Document ykyBxGjKDy1GYq1GjYbEvEJ7X

General Headquarters August 6, 1948 File 436-R4W Memorandum of Conference Clint Burnett brought up a Mr. McGuire of Fairfax Engineering Company, aansas City, Kansas, vho is interested in obtaining an additional source of supply of glass fiber mat for plastic reinforcement. Mr. McGuire, vho has been known to Mr. Burnett for many years, particularly in connection with our Parsons, Kansas, operation, evidenced considerable knowledge of plastic molding with glass reinforcement and a very real interest in obtaining additional suitable sources of supply for the mats in vhiah he is Interested. He stated that they had developed outstanding techniques in molding large plastic glass shapes such as boats, transportation vehicles, and the like. He referred to the very high strength attained by this combination and to the unlimited possibilities with suitable molding equipment and technique. He referred to requirements of many millions of pounds per year and to molding glass boats up to 100 feet in length. He stated, confirmed by Clint Burnett, that he has excellent re lations with the Navy and that they trust him to mold articles which he be lieves no other firm can mold, of plastic and glass. Ve did not obtain much in the way of technical information during the dis- cussion. He indicated that they use mats from very thin sheets up to 3/8" in thickness, for the final compacted sheet, they prefer a bulk factor of not over 3 to 1 which as I understand means that they can use a mat three times as thick as the finished article. They prefer a relatively tight bonded mat with a small per cent of bonding agent which is miscible with and ecar- p&tible with the resin which they use. Mr. McGuire states he knows exactly what this wetting agent should be but he did not divulge it. He referred to commercial mats which they had tried out and which contained up to 656 poly styrene as a band. '. He referred to price of 551 per pound as entirely in order. This was for a relatively thick lightly banded mat with a fiber diameter of around 10 or 12 microns. An associate of Mr. McGuire, Arthur Loerke, will be in Hew Toxic within the next couple of weeks. He is to call the writer for an appointment to meet Mr. Goss and anyone else from the Laboratory vho cares to meet with him. ' Mr. Loerke was stated to be one of the leading molding experts in the United States who does not freely pass out Information but who should be able to tell us what type of material would be of interest in plastic-glass molding. Ve shall call Mr. Coss after we hear from Mr. Loerke. It was stated that generally strength in every direction is desirable, although sometimes much greater strength In one direction than the other is required. Most of the mats he has received were formed of continuous fiber which had been MTC 017442 Memorandum of Conference -2- ingost 6, 194S chopped Into some unstated staple length, and were floated Into a sheet to fora the bonded mat. Fairfax Engineering Plant is in the section of Kansas City, Kansas, near the Qustin Bacon plant. Apparently, the relations of Fairfax Engineering and Qustin Bacon are not too friendly. Mr. Dillon and Mr. Burnett were present during the meeting. Mr. Dillon said that he had had some contact with glass plastic sheets with General Electric, but was not sufficiently familiar to know all of the requirements. VCK:td cc: H. T. Coss, Manville F. J. Waken S. V. Dillon E. B. Williams, Manvi.Ha Virgil SC.' Kline MTC 017443