Asbestos Magazine, 1922

Johns-Manville's notes

1. Jan. 1922, p. 24 summary p. 14

   "Responsive to the Canadian demand that manufacturing plants be erected and operated in Canada for the consumption of Asbestos, the Johns-Manville Company of Canada announces the opening of a manufacturing plant within the Dominion."

2. Feb. 1922, p. 53 summary p. 15

   "Latest Bureau of Engineering Navy Department inquiries for Compressed Sheet Packing indicate a determination on the part of the government to go very minutely into qualities, methods of manufacture, and other details of production and shipping."

3. Mar. 1922, p. 16 summary p. 15

   Market Conditions - Asbestos trade has liquidated to the vanishing point. Prices for crudes have fallen to the point so that Arizona cannot compete unless vastly improved transportation/production methods are employed. Canadian crudes have sold off to a point inconsistent with further prospecting and development. Rhodesian and African raws are obliged to follow.

4. Apr. 1922, p. 18 summary p. 15

   Canadian mines are generally making no effort to produce, stocks in warehouses being sufficient to satisfy present demand for some time. Arizona mines are all closed. African and Rhodesian production is at a standstill.

5. Apr. 1922, p. 24 summary p. 15

   Pipe covering and boiler blocks - "If the record of open prices quoted the United States Government, and other large buyers who publicly open bids, can be taken as a reasonable criterion of average prices then every foot of covering and every block was made and sold at a substantial loss."

6. June 1922, p. 46 summary p. 15

   Bureau of Engineering, Navy Dept. has issued a new spec for compressed asbestos sheet packing "following closely the lines of recommendation laid down by the various packing manufacturers at a conference held in Washington some months ago. The specification is quite complete, and copies may be obtained from the Navy Department, Bureau of Engineering upon request of anyone interested."

7. June 1922, p. 47 summary p. 15

   "The Bureau of Engineering, Navy Department has issued, under date of April 1, 1922, Specification 32Mlc. covering asbestos mill board, and in the future all Navy requirements of mill board will be specified, ordered, inspected and used according to this specification."

8. June 1922, p. 49 summary p. 15

   The arrangement whereby J-M, for many years acting as exclusive selling agent for the electrical products of the Johns-Pratt Company, Hartford, Conn. has been cancelled according to a joint announcement of both companies. The companies have decided to manufacture and market their respective products separately.

9. June 1922, p. 52 summary p. 15

   "The June issue of American Magazine published 'A Remarkable Substance and How We All Make Use of It', an interview with T.F. Manville, Pres. of Johns-Manville, Inc. The article describes many of the uses of Asbestos."

10. July 1922, pp. 5-17 summary p. 16

    "The Early History of Pipe Covering" - First steam pipe covering began in 1858 (not asbestos). Chalmers - Spence Co. for years did insulation work on boats manufactured by John Roche (Morgan Iron Works) at New York and Chester, PA using a cement containing 15% asbestos, being applied to the pipes by trowel. Later, Chalmers-Spence merged with the old H.W. Johns Company. "The only genuine asbestos sectional covering was called toupees. The H.W. Johns Company took the agency for this covering and, I think, manufactured it. It was made in sections three feet long and one inch thick, made of asbestos paper to fit the various sized pipes, with a layer one inch thick of long asbestos fibre, then asbestos paper on the outside. The ends and cuts were sealed by dipping in a vat of silicate of soda, and when dried were hard and uneven … Toupees coverings, however, was extremly expensive and therefor did not last long in competitive service."

11. July 1922, pp. 33-38 summary p. 16

    In May, the "A-B Company," a manufacturer of asbestos textiles, wrote to "C-D Company," another asbestos textile manufacturer, asking for a price on yarn to contain 40% cotton in the mix. "C-D" replied that no yarn containing such a large percentage of cotton was manufactured in their plant and that the introduction of more cotton than was absolutely necessary for practical spinning would inevitably hurt the industry and should be rigidly opposed by all asbestos spinners. "A-B," in replying, says that while he "may not approve of the manufacture of so-called asbestos yarn with 40% cotton in the mix, still, if a customer asks for that kind of yarn, we propose to furnish it to him if it is possible to do so". "When competition becomes extra keen, the buyer of asbestos goods, who in most instances uses such goods as part of other finished products, will lower his standards just as far as he possibly can, and get away with it." "We do not for a minute believe that a 100% asbestos yarn is required for any commercial purpose … if the asbestos industry cannot control the quality of its products, it is silly to expect the buyers and the users of those products, save in rare instances, to maintain standards of quality." "There may be some use for a 50% asbestos and 50% cotton yarn, but we doubt whether for such purposes the asbestos is necessary."

12. July 1922, p. 57 summary p. 17

    Asbestos Construction Co., New York City, incorporated in Jan., was organized by W.N. Ennis and T.F. Gallagher, both of whom have had 15 years' experience with Johns-Manville in NY.

13. Aug. 1922, p. 57 summary p. 17

    T.F. Manville and 29 staff members recently travelled to Canada, visiting mines. U.S. War Dept. announces a salvage property sale in Norfolk, Va. Appearing for sale are 149 pounds of asbestos wicking.

14. Sept. 1922, pp. 5-12 summary p. 17

    Navy Department Specifications for Asbestos Millboard (32Mlc, April 1, 1922), the data for which were compiled by the Industrial Fellowship of the Asbestos Paper Manufacturers Association at the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, have suggested a brief discussion of the procedure used in obtaining the basic information. The study was made to assist the Navy in drawing up specifications which would be more definite and more adequate for the many purposes of millboard than those specifications in use at that time (1919). "Samples of Asbestos Fibre and Millboard were supplied by six companies of the Association, other samples were bought in an open market, and all were given thorough investigation. The literature on the subjects of Asbestos Fibre and Millboard is limited, but all published information was used and all suggestions given were tried out." Chemical analysis of the asbestos plus heat tests, measurement for thickness, tensile strength, bonding strength, weight measurements, and insulation tests were made on the Millboard. Copies of the final specs adopted by the Navy and a result of the investigation are available.

15. Sept. 1922, p. 52 summary p. 17

    Canadian Johns-Manville is laying a new railway track from Jeffrey mine to the mills, and a new crushing plant is being built.

16. Nov. 1922, pp. 32-33 summary p. 17

    Market Condition - "Along the Atlantic Seaboard the textile line, particularly packing, is reported as dead, there being very little demand, and what little there may be, is lost sight of because of the large amounts of packing thrown on the market by the U.S. Government and being sold at a price far below the cost of manufacture."

17. Dec. 1922, p. 42 summary p. 18

    "The U.S. Federal Specifications Board and the American Engineering and Standards Committee are co-operating in an effort to lessen the differences in practices between government and commercial orders for various materials, or, in other words, to bring the government specifications into line with the best commercial practice. The Asbestos Paper Manufacturers Association has been asked to assist in this movement."