V Asbestos Products Manufactured in Canada - 1959 1949 1939 Production (Millions of Dol lars) .................... 30.8 10.3 1.8 Plus Imports......... 4.0 2.6 1.1 Total..................... 34.8 12.9 2.9 Less Exports......... 0.7 0.4 0.5 Apparent Con sumption............. 34.1 12.5 2.4 Product Group Value. 1959 Value. I960 (estimate) Asbestos Ce- ment & other products... $19,800,000 Textiles......... 4,300.000 Brake Linings 4,400.000 Boiler and Pipe Cover- tags............. 800.000 Packings....... 800,000 Pipeline Felt.. 600.000 Gaskets......... 100,000 $18,600,000 4,600.000 4.350.000 720,000 420,000 600,000 60.000 30,800.000 29,350.000 tnlie VI gives an indication of thJmJior industry groups using asbestsln their products. These 1958 figtnes come from the Industry Sta tistics Section of the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The industries covered in the above groups used only 78 per cent of the asbestos fibre consumed in the U.S. in 1958. The plastics group, except for the manufacturers of floor tiles, is not included. It can be assumed that the asbestos products produced in North America have reached a value in the range of $700 million per year. Asbestos-Cement Building Materials The weather- and fire-resisting properties of both cement and asbes tos, along with their adaptability to mass manufacturing processes, led to their combined use in a great va riety of building materials. The as bestos fibres serve as a reinforcing medium for the cement. Depending on the product, the proportion, by weight, of asbestos to cement may vary from 15 to 90 per cent. The principal cement products are: (1) -- Large sheets for siding, or small sheets for clapboards and shingles. Asbestos-cement has been widely used for exterior cladding for commercial and residential buildings. (2) -- The new decorative prod ucts, as a result of a thermally fused TABLE VI Industries Using Asbestos in their Products Product Group 1958 Value of Products Skipped in the U.S. Asbestos-Cement Building Asbestos-Cement Pipe. Floor Tile; Asphalt-- Asbestos....... -- Vinyl.............. Asbestos Gaskets.............. Asbestos Packings............. Asohalt and Tar Saturated Millhoard.......................... $70,409,000 69.750.000 77.348.000 66.591.000 34.567.000 25.938.000 23.232.000 16.574.000 13.213.000 2,000.000 $399,622,000 Frirtion Matf1TM!* 89.844,000 Total................................. $489,466,000 Source: U.S. Bureau of Mines Mineral Yearbook. (Dominion Bureau of Statistics.) (U.S. Bureau of the Census). Bulletin for September, 1963, Montreal 739 MTC 000346 acrylic finish, are now available fa any colour. They offer a lonler Ijte expectancy than competing mate rials. Ia (3) -- Designers of con\jjgial and industrial buildings have found that, for curtain-wall or panelling use. prefinished asbestos materials offer a wide range of decorative pos sibilities -- with the added incen tives of reduced initial construction costs and lower maintenance, heat ing and cooling costs. ing in many fields. In the making of asbestos-cement pipe, Portland cement and additions of IS to 20 per cent asbestos and other ingredients are agitated in water. The solids are drawn from the slurry on a fabric belt and de posited in successive layers on a ro tating mandril. The pipe is dried and cured under steam pressure. As the time required for manufacture is governed largely by the drying period, the use of asbestos with free and rapid filterability is vital. (4) -- New asbestos-cement prod ucts, including: Floor Tiles (a) . The "sandwich" panel, com Asbestos fillers make up about posed of asbestos sheet faces and an 50 per cent of the material in plas insulating core of corrugated asbes tic floor tile. Therefore, the growth tos paper, insulating board or foam of the resilient floor covering indus plastic. These sandwich panels, used try over the past few decades has for interior walls, provide 90 per resulted in a major use for short as cent more insulation than walls of bestos fibres. average construction and reduce the The usual procedure in the man weight to about one-third. ufacturing of "asphalt" tiles is to (b) . Asbestos roof deck, construc combine plasticized resin with filler ted of deeply corrugated sheets and and to add pigments. After com capable of spanning supports up to plete hot mixing, the mixes are fed twelve feet across. . through calenders to produce smooth (c) . Canal bulkhead retaining sheets of specified thickness. These walls, used to line canals in re sheets are then cut to proper size claimed land areas and prevent the prior to cooling and hardening. loose soil from eroding. This appli Vinyl tile is similar to "asphalt" cation, now used in Florida and tile, but is generally more flexible. other southern States, requires Vinyl tile gets smoother as it wears, stronger asbestos-cement corrugated takes a lasting polish and is resist sheets. ant to marring. (d) . Asbestos forms for bridge A recent addition to the vinyl and similar construction work where floor-covering family is the use of a the form is left in place, on com synthetic-rubber asbestos backing pletion of pouring, to blend with the sheet with a fused vinyl surface standard cement finish. There is layer. The asbestos sheet replaces then no deterioration through rot the traditional paper or rag felt ting or rusting. (e) . Separators and baffles in mu backing that has been used for many years in linoleum. The use of asbes nicipal and industrial water treat tos, in this case, allows the flooring ment plants. The inorganic struc ture of asbestos sheets prevents the to be used in areas where there would be attack from the moisture formation of microorganisms which and chemicals in concrete. A much would interfere with the treatnjent longer life and durability feature process. (f) . Asbestos-cement monolithic this type of flooring. boards can also be obtained with permanent integral colours for such Heat Insulations uses as chalkboards, laboratory table tops, decorative panels or elec trical switchboards. The heat insulators are used to conserve fuel, to eliminate the over heating of areas or to protect other Pipes, Conduits and Ducts products from fire. Asbestos has found its place in Asbestos-cement piping is used heat insulation because of its incom extensively for fresh- and sea-water bustibility over a wide temperature mains, gas mains, sewerage lines, range. Actually, the mineral asbes cable conduits and venting flues, tos is not an exceptional non-con and in many industrial applications. ductor of heat; its insulating value This type of piping, because of its comes from the fact that it can be resistance to corrosion and electro fabricated into various forms that lytic action, its light weight and result in a structure of sealed air ease of application, and its excel chambers. It is the "dead" air lent strength properties, has super spaces that give the products their seded both metal and ceramic pip insulating value. (1) -- Some insulations involve a mixture of asbestos and clay ap plied in a wet mass to the surface being insulated. Such mixtures are easily moulded to the contours of the equipment, and the wet mass dries in place. (2) -- Laminated insulations are made by building up several plies of formed asbestos paper, using sili cates as the adhesive. They can be used for the insulation of surfaces at temperatures up to 700F. (3) -- Asbestos papers are formed on multi-cylinder machines. The prepared slurry, made up of Canadian classification groups 5, 6 and 7 chrysotile asbestos fibres and binders, is pumped into a series of vats containing rotating cylinders covered by a wire mesh. The stock contains approximately one-half per cent fibre. The stock is deposited, by gravity, on a wire mesh, and is transferred to woolen felts. The wet paper stock is then dewatered, pressed between sets of pressure rolls, and carried over steam-heated dryers and calenders to be given a smooth surface. It may also be creped or corrugated. (4) -- Asbestos corrugated paper is made by crimping ordinary asbes tos paper and pressing it into per manent corrugated shapes. The depth of corrugation is approxi mately one-quarter inch. Bonding together alternate layers of corru gated and flat asbestos felts will form the type of insulation known as "asbestos air cell," which pro vides for large volumes of dead air space. To form sandwich structures, the sheets of the corrugated paper are covered with flat asbestos ce ment sheets, using sodium silicates as the adhesive. (5) -- Asbestos boards, up to onehalf inch thick, are produced on a type of paper machine in which the wet web of paper stock is accumu lated on a metal cylinder as it leaves the felt. In this way, several plies of paper are built up on the accum ulator roll. They are then cut off, resulting in a wet board that is equal in length to the circumference of the roll. Asbestos board serves as heat insulation under service tempera tures of up to 1,000F. It is used as linings for stoves, ovens and kilns, as table pads and mats, and for plain and metallic gaskets. (6) -- Asbestos felts, saturated with tar or asphalt, serve as cor rosion protection for underground pipelines. Asbestos felts and papers impregnated with asphalt aTe also used on the roofs of buildings and homes, where resistance to outdoor weathering, as well as insulation, is important. 740 The Canadian Mining and Metallurgical ..._.... MTC 000347 (7) -- Moulded light-weight as bestos insulation, with calcined cal cium silicate, has an exceedingly low thermal conductivity. This is because its structure contains minute air cells formed by the interlocking crystals. The product can withstand temperatures of up to 1,900F. Electrical Insulation Electrical insulation is used to protect the surface of conductors from such adverse conditions as moisture and chemicals, and to fill spaces where corona discharges are liable to occur. Untreated paper can contain moisture, as it has the characteristic of absorbing moisture from the air. It is usually treated with a silicone varnish or lacquer in order to eliminate the moisture problem. In the manufacture of asbestos paper, there is always a continued interest in the development and pro duction of open asbestos fibres. By opening the fibres, the undesirable magnetite, which is entrapped, can be removed. Papers made from high ly purified asbestos, used for elec trical insulation, greatly extend the life of electrical equipment by per mitting the units to operate at high er temperatures. Sound Insulation Asbestos Textiles The individual fibre bundles are opened in willowing machines, combed into a parallel arrangement to form a web, and separated into ribbons and strands of rovings. Yarns, produced by spinning the as bestos rovings, serve as the basic components for the fabrication of the many woven and braided asbes tos textile products. These products serve both the electrical insulation industry and the construction industry. They are used in fire-smothering blankets, flameproof draperies, pipe jackets and boiler insulation. Resinated asbestos textiles are used as insulation in rockets and missiles. Asbestos Gaskets The most common use of gaskets is in the joining of flanges on pipe lines. Asbestos fibre forms all, or part of, the material from which many types of gaskets are fabri cated. Asbestos gaskets are used at service temperatures of up to 850F, and where resistance to acids and chemicals is required. Othek Asbestos Products Asbestos also finds a limited use in certain types of abrasive prod ucts: Insulators for sound generating units, containing a small percentage of binder, have been produced. In order to reduce the cost and the time required for installing sheet asbestos, methods have been devised to spray asbestos on walls and ceil ings. Fibre up to y2 inch in length is used. -- in adhesives, to give bulk and provide resistance to heat; -- to toughen asphalt compounds; -- in lubricants, to regulate melting temperatures and rate of flow, and to prevent scoring in bear ings; -- in fireproof paints and in as phalt paints, where it is applied Figure 3.--Asbestos-bearing asphalt paving on an airport runway. hot to build up thicker and me chanically stronger asphalt coat ings; -- in caulking or sealing com pounds, to produce soft, pliable or rigid sealers; -- combined with lead sheets for anti-vibration pads under the steelwork of large, modern build ings. Asbestos in Plastics Asbestos is an important compo nent in a wide range of plastic prod ucts, although the product may not be identified as one that contains asbestos. In the plastics grouping, there are usually three major divisions: coldmoulded, thermoplastic and thermo setting plastics. The advantages of using asbestos as the filler include reduced moulding costs, controlled flow of the material under pres sure, and increased fire and heat resistance. Asbestos is used in thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics to impart toughness, in crease hardness and retard the burn ing rate. Asbestos in Asphalt Roads Quoting from Roadt and Engi neering Conetruction, May, 1960. S. W. Hendry, Canadian Johns-Manville Co., Limited. -- "Extensive laboratory tests on asphalt paving mixtures have indicated that consid erable improvements in field per formances can be expected by the addition of short asbestos fibres. As a result of these tests, numerous test strips will be laid in various parts of the country to study the per formance of varied design mixes un der actual vehicular traffic." One such test strip was installed in 1953 on the haulage road from the open-pit asbestos mine at Asbes tos, Quebec. Whereas the standard pavement had to be resurfaced, the asbestos-asphalt strip gave virtually maintenance-free service. Some sixty test strips have now been laid in the United States and Canada. Basically, the results indicate that the addition of 2 to 3 per cent of short asbestos fibre filler achieves the following benefits: a 100 per cent increase in long-term plastic de formation over a wide temperature range, the prevention of bleeding of asphalt to the surface, an increase in impact strength, and resistance to cracking due to weathering (Fig ure 3). Adding from 2 to 3 per cent as bestos fibre to standard mixes will increase the laid cost of asphalt par ing by approximately 4 per cent. Bulletin for September, 1963, Montreal 741 MTC 000348 An important new market for short asbestos fibre (grade 7M) may therefore be opening np, and this could mean a market for an ad ditional half million tons of asbes tos per year. Selected Bibliography Badollet, M. S., A Symposium of C.I.M. Articles on Asbestos Fibre, 1948-61; Reprinted by the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association, 1961. Brigham, S. K., Conversion to Open Pit Shipway Operation at Jeffrey Mine; C.I.M. Trans., Vol. LXV, 1962, pp. 91-94. Gartshore, J. L., Asbestos Industry, Mining and Milling; C.I.M. Bulle tin, June, 1962, pp. 440-442. Lindell, K. V., Asbestos and the Canadian Economy; C.I.M. Bulle tin, November, 1961, pp. 809-812. Merrill, R. J., Carey-Canadian As bestos Deposit; Industrial Miner als Volume, C.I.M., 1958. ~\ Riorden, P. H., The Asbestos Belt in Southeastern Quebec (Geology); C.I.M. Trans., VoL LXV, 1962, pp. 182-184. Wiser, J.P., The Quebec Asbestos In dustry -- Testing and Quality Con trol; C.I.M. Bulletin, June, 1962. Bowles, Oliver, Asbestos -- A Ma terial Survey; Information Circu lar 7880, U.S. Government Print ing Office, Washington, D.C. 1959. Rosato, D. V., Asbestos -- Industrial Applications; Reinhold Publishing Corporation, 1959. Executive Assistant to Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys R. Orval J. T. Troy, the new executive assistant to Mines and Technical Surveys Min ister William Benidickson, has had wide experience in public affairs and public relations. A recent resi dent of Halifax, Mr. Troy has been active in Nova Scotia's political, legal, public relations, military, and trade promotion organisations. Born 39 years ago in Woodstock, N.B., Mr. Troy served in the R.C. A.F. as a bombing officer during World War II, being overseas from 1943 to 194a. Leaving active service in 1945 with the rank of flying of ficer, Mr. Troy entered Dalhousie Law School in Halifax and obtained his bachelor-of-law degree in 1951. He then practiced law for several years before being appointed execu tive secretary, and later director, of the Nova Scotia Liberal Association, a post he held until being called to Ottawa early this summer. He is past president of the Halifax Press Club and chairman of the public re lations and special events committee of the Halifax-Dartmouth United Appeal. He is also a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, of the Halifax Board of Trade and of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council. Mr. Troy is married and has two children. 6th International Mineral Processing Congress THE Sixth International Miner ous Cannes beach. The official lan al Processing Congress was guages of the Congress were Eng held at Cannes, France, from Maliysh, French, German and Russian. 26 to June 2. The Congress pro Simultaneous translation of all pa ceedings were followed, from June pers was provided, each delegate be 3 to June 9, by study tours of min ing issued with a small earphone- eral processing plants. The choice equipped transistor radio in order of a number of tours through sever to pick up the language of his al European countries and North choice. Africa was available to Congress If the study tour through the delegates. south and west of France can be Approximately 850 delegates, rep taken as representative, the tours resenting fifty countries, were pres were well organized to give dele ent at the Congress. A total of fifty gates ample time for sightseeing as papers were presented -- two on well as for plant visits. Operations laboratory techniques, four on com visited on this tour were: The minution, two on classification, nine bauxite leaching plant of the Com- on hydrometallurgy, six on gravity pagnie Pechiney," Gardanne Works, concentration, six on magnetizing located near Aix-en-Provence; the roasting and magnetic separation, fluorite flotation plant of the So six on flotation procedure, and five ciety . Camifluor, near Perpignon; on control and automation. Two of the uranium leaching plant of the the papers were by Canadians: Societe Industrielle des Minerals de Ethylene Glycol Leach Process for l'Ouest, near Nantes; and the mag Producing High-Purity Tungstic netite concentration plant of the Acid, presented by F. A. Forward; Societe des Mines de fer de SegTe, and Development of a Process for located near Tours. During the tour, the Concentration of Oka Pyro- there were opportunities to visit the chlore, presented by H. L. Noblitt. Cathedral at Aix-en-Provence, Lea All technical meetings were held in Baux, the district where bauxite was the auditorium of the Palais des first discovered and for which this Festivals, located on the Boulevard mineral is named, several of the de la Croisette overlooking the fam famous Chateaux de Loire and the impressive Cathedral of Chartres. Canada was represented at the Congress by J. Convey, L. E. Djingheuzian, R. A. Elliott. F. A. For ward, K. V. Lindell, A. R. MacPherson, H. L. Noblitt, P. Pelletier and M. J. Tamplin. Building Science Seminar THE first announcement of a Building Science Seminar, scheduled to take place in Ottawa on February 13 and 14, 1964, was recently made by the Division of Building Research of the National Research Council. The Seminar will be held at the Building Research Centre. The two days will be de voted to a series of lectures by D.B.R./N.R.C. senior staff mem bers on fundamentals of the design of building enclosures, with special reference to buildings which are to be humidified in cold weather. Further details and information about applications for attendance will be issued later in the year. This preliminary announcement is being made at this time so that those in terested may reserve the above dates for attendance at the Seminar. 742 The Canadian Mining and Metallurgical MTC 000349