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Global gypsum news Global insulation news Disruptive innovation Forming belts Conference Review Fire-retardants in insulation
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CONFERENCE, EXHIBITION & AWARDS2014
14th
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for your success
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Cement-based boards
Gypsum-cement boards
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Details: www.GlobalBoards.com
www.globalgypsum .com
Dear Readers,
Happy New Year and welcome to the January 2014 issue of Global Gypsum Magazine,
which will be distributed to all delegates at the inaugural Global Boards Conference &
Exhibition in London, UK on 30-31 January 2014. Te event will mainly cover cement-
based boards (including those that incorporate a minor gypsum constituent), which,
along with other board systems, are in competition with gypsum wallboard. But, while
cement-based boards ofer water-resistance and strength advantages over gypsum
wallboard, gypsum can be adapted to fulfl these requirements and has the
potential to ofer novel properties and applications in the future. An example of the
adaptability of gypsum is the Rapidwall system, which is one of many applications
discussed by Bob Bruce of Innogyps in this issue. In his article about disruptive
innovation (a term used to describe the sudden displacement of an established
product, system or production method, or the creation of an unexpected market)
he sees the potential for sudden change as both an opportunity and a threat to the
established gypsum wallboard model. As consumer desires and building codes
increasingly switch to performance-based criteria, could another material eat into
gypsums market-place? Bob thinks that gypsum players should be on their toes
to make sure that the opportunities of disruptive innovation dont turn into threats.
Read his thought-provoking article from page 12 onwards.
Elsewhere in this issue, we have a review of the 13th Global Gypsum Conference
& Exhibition, which was held in 2013 in Toronto, Canada (Page 20), a technical
contribution from Forbo Siegling (Page 28) and the Global Insulation Section (Page 30),
which contains the latest global insulation news and a thorough
review of fre retardants in insulating materials by Diana Fisler
of Johns Manville (Page 34).
We hope that you enjoy this issue of Global Gypsum Magazine
and wish you all the best for the year ahead!
Dr Peter Edwards
Deputy Editor
This issues front cover...
The 14th Global Gypsum Conference & Exhibition will
take place in September 2014 at the heart of Europe in
Berlin, Germany.
Once again, the event will be a must-attend for producers,
suppliers, users, traders, analysts and researchers from
across the global gypsum industry. The event will cover
market macro-trends, the latest research, plaster
technology, applications, energy-efciency and more.
A full report of the
successful 13th Global
Gypsum Conference &
Exhibition, held in Toronto,
Canada, can be seen from
page 20 onwards.
www.GlobalGypsum.com
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MAGAZINE
Global gypsumnews Global insulation news Disruptive innovation Forming belts Conference Review Fire-retardants in insulation
JANUARY2014
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CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2014
Disruptiveinnovationingypsum
globalgypsumMAGAZINE
Far right - Figure 2:
The Ford Mustang Boss
302 Laguna Seca is an
example of non-disruptive
innovation in the
automobile industry.
I
nnovation is an important process in any business
over the long-term. Tere are two types of innovation;
Sustaining improvement: evolution of value and
markets, whether transformational or continuous,
Disruptive innovation: creates new markets and/or
applications.
It is this second type of innovation that I will address.
Disruptive innovation will;
Create a whole new market and value network
displacing an earlier technology,
Have an unexpected and signifcant impact on the
existing business.
Disruptive innovation is happening all around
us every day so it might be useful to consider how it
might afect us in the gypsum industry. Tere are many
examples of disruptive innovations. Digital cameras
have almost completely replaced flm cameras. E-mail
is currently replacing the need for a nationwide postal
service. If you are under 25 years old you wonder why
anyone would need a telephone attached to your house
when you have one attached to you! Mini steel mills
were originally brought in to supply the high volume
inexpensive sector of the steel industry; in a few years
they have learnt how to make all products and are caus-
ing a signifcant disruption in the global steel industry.
Currently underway is the replacement of incandescent
and forescent lighting with LED lights.
Of course there have been huge advances in many
industries that are not disruptive, the automotive in-
dustry being a good example. A modern automobile is
much improved over the original Model T (Figure 1),
but this has been primarily a combination of hundreds
of improvements over many years. Te most noticeable
change in the gypsum industry over the past couple of
Right - Figure 1: The
Ford Model T, often
considered the frst af-
fordable automobile, was
frst produced in 1908.
12 globalgypsumMAGAZINE January 2014
With more than 30 years of experience working with gypsum, including stints at Westroc and BPB
plc (now Saint Gobain), Bob Bruce is one of the best-informed gypsum industry professionals.
From his presidential positions at both NuGyp Corp and Innogyps he has observed the developing
gypsum industry patterns and reports here his views regarding disruptive innovation in gypsum, a
topic that could be key to the future of the global gypsum industry.
Bob Bruce, President of Innogyps
Global Gypsum news, markets
and technology
6 Diary dates
7 Global gypsum news
12 Disruptive innovation in gypsum
20 Global Gypsum Conference &
Exhibition 2013 - Reviewed
28 Thin but strong - New plasterboard
belts from Forbo Siegling
Global Insulation news, markets
and technology
30 Global insulation news
34 Fire retardants in building insulation
Regulars and comment
40 Global Gypsum Magazine subscription form
41 The Last Word
42 Advertiser Index and Reader Enquiry
12
CONTENTS JANUARY 2014
4 globalgypsum MAGAZINE January 2014
years has been a move to lightweight board. While this
is a considerable technical improvement, it is really only
one more step in a journey that has been underway for
some time.
History of disruptive innovation in gypsum
Has there been disruptive innovation in gypsum in the
past? Tousands of years ago gypsum was frst used
in building as a structural component using rocks
(alabaster) that were both easy to carve into shape and
also attractive in appearance. A small innovation per-
haps was when people started using gypsum selenite
crystals as windows, as in Figure 3, allowing light to
enter but keeping the weather out. Can you imagine
the opportunities that opened to the building industry
when it was discovered that gypsum could be heated,
remixed with water and then shaped into whatever form
you like?
Gypsum plasters have been used for thousands of
years in many ways as a result of this simple discov-
ery. In 1894 Augustine Sackett patented the gypsum
board process and now an entire new way of building
is underway around the world based on the use of this
disruptive innovation.
Sometimes it doesnt happen very quickly. Although
gypsum board was invented in the late 19th century, it
was really the building boom afer the Second World
War 50 years later that became the driving force for
widespread use of gypsumboard.
Possible future of disruptive innovation in
gypsum
Will there be disruptive innovation in gypsum in the
future? Of course the answer has to be yes because
anything that has such widespread use will constantly
be the subject of invention and application of related
technologies.
At the 2009 Global Gypsum Conference and
Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, there was a paper
presented that ofered a glimpse of the possible future
of disruptive innovation in gypsum. Te Rapidwall
building system showed a new way to build structures
using gypsumas loadbearing walls, or perhaps as a mold
for concrete to carry higher loads for larger structures.
Te Rapidwall panels were prefabricated from gyp-
sum and reinforcement fbres, transported to the site
and assembled as full wall panels in such a manner that
services and loadbearing reinforcement could be eas-
ily added, as shown in Figure 4. Tis building system
is spreading in the developing markets. At this point it
is difcult to predict how this might afect the overall
global gypsumbusiness. As you can see this fts the def-
nition of disruptive innovation.
At a conference is Moscow in 2011 there was a paper
presented describing how the creep in gypsumcould be
signifcantly reduced,1 opening the door for wider ap-
plication of load bearing structures made from gypsum
such as Rapidwall.
What other possibilities are there on the horizon?
Modern gypsumboard systems are ofen a combination
of structure and insulation, combined with the gypsum
panels. What would happen if the gypsum board itself
could act as both insulator and dry lining? Te best in-
sulator known today is aerogel, a space age material so
advanced that it is in itself considered a disruptive inno-
vation in the insulation feld. Gypsumboard containing
a signifcant portion of aerogel should produce a good
insulating product with advantages not only for insula-
tion but perhaps for fre protection as shown in Figure 5,
Left - Figure 4: The
installation of RAPIDWALL
for prefabricated housing
construction.
enhanced fre resistance
of gypsum board that
contains aerogel is
demonstrated.
Left - Figure 6: Gypsum
board that contains a
conductive core allows
LED lighting to be
plugged directly into
the wall.
globalgypsumMAGAZINE January 2014 13
Far left - Figure 3:
Selenite windows, such as
those featured in the The
Basilica of Saint Sabina,
Rome, are an early exam-
ple of innovation in the
gypsum industry.
The 13th Global Gypsum
Conference, Exhibition and
Awards took place on 21-
22 October at the historic
Fairmont Royal Oak hotel in
Toronto, Canada. Around 275
delegates from 38 countries
attended the event, as well
as 29 exhibitors from around
the world. The 14th Global
Gypsum Conference will take
place in Berlin, Germany, on
29-30 September 2014.
Global GypsumConference&
Exhibition2013- Reviewed
Dr Robert McCarey, Editor, Global GypsumMagazine
Above: The skyline of
Toronto, host city for the
13th Global Gypsum
Conference &Exhibition, as
seen from Lake Ontario.
T
he 13th Global Gypsum Conference actually started
with a popular short course, given by Mark Flumi-
ani of Innogyps, entitled What you need to know about
gypsum, attended by 55 delegates. Te course covered
the basics of gypsum chemistry and plaster and board
manufacture and it is intended that it will be repeated
in the future.
Afer conference registration, delegates were invited
to attend the conference welcome party in the Global
Gypsum exhibition area. Te busy evening event was a
time to greet old friends and to visit some of the 36 exhi-
bition stands showcasing gypsum equipment, additives
and services.
Conference frst day
Te conference frst day was opened by Robert
McCafrey, conference convenor, who welcomed del-
egates and reminded them - since they were now in
litigation-prone North America - that they should be
careful not to be party to any anti-competitive discus-
sions, either intentionally or inadvertently. Te sponsors
of the conference, Gyptech, Grenzebach, Johns Manville,
ErisimMakina and Sicit 2000 were thanked profusely.
Robert Morrow, partner at Innogyps, gave the frst
presentation at the Global Gypsum Conference and
wished delegates a particular welcome to Canada. He
pointed out that gypsumis used for wall and ceiling cov-
erings, in dental work, mouldings, for storage vessels, as
a fertiliser and cement additive and in many other ways.
However, on the other hand, gypsumis not load bearing,
it is heavy, it is not good in very humid conditions and
it is relatively energy-intensive to produce. Drywall and
plaster product demand are not price sensitive - lower
prices will not drive increased housing demand. How-
ever, dry lining penetration is driven by
the cost of labour and capital: as labour
costs rise, gypsum products are used
more and more. Robert pointed out
that in the US in particular, there has
been a marked cyclicality in demand,
starting with demand growth, leading
to new entrants, eventual excess capac-
ity, inevitable falling demand, painful
consolidation and fnally new demand
growth. Robert suggested that the US
market is not going to recover back to
its former state in the very near future,
2: Innogyps Bob Bruce
presented his views on
potential future scenarios for
the gypsum industry. See his
written article on page 12.
1: Robert Merrow from Inno-
gyps said that the US gypsum
market would not recover to
normal levels soon.
1 2 3
3: Kerry Satterthwaite of
Roskill Information Services
presented aspects of her com-
panys research into the future
of gypsum to 2017.
20
so that producers have had to fgure out a way to survive.
In general, they have focused on reducing costs and on
supplying customers as close to their plants as possible.
Robert Morrow pointed out some of the barriers to
entry, such as access to gypsum, paper, energy, costs of
building a factory and of freight, legislative barriers and
the fnal hurdle of customer acceptance.
Robert McCafrey of Global Gypsum gave the sec-
ond presentation, which was an overview of global
wallboard markets and companies. Te US was named
as the largest wallboard producer by capacity, followed
by China, the UK and Japan. Canada, Mexico, much
of Europe, Turkey, Russia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia,
Tailand, Indonesia and Australia were all named as
3rd Tier producer countries, with production capac-
ity of between 100-500MM2 per year, although Russia,
Brazil, India, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Iran were all singled
out as countries with either fast growth or high poten-
tial for plasterboard demand growth. In Europe, the UK,
France, Germany and Russia were named as the largest
producers by capacity, with Spain, Italy, Turkey, Poland
and Ukraine in the second tier. Western Europe has
plateaued in terms of wallboard demand, but Eastern
Europe and Russia are still growing as their economic
development level increases to Western European levels.
Asia continues to show very strong potential for wall-
board demand growth, with Tailand and Indonesia
leading the way.
Bob Bruce of Innogyps, a gypsum laboratory and
consulting company based in Hamilton near Toronto
which had also helped with organisation of the con-
ference, next spoke about disruptive innovation in the
gypsum industry. Sustaining innovation is commonly
used to transform companies to optimise them to
changing circumstances. On the other hand, disruptive
innovation is the technology that destroys previous in-
dustries, such as digital cameras, email, mobile phones,
mini-mills (which innovated to overtake the old capital-
intensive steel mills) and LED light bulbs. A number
of disruptive technologies have swept through the
gypsum industry, from the use of alabaster as a load-
bearing material, to the use of plaster, the invention of
wallboard in the 1890s and the introduction of manu-
factured gypsum elements for load-bearing structures
using additives to decrease creep. What will be the next
disruptive technology that sweeps over the industry?
Will it be insulating boards incorporating aerogel? (A
sample was brought to the conference by another of the
delegates). What about conductive board that allows
you to plug in your light directly into the board? Its
been done! Might we see conductive wallboards used
as radiative warming elements in a house? In fact, Bob
suggested that 3D printing of gypsummight actually be
the most disruptive technology out there for the current
wallboard industry. Te frst 3Dprinter capable of mak-
ing entire rooms has been created in Te Netherlands.
It is possible that 3D printing will be able to include
wiring and plumbing and the systems will be able to
print solar panels as well. Bob passionately advocated
the use of gypsum for 3D printing of dwellings, rather
than other materials such as concrete, or resin and sand,
with the suggestion of increased speed of building and
dramatically decreased cost when using gypsum. Bob
suggested that any innovation that ofers signifcantly
improved value to the customer will eventually prevail.
South America or the Middle East are good prospects
for the economic roll-out for the frst examples of this
disruptive innovation. Bob ended with a fnal question:
4 5 7 6
4: Alfred Brosig gave an
animated performance of his
paper Technical aspects of the
Chinese wallboard saga.
5: Ronny Velicogna of ADM
presenting aspects of starch
use in gypsum wallboard.
6: Gyptechs Jefrey Warren
introduced the Gyptech
Stucco Analyser as an
improved tool for use in the
gypsum industry.
8: Michael Sellers from
MTorres gave a well-received
presentation about
paper-unwinding.
8 9 10 11
7: Dustin Neumann of
Neumann Process Control
pointed out the potential
pitfalls of optimising isolated
parts of the wallboard plant.
9: Akzo Nobel Chemicals
Anna Thom presented Elotex
CAST, an additive that enables
more types of gypsum to be
used as foor screed.
10: Michael Schinabeck
from BASF spoke about
the problems surrounding
clay-contaminated gypsum
sources and a BASF solution.
11: Aleksay Eremin presented
a well-received paper from
the Moscow State University.
Forbo Siegling has developed
a new forming and setting belt
for the gypsum board industry
that is used to transport wet
gypsum wrapped in paper...
Thinbut strongNew
plasterboardbelts
fromForboSiegling
Forbo Siegling
F
orming belts have an average length of 140-220m
with a width of approximately 1500mm. Consider-
ing a specifc belt weight of around 11kg/m a single belt
can easily amount to 3t or more.
New materials
Te retention time on the forming and setting belts is
used to pre-cure the gypsum before it is transferred to
a drying channel. Te technology to produce gypsum
boards this way is not new at all, the innovative
aspect is the material of Forbo Sieglings new belt.
Whereas in the past mainly rubber belts have
been used to fulfl this task Forbo Siegling has
started to replace rubber belts and conventional
PVC belts by 9mm thick PVC belt with a two
ply fabric inside. It ofers an extremely fat and
hard surface. Tis special and extremely strong
polyester fabric ensures low elongation and high
stifness, which are essential for an excellent
production process and minimal downtimes. Op-
timum fatness, low friction and exact thickness
accuracy make this belt a unique product.
Fast and reliable repairs
One of the top arguments for plant-operators
regarding the selection of a new belt is the possi-
bility of fast and reliable splicing and easy repairs
to the belts surface. Scratches and holes from the
production process using rubber belts lead to tre-
mendous quality problems in gypsumwallboards
and could hardly be repaired at all. With the new
Forbo Siegling PVC belt these repairs can be Above: Low sag, no re-tensioning, no shortening: Siegling Transilon plasterboard belts are dimensionally stable and ofer
optimum stress-strain values.
Above: Unwinding a new
plasterboard belt from
Forbo Siegling.
28
All types of insulating materials
Cutting-edge research
Industry trends
Details: www.Global Insulation.com
9TH GLOBAL INSULATION CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
30-31 October 2014, Copenhagen, Denmark
gl bal
insulation
CONFERENCE
Diana Fisler, Johns Manville
globalinsulationsection
Fireretardantsinbuildinginsulation
34 globalinsulationSECTIONJanuary 2014
Thermal insulation for building envelopes is a great beneft to the environment. It
increases occupant comfort and saves energy at the same time. However, energy
efciency should not be achieved at the expense of building safety and durability, so
the fre resistance of building materials and assemblies must always be a priority in
building construction. Certain thermal insulations, including some of the most highly
insulating foams, need added fre retardants to meet building codes and ensure
building and occupant safety. These are also required to meet fre safety during
transportation, storage and construction. Various types of thermal insulations and
fre retardants are discussed as well as new developments in the area.
Introduction
Buildings consume about 40% of the worlds primary
energy according to the International Energy Agency.
Building codes in North America and Europe address
this fact with increasing requirements for thermal insu-
lation among other measures for building construction.
Tese requirements and increased energy awareness
drive builders and building owners towards higher lev-
els of thermal insulation and better-performing thermal
insulations, including foamplastics. Tis helps with the
future of energy stability and the health of our world.
Building codes have a long history. Te frst building
code was the code of Hammurabi, the Babylonian King,
around 1700BC, perhaps better known for the concept
of an eye for an eye.
If a builder builds a house for someone, does not con-
struct it properly and the house which he built falls in and
kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
Many of the modern building codes evolved as a re-
sult of devastating fres in urban areas from as far back
as the 17th Century. Fromthe great fre of London (See
Figure 1), which was estimated to
have destroyed the homes of 70,000
of the citys 80,000 inhabitants at
the time, to the Dupont hotel fre in
Puerto Rico in 1986, responsible for
97 deaths, these large events have
inspired reformto building require-
ments throughout the world.
It is clear fromhistory that building codes addressing
human safety and building durability are far more fun-
damental than those requiring energy efciency. Energy
efciency in homes is important but not at the cost of
compromising safety or survival of occupants or of the
building itself.
Worldwide, most countries regulate the fre resist-
ance of building components, assemblies or both. Te
fre-resistance may be measured by laboratory material
tests of ignition, fame spread, smoke and gas develop-
ment, heat release rate and the occurrence of droplets
or particles.
Smoke kills more people than fre. Smoke can kill by
sufocation and by inhalation of toxic fumes. However,
fre spreads rapidly and the rate of fame spread is also
an important metric used to understand and quantify
fre safety. Laboratory tests for both smoke density and
fame spread rate are used by building code developers
to predict the contribution of those materials to fres
in residential and non-residential buildings. In the
United States and Canada a fame tunnel (the Steiner
Above - Figure 1: The Great
Fire of London, 1666.
34
tunnel ASTME-841) test is one of the many tests used
to qualify insulation materials (See Figure 2) to meet
stringent building fre codes. Tis material test quanti-
fes fame spread and smoke density but not heat release
rate or the characteristics of the smoke.
For commercial buildings, whole wall assembly tests
are sometimes required, in which fame spread and heat
release rate are quantifed. In Europe, construction ma-
terials other than foor coverings are classifed as A - F
using several tests, including those measuring non-com-
bustibility, heat release rate, a simulated corner burn test
and an ignition test. In all cases these laboratory tests
attempt to give a classifcation
for use in building codes as to
how a given material or assembly
will behave in the event of a fre.
However tests under controlled
conditions can never capture the
full complexities of a fre in a real
world building structure.
The fre cycle and
fre retardants2
Fire retardants are added to com-
bustible materials to prevent fres
fromstarting and limit the spread
of fre and the development of
smoke. Some fre retardants
work efectively alone, whereas
some act in combination with
other fre retardants by multiple
mechanisms. Fire retardants work to stop or delay fre.
However, depending on their chemical makeup, they in-
teract at diferent stages of the fre cycle. Tis is because
fre is the result of only three components:
Heat;
Fuel;
Oxygen.
However, the fre cycle itself is quite complex. Te
initial ignition source can be any energy source, such as
heat, a spark, radiation or a small fame.
Te heat produces fammable gases fromthe pyrolysis
(breakdown) of the fuel material. Te fame-less burn-
ing of the solid residue (char) lef behind by pyrolysis
is called smouldering. During this phase, materials will
slowly smoulder, sometimes for a long period of time.
Smouldering materials can self-extinguish, especially if
the char creates a carbonated barrier between the fame
and the underlying material, preventing oxygen from
reaching the combustible material and fammable gases
fromfurther contributing to combustion.
Te fammable gases released from the material are
mixed with oxygen from the air in the gas phase. Te
right ratio between these gases and oxygen leads to igni-
tion of the combustible material. Te combustion leads
to a production of heat that is spread out and fed back.
Tis heat feedback further pyrolyses the material and
keeps the combustion cycle going.
To break the combustion cycle, one or more of the
three components must be removed. Tis can be accom-
plished in several ways:
Disrupt the combustion stage of a fre cycle. Halo-
genated fre retardants work in the gas phase of the
fre by trapping radicals that propagate thermal
oxidation reaction in the fame, i.e.: they perform
as radical scavengers. Te exothermic processes
that occur in the fame are thus stopped, the system
cools down and the supply of fammable gases is
reduced and eventually completely suppressed.
Limit the process of decomposition by physically
insulating the available fuel sources from the ma-
terial with a fre-resisting char layer. Common
char-formers are based on organo-phosphorus
materials. Intumescents are a special type of char
former that expand in volume provide an insulat-
ing, fre-resisting layer.
Dilute the fammable gases and oxygen concentra-
tions in the fame formation zone by introducing
water, nitrogen or other inert gases. Examples are
melamine and hydrates such as aluminium trihy-
drate and magnesiumhydroxide.
Understanding the physics and chemistry of the fre
cycle makes it clear what needs to be done to prevent
the ignition and spread of fre. However, doing this in
practice can be a complex task, when the structure of the
material, interactions and fuel load must be considered.
Fire resistance of insulation materials
For the purposes of discussing fre safety, thermal in-
sulation can be considered to be either combustible or
non-combustible.
Mineral wool and fbreglass
Naturally incombustible insulation materials include
mineral wool, fbreglass, silica aerogels, calciumsilicate,
perlite and cellular (foamed) glass. Mineral wool (See
Figure 3) and fbreglass are the most popular building
globalinsulationSECTIONJanuary 2014 35
Left - Figure 2: View inside
a fre-testing tunnel.
carried out afer a short training session as a
Do-It-Yourself job and it only takes a matter
of a few minutes.
Siegling Transilon plasterboard belts are
dimensionally stable and ofer optimum
stress-strain values. Te belts are tensioned
and tracked only once during the run-in
period. Due to the high-tech fabric tension
member theres no need to re-tension them.
All belts are 100% quality controlled and
shipped either as endless belts ex-works
from Hanover, meaning the belts are spliced,
or they can be delivered as roll material to
the customers site, ftted and spliced on the
conveyor system.
Planning and operation
Forbo Siegling ofers customised support, not
just when ftting the belts but also at the plan-
ning stage. On-site pre-inspections ensure the
belt replacement project is prepared properly.
And this well-coordinated planning can mean
a belt replacement in 48 hours. Furthermore a team
of committed experts is at customers disposal at all
times. Forbo Siegling has supplied its belting technol-
ogy to major plasterboard producers like Knauf and
Saint-Gobain as well as to OEMs like Gyptech and BSH
Grenzebach for many years.
In addition to Siegling Transilon plasterboard belts,
Forbo Siegling also supplies the entire belting range for
making plasterboards, such as for example: Taper edge
belts in customised designs, modular belts for heavy-
duty stack conveying or conveyor and processing belts
for almost every application.
Below: Fast and reliable splicing with highly-specialised equipment. The time required for splicing is substantially shorter compared to conventional rubber belts.
Above: Low friction: The
surface of Siegling
Transilon plasterboard
belts has a particularly
low friction coefcient.
Service USA: +1 800 254 2050
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Nonwovens Europe: +49 9342 801 281
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JM January 2014.indd 1 08/01/2014 13:20
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DIARY DATES
Global Boards Conference & Exhibition
30-31 January 2014, London, UK
www.GlobalBoards.com
Weimarer Gipstagung - Weimar Gypsum Conference
26-27 March 2014, Weimar, Germany
http://www.uni-weimar.de/en/civil-engineering/chairs/
werkstofe-des-bauens/gipstagung
14th Global Gypsum Conference & Exhibition
29-30 September 2013, Berlin, Germany
www.GlobalGypsum.com
The 14th Global Gypsum Conference & Exhibition will take
place in September 2014 at the heart of Europe in
Berlin, Germany. Once again, the event will be a must-
attend for producers, suppliers, users, traders, analysts and
researchers from across the global gypsum industry. The
event will cover market macro-trends, the latest research,
plaster technology, applications, energy-efciency and
more. For more information, see page 27. A full report of
the successful 13th Global Gypsum Conference & Exhibition,
held in Toronto, Canada, from page 20.
9th Global Insulation Conference & Exhibition
30-31 October 2014, Copenhagen, Denmark
www.GlobalInsulation.com
The 9th Global Insulation Conference & Exhibition will take
place in October 2014 in Copenhagen, the capital of
Denmark. The event is a must for participants from all areas
of the global insulation industry and covers mineral wool,
polyurethane, cellulose, fbreglass, polyiso, polystyrene
and other thermal insulating materials. See page 39.
See the full Pro Global Media Book 2014 at:
propubs.com/advertise
For commercial enquiries contact:
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E-mail: mktg@sarinc.com
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GLOBAL GYPSUM NEWS
Attorneys secure US$24m settlement in
Chinese wallboard lawsuit
US: A US$24m settlement was reached between owners of Villa Lago,
a collection of private residences in Boynton Beach, South Florida and
Coastal Construction regarding defective Chinese wallboard, in De-
cember 2013.
A two-tower condominium complex was constructed by RCR Hold-
ings II LLC at Villa Lago using Chinese wallboard. Once the residents
became aware of the defective wallboard they formed a class action
and sued RCR Holdings. However, since RCR kept equity in the property,
the two sides soon joined forces against the general contractor, Coastal
Construction and other defendants.
RCR Holdings maintained that Coastal Construction and the other
defendants knew the wallboard was defective when it was being in-
stalled. They further alleged that Coastals conduct fell below the duty
of care owed to the class. The defendants denied knowingly using de-
fective wallboard, although a settlement was eventually reached after
six mediations.
Coastal agreed to pay US$24m, which was preliminarily approved by
US District Judge Eldon Fallon on 24 April 2013. The Villa Lago owners
are using the funds to remove the defective wallboard.
Boral and USG form joint venture
US/Australia: Boral and USG Corporation entered into
agreements in October 2013 to form a US$1.6bn joint
venture producing wallboard in 12 countries across
Asia, Australasia and the Middle East. Boral will con-
tribute its Gypsum division to the joint venture, which
includes its plasterboard operations in Australia and
Asia. USG will contribute its Asian and Middle Eastern
businesses, as well as exclusive access to its ceilings,
cement board, fbre board, lightweight plasterboard
and joint compound building products technologies
in the joint ventures territory.
The transaction is a major step forward for Boral
and our vision is to create a world-leading interior lin-
ings business in Asia, Australasia and the Middle East,
said Borals CEO and Managing Director, Mike Kane.
The joint venture will be owned 50% by Boral and
50% by USG. In order to achieve 50% interest in the
joint venture, USG will pay Boral up to US$575m in
tranches. The joint venture will have a wallboard pro-
duction capacity of 633Mm
2
/yr. It was expected to be
completed by the end of 2013.
Management positions will be shared between
Boral and USG with Frederic de Rougemont from
Boral Gypsum appointed as CEO and Paul Monzella
from USG Corporation appointed as CFO. USG has ap-
pointed the frst Chairman, Jennifer Scanlon, with the
right to appoint chairmen alternating between USG
and Boral every two years.
The joint venture is envisaged to secure the
long-term leadership and growth potential of Borals
gypsum business in Asia and Australia, reduce its
debts and strengthen its balance sheets. Improved
research and development of new products and
expansion into India is also anticipated upon comple-
tion of the joint venture.
Chinese import / export data
China: China imported 9.14Mt of gypsum and anhy-
drite worth a total of US$857m in November 2013,
while it exported 18.3Mt, worth US$1.33bn, over the
same period.
Berkshire Hathaway now owns 31% of USG
US: Berkshire Hathaway now owns nearly 31% of the worlds largest
manufacturer of wallboard, USG Corp. Warren Bufetts frm fled an up-
date with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 2 January 2014
showing that it now owns 43.4 million USG shares.
Berkshire has been a major USG shareholder for several years, but it
gained 21.4 million shares when Chicago-based USG ofered to convert
325 million of senior notes Berkshire held into stock.
USG had been paying 10% interest on the notes that Berkshire
Hathaway acquired in 2009 after the recession made it difcult for
many companies to borrow money.
CertainTeed Easi-Lite 30 combines fre
resistance with easier installation
US: CertainTeed Gypsum is broadening its Easi-Lite lightweight
gypsum board product line with the addition of a fre-resistant
option. Up to 30% lighter than standard 15.9mm (5/8-inch) Type
X board, the 15.9 mm (5/8-inch) Easi-Lite 30 features a specially
formulated core with a 30-minute fre rating for walls in residen-
tial and commercial applications. Easi-Lite 30 can also be used
in interior ceilings and is also easier to transport, lift, carry and
install, reducing muscle strain and fatigue for those installing
the product on-site.
In todays industry, building professionals must consider
every factor that can impact a project being completed on time
and to exacting specifcations, said Dave Engelhardt, president
of CertainTeed Gypsum. Easi-Lite 30 provides a level of fre
protection and saves time and labour costs, without sacrifcing
the performance features that our customers expect from our
lightweight gypsum products.
Easi-Lite 30 comprises up to 99% recycled material and is easy
to score and snap, helping installers work more efciently and
efectively. Based on its lighter weight, up to 33% more product
can be shipped on a fatbed, which can help reduce transport
and fuel costs.
Lafarge sells its 20% minority stake in European
and South American gypsum operations
Europe/South America: Lafarge has announced the cash sale of its 20%
minority stake in European and South American gypsum operations to
Etex for Euro145m. Completion of the transaction is expected within
several weeks and is subject to customary closing conditions.
French-based Lafarge has now sold the majority of its worldwide
gypsum business.
GLOBAL GYPSUM NEWS
Georgia-Pacifc to idle two wallboard
plants in early 2014
Canada/US: Georgia-Pacifc plans to idle one wallboard
plant in Caledonia, Canada and one wallboard plant in West
Memphis, USA in early 2014. Eric Abercrombie, Georgia-
Pacifc spokesperson, attributed the decision to production
optimisation and a slow recovery in the building materials
market.
We are doing this because of market conditions and the
fact weve just acquired new capacity through a merger,
stated Abercrombie to local media. A total of 99 employees
will be afected at the Caledonia and West Memphis plants.
In early 2013, Georgia-Pacifc acquired four new gypsum
wallboard plants when it took over Memphis-based Temple-
Inland Building Products from International Paper. The deal,
worth US$750m, added 1800 employees to Georgia-Pacifc
and 16 production facilities.
British Gypsum used at Welwyn Garden City
UK: A range of British Gypsum plaster and plasterboard solu-
tions were used in a contemporary housing complex developed
by Taylor Wimpeys North Thames regional business in Welwyn
Garden City, Hertfordshire, to help the house-builder meet
thermal and acoustic requirements. The large-scale new-build
development includes 159 apartments and 50 three-storey ter-
raced houses and was completed in December 2013.
Due to the size of the project and the strict timescales we
were working to, we needed a solution that required as little
labour as possible. Drylyner TL was easy to use and really sim-
plifed the installation process from start to fnish, said Tony
Butcher, senior project manager.
For ease of application and speed, British Gypsum DriLyner
Thermal Laminate (TL), a wallboard masonry lining system, was
used on partitions and separating walls. The system ofers a
quick and easy solution to drylining brick, block and concrete
walls by utilising adhesive dabs to bond the wallboard onto the
walls. This meets the acoustic performance requirements in ac-
cordance with Part E of the UK Building Regulations, to provide
superior sound insulation.
For further acoustic performance, Gyproc Soundcoat Plus
was used on the partition walls in both the apartments and
terrace houses. This coat is a gypsum based compound that is
designed to seal masonry walls prior to drylining and was used
to minimise air leakage through cracks and unflled joints, im-
proving energy efciency and limiting noise.
In keeping with the sustainability focus of both the project
and British Gypsums own environmental management policies,
Taylor Wimpey took advantage of the British Gypsum Plaster-
board Recycling Service in order to minimise the environmental
impact of the project.
The Plasterboard Recycling Service was a great help. It was
a cost-efective recycling option that not only saved us a lot of
time and efort, but also helped us meet our sustainability ob-
jectives. British Gypsum supplied the skips we needed for the
waste products and took them away to be recycled at its onsite
recycling facility, said Butcher.
US: Composite Panel Building Systems (CPBS) launched an ex-
terior stucco system that delivers an energy-efcient building
envelope for new construction, renovations or retroftted build-
ings in December 2013.
The new C-SIS Stucco System consists of Composite Structural
Insulated Sheathing (C-SIS), integrated joint sealing accessories
and Stuc-O-Flexs elastomeric acrylic stucco.
The C-SIS ofers 5-in-1 components with no layers as an alter-
native to conventional oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood
sheathing for traditionally framed wood or metal structures.
C-SIS sheathing is made with 100% composite materials and
is manufactured without adhesives. The fbreglass-reinforced
thermoset (FRT) skin is bonded by a chemical reaction to rigid,
closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation during manufacturing
so the risk of delamination is eliminated. The 2.88cm sheathing
provides a nominal insulating value of R-6 which, when added
to a traditionally framed 61cm x 122cm (2ft x 4ft) wall with
R-15 batt insulation, achieves an R-21 wall without the added
expense of 61cm x 183cm (2ft x 6ft) framing. The 5.40cm C-SIS
sheathing provides an insulating value of R-12, so when coupled
with conventional 61cm x 122cm (2ft x 4ft) framing and R-15
batt insulation it is easy to achieve an R-27 wall. C-SIS sheathing
may be applied with a standard wallboard screw gun to either
wood or metal studs.
The energy performance of C-SIS sheathing yields low en-
ergy bills and meets 2012 energy codes, said a spokesperson
for CPBS. The C-SIS Stucco System dramatically outperforms
built up, piecemeal combinations of OSB, caulk and tape, air and
water barriers and vapor-retarders in lowering operating costs.
No other building system delivers as many benefts, with supe-
rior insulation, vapour-retarder, an air and water tight building
envelope, enhanced structural performance and water shed-
ding drainage plane.
CPBS introduces elastomeric exterior stucco system
AFC VF Limited buys 30,000 TXM shares
Vietnam: AFC VF Limited has become a major shareholder
of Gypsum and Cement JSC (TXM) after buying 30,000
shares. This raises AFC VF Limiteds total holding in TXM to
364,000 shares, a 5.2% stake, after the deal.
Gebr Pfeifer to supply gypsum calcining
mills to Georgia and Saudi Arabia
Georgia/Saudi Arabia: Grenzebach BSH GmbH ordered
two Gebr. Pfeifer vertical roller mills in October 2013, one
MPS 140 GC and one MPS 180 GC, for gypsum grinding-
calcining, one for its new works in the breakaway Georgian
region of Abkhazia and one for Saudi Arabia.
The two vertical roller mills are designed to attain
throughput rates of 16t/hr and 35t/hr, respectively. They are
slated for delivery in the frst and second quarters of 2014.
C ON T R OL B Y ME A S U R E ME N T
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FalconEye
Surface inspection system. Instant
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Measuring thickness, width and edge proles.
More than 180 installed systems worldwide.
Now with improved edge prole and taper
measurement plus new system options.
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Tel: +46 (0)31-58 44 00
E-mail: sales@limab.se
LIMAB North America Inc. (Charlotte, NC)
Phone: +1 (704) 321-0760
E-mail: sales@limab.com
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British Gypsum wins accolade for Green
Deal training programme
UK: British Gypsum has won the top prize for Excellence in
the Retroft Training category at the Retro Expo Awards held
at the Business Design Centre, London in December 2013.
The prize was awarded for its Green Deal training package
for installers. The Retro Expo Awards celebrate excellence in
all stages of the retroft process.
The Green Deal Training scheme consists of a fve-day
intensive course that was created in partnership with the
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The train-
ing is designed to aid tradespeople in maximising their
knowledge and skills in the installation of Internal Wall In-
sulation (IWI) systems to enhance building insulation and
energy efciency. The course is delivered by British Gypsums
dedicated Technical Academy Team through the UK-wide
network of Saint-Gobain Technical Academies and leads to
a Level 2 NVQ in Building Insulation Treatments and Internal
Wall Insulation.
Dave Hall, British Gypsum Technical Academy Manager,
said, For more than 40 years British Gypsum has been dedi-
cated to providing comprehensive training to installers and
merchants as well as apprenticeship schemes. As part of this
commitment and in recognition of the new business oppor-
tunities that the Green Deal presents for our customers, we
proactively created a support package to help installers make
the most of the scheme and arm them with the knowledge
to provide a frst-class service for their customers. Ofering
training to the industry has always been a focus of ours, so to
be awarded the accolade for our Green Deal course is a great
achievement and one that were very proud of.
The Retro Expo Excellence in Retroft Training Award 2013
comes just weeks after British Gypsum was awarded Training
Initiative of the Year at the Association of Interior Specialists
Best Practice Awards 2013.
New Zealand to review building materials
import duties
New Zealand: The New Zealand government is considering cut-
ting import duties on home building materials to help reduce
rising house prices in the country.
Building material costs are too high and can be as much
as 30% more in New Zealand than in Australia, according to
the Productivity Commission. The industry needs a shake-up
through increased competition and greater transparency to
ensure Kiwi families can access more fairly priced building
materials and homes, said Nick Smith, Housing Minister. I
worry that high duties on some imported building products,
combined with limited competition in New Zealand is allowing
excessive margins by building product manufacturers.
Smith and Commerce Minister Craig Foss released an op-
tions paper outlining the 24 possible measures to curb the cost
of house construction. The paper said that 19% of the output
of the home construction industry was made up of imported
content. Tarifs notionally still applied to most items used in
housing construction, such as wallboard, insulation, timber
products, steel and aluminium joinery, particle board and roof-
ing materials, but adjusted tarifs - the duty as a percentage of
the value - were diminishing due to free trade agreements.
New Zealand has imposed anti-dumping duties on imports
of plasterboard from Thailand since 2011, wire nails from China
since 2011 and reinforcing steel bar and coil from Thailand since
2004. Smith and Foss believe these also need reconsidering.
GLOBAL GYPSUM NEWS
NEW Gypsum and
Anhydrite Report
Global Industry Markets & Outlook
11
th
Edition 2013
Roskill Information Services Ltd
54 Russell Road, London SW19 1QL UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 8417 0087
Fax: +44 (0)20 8417 1308
www.roskill.com/gypsum info
@
roskill.co.uk
Build On gypsum launched in Tamil Nadu
India: Raw material manufacturer Build On has launched
Gypsum plaster one coat, a variety of gypsum which it
claims can substitute for sand and cement, in Tamil Nadu,
India. It is imported from Iran to tackle the rising sand and
cement prices that hinder building works across the state.
Impurities and adulteration in sand are a cause of con-
cern among builders, while there is no chance of gypsum
being impure, said R Rajendran, sales manager at Signature
Lifestyles Private Limited, distributors of Build On Gypsum in
Tamil Nadu. The material can be used only for interior wall
works and ceiling decorations, as gypsum does not endure
rough weather conditions when used for exterior works. We
are designing other products that can be used for exterior
works also, but Build On gypsum can resist any condition on
interior walls and ceilings. Cracks will not form at any time
and the fnish will be smooth, Rajendran said.
We are trying to promote it to architects and builders
through various programmes. said Nirmal K Dhiran, direc-
tor of Signature Lifestyles. We are encouraged by builders in
Chennai as a large-scale project at Manapakkam is expected
to use gypsum soon.
GLOBAL GYPSUM NEWS
Eagle Materials report continued strong growth in
sales volumes and earnings
US: Eagle Materials has reported fnancial results for the second quarter
of fscal 2014, which ended on 30 September 2013. Total revenues were
up by 53% to US$252.6m. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) were
US$63.5m, an increase of 114% compared to the same quarter of the prior
fscal year.
Sales volumes were improved across all lines, with gypsum wallboard
sales volumes of 51.5Mm
2
, an 11% increase from Q2 of fscal 2013. This pro-
vided earnings of US$36.8m, a 52% increase from the same quarter of fscal
2013. The earnings increase resulted primarily from the increased average
net gypsum board sales prices, which were 21% higher.
Starlinger opens Weissenbach plant
Austria: Starlinger, a technology supplier for woven plastic packaging
production and plastics recycling, opened its factory and showrooms in
Weissenbach in October 2013. Packaging producers and plastics recyclers
will have the opportunity to see the latest models of the Starlinger ma-
chine range in operation.
Highlights on show include the new lamiTEC coating and lamination
line that features roll change at full production speed and increased out-
put, the RX 8.0 circular loom for heavy-duty fabric weaving, the conversion
line ad*starKON SX+ and the newly developed linTAPE tape winders with
linear drive technology for smooth winding and gentle tape treatment.
Fletcher spends US$4m to replace asbestos roof at
Christchurch plant
New Zealand: Fletcher Building, New Zealands largest building company,
has spent US$4m and taken almost two months to replace the roof of its
Christchurch wallboard factory that contained asbestos.
The Winstone Wallboards factory in Christchurch was reopened on 21
October 2013 following its entire closure on 27 August 2013, after traces of
asbestos were found during preparations for the roof replacement.
Staf were transferred to the distribution centre or to Auckland during
the closure and remained on full pay. Dispatch operations at Christchurch
were down for three days, with wallboard supplied from the Auckland
plant during that time. Construction of the new roof is ongoing.
The company is not aware of any related health symptoms, however
as a precaution, health checks will be made available to employees and
contractors, Winston Wallboards general manager David Thomas said. It
is understood the traces of asbestos originate from the roof and that those
traces are likely to have been contained within the manufacturing build-
ing. The company has a strong focus on health and safety and consistently
strives to eliminate work-place injuries by taking appropriate precautions.
British Gypsum Gypframe frst to
be awarded BES 6001 Very Good
UK: British Gypsum has become the frst plas-
terboard partition system manufacturer to
achieve a BES 6001 Very Good rating for its metal
profles, extending its responsibly sourced prod-
uct ofering.
The certifcation for Gypframe comes 18
months after the company became the frst UK
plastering and drylining manufacturer to be
awarded a BES 6001 Very Good rating for a core
range of its gypsum-based products. It means
the company can now ofer certifcation for the
vast majority of its constituent components in
its GypWall systems, consisting of metal fram-
ing, plasterboard and plaster, with a Very Good
standard.
The certifcation, which now applies to
all British Gypsum UK-manufactured Gyproc
plasterboard, Glasroc specialist boards, This-
tle plasters, Gyproc cove and Gypframe metal
profles, will enable customers to receive
more points and credits for these products as
part of BREEAM (Building Research Establish-
ment Environmental Assessment Method
for buildings) and the Code for Sustainable
Homes (CSH).
BES 6001 is an independent audited stand-
ard from the Building Research Establishment
(BRE) which assesses the responsible sourcing of
construction products within an organisations
supply chain. Created in response to increasing
focus on sustainable development by Govern-
ment and industry, the certifcation programme
makes it easier for specifers, contractors, house-
builders and their clients to prove and measure
the environmental performance of a building
whilst meeting assessment and design standards.
Sustainability is a priority for almost every
building project and as such, construction pro-
fessionals are under pressure to demonstrate
sustainable practices and procurement, said Paul
Campbell, Commercial Marketing Manager at
British Gypsum. Manufacturers have a key role
to play in supporting customers by making it as
simple and as cost efective as possible to achieve
the required standards.
When we achieved the BES 6001 Very Good
rating in 2012, it meant a core range of our
products became Tier Three for BREEAM 2011,
as opposed to Tier Six in the past, and Tier One
for the Code for Sustainable Homes, making it
easier for customers to achieve a higher number
of credits at no additional cost. Since then, weve
been working hard to gain the same certifcation
for our Gypframe products. We can now ofer
a system solution for our customers with the
majority of the component parts proven to be
responsibly sourced, concluded Campbell.
AIRTHERM Corp awarded USG scrubber contract
US: AIRTHERM Corporation has announced that it has been awarded a wet
scrubber dust collection project at one of United States Gypsum Com-
panys facilities. The project engineering is already underway with startup
in early summer 2014.
Disruptive innovation in gypsum
globalgypsum MAGAZINE
Far right - Figure 2:
The Ford Mustang Boss
302 Laguna Seca is an
example of non-disruptive
innovation in the
automobile industry.
I
nnovation is an important process in any business
over the long-term. Tere are two types of innovation;
Sustaining improvement: evolution of value and
markets, whether transformational or continuous,
Disruptive innovation: creates new markets and/or
applications.
It is this second type of innovation that I will address.
Disruptive innovation will;
Create a whole new market and value network
displacing an earlier technology,
Have an unexpected and signifcant impact on the
existing business.
Disruptive innovation is happening all around
us every day so it might be useful to consider how it
might afect us in the gypsum industry. Tere are many
examples of disruptive innovations. Digital cameras
have almost completely replaced flm cameras. E-mail
is currently replacing the need for a nationwide postal
service. If you are under 25 years old you wonder why
anyone would need a telephone attached to your house
when you have one attached to you! Mini steel mills
were originally brought in to supply the high volume
inexpensive sector of the steel industry; in a few years
they have learnt how to make all products and are caus-
ing a signifcant disruption in the global steel industry.
Currently underway is the replacement of incandescent
and fuorescent lighting with LED lights.
Of course there have been huge advances in many
industries that are not disruptive, the automotive in-
dustry being a good example. A modern automobile is
much improved over the original Model T (Figure 1),
but this has been primarily a combination of hundreds
of improvements over many years. Te most noticeable
change in the gypsum industry over the past couple of
Ford Model T, often
considered the frst af-
fordable automobile, was
frst produced in 1908.
With more than 30 years of experience working with gypsum, including stints at Westroc and BPB
plc (now Saint Gobain), Bob Bruce is one of the best-informed gypsum industry professionals.
From his presidential positions at both NuGyp Corp and Innogyps he has observed the developing
gypsum industry patterns and reports here his views regarding disruptive innovation in gypsum, a
topic that could be key to the future of the global gypsum industry.
Bob Bruce, President of Innogyps
years has been a move to lightweight board. While this
is a considerable technical improvement, it is really only
one more step in a journey that has been underway for
some time.
History of disruptive innovation in gypsum
Has there been disruptive innovation in gypsum in the
past? Tousands of years ago gypsum was frst used
in building as a structural component using rocks
(alabaster) that were both easy to carve into shape and
also attractive in appearance. A small innovation per-
haps was when people started using gypsum selenite
crystals as windows, as in Figure 3, allowing light to
enter but keeping the weather out. Can you imagine
the opportunities that opened to the building industry
when it was discovered that gypsum could be heated,
remixed with water and then shaped into whatever form
you like?
Gypsum plasters have been used for thousands of
years in many ways as a result of this simple discov-
ery. In 1894 Augustine Sackett patented the gypsum
board process and now an entire new way of building
is underway around the world based on the use of this
disruptive innovation.
Sometimes it doesnt happen very quickly. Although
gypsum board was invented in the late 19th century, it
was really the building boom afer the Second World
War 50 years later that became the driving force for
widespread use of gypsum board.
Possible future of disruptive innovation in
gypsum
Will there be disruptive innovation in gypsum in the
future? Of course the answer has to be yes because
anything that has such widespread use will constantly
be the subject of invention and application of related
technologies.
At the 2009 Global Gypsum Conference and
Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, there was a paper
presented that ofered a glimpse of the possible future of
disruptive innovation in gypsum. Te Rapidwall build-
ing system showed a new way to build structures using
gypsum as loadbearing walls, or perhaps as a mould for
concrete to carry higher loads for larger structures. Te
Rapidwall panels were prefabricated from gypsum and
reinforcement fbres, transported to the site and assem-
bled as full wall panels in such a manner that services
and load-bearing reinforcement could be easily added,
as shown in Figure 4. Tis building system is spreading
in the developing markets. At this point it is difcult to
predict how this might afect the overall global gypsum
business. As you can see this fts the defnition of disrup-
tive innovation.
At a conference is Moscow in 2011 there was a paper
presented describing how the creep in gypsum could be
signifcantly reduced,
1
opening the door for wider ap-
plication of load bearing structures made from gypsum
such as Rapidwall.
What other possibilities are there on the horizon?
Modern gypsum board systems are ofen a combination
of structure and insulation, combined with the gypsum
panels. What would happen if the gypsum board itself
could act as both insulator and dry lining? Te best in-
sulator known today is aerogel, a space age material so
advanced that it is in itself considered a disruptive inno-
vation in the insulation feld. Gypsum board containing
a signifcant portion of aerogel should produce a good
insulating product with advantages not only for insula-
tion but perhaps for fre protection as shown in Figure 5,
installation of RAPIDWALL
for prefabricated housing
construction.
Below - Figure 5: Both
Aerogel and gypsum
wallboard have good
fre-resistance and
insulating properties.
Left - Figure 6: Gypsum
board that contains a
conductive core allows
LED lighting to be
plugged directly into
the wall.
Far left - Figure 3:
Selenite windows, such
as those featured in The
Basilica of Saint Sabina,
Rome, are an early exam-
ple of innovation in the
gypsum industry.
directly in line with the current major use of gypsum in
modern-day construction. Is this possible? Apparently
it is, as there is a patent application currently in process
in South Korea to use a low-cost aerogel product for
exactly this application.
2
Gypsum board systems are ofen used to cover up
services such as electrical supply within the walls. What
would happen if you could use the gypsum board itself
to replace the wiring behind the walls? Perhaps you
could just plug your lighting directly into the wall. Is
this possible? Once again, apparently it is (see Figure
6). Gypsum board has been produced with a conduc-
tive core and a separate conductive surface so that LED
lighting can be simply plugged into the wall.
3
If you can use conductive wallboard for lighting, can
you use it for heating? Conductive concrete is becom-
ing more and more common with applications not only
for heating surfaces, as shown in Figure 7, but also to
monitor for structural deterioration in bridge decks,
etc. Tere is a high probability that similar technology
could be used to make heating panels using gypsum
as the cementitious substrate rather than concrete.
Gypsum board systems are commonly used in conjunc-
tion with insulation in cold climates. Radiant heating
is commonly used in gypsum foors and ceilings using
embedded electrical or hot fuid heating sources. It
would be very cost efcient to have radiant heating pan-
els be the boards themselves, perhaps being activated by
sensors monitoring activity in the room.
3D printing
Tere is a very interesting series of documentaries called
Ted Talks in which various experts around the world
highlight new innovations taking place. According to
one episode of Ted Talks, this centurys most disrup-
tive innovation is 3D Printing.
4
3D printing gets a lot of
attention and no doubt will have a huge impact on our
future. It is now possible to take your electronic fle into
the local Staples Copy and Print Shop and have your
item printed in the same manner you may have a report
printed. It is perhaps interesting to consider how 3D
printing might impact the gypsum industry.
While many people are aware of the importance of
3D printing, most people are not aware that one of the
commonly used processes for 3D printing is actually
based on gypsum. Many people will have seen items that
have been printed where parts are printed within other
parts, ofen in many colours and with remarkable preci-
sion. Tey are ofen not aware that these materials have
actually been printed using gypsum. So there is indeed a
high likelihood that 3D printing can have some impact
on this new gypsum business, but will it have a surpris-
ing impact on the existing market?
Te simplest 3D printers can be purchased for a few
hundred dollars and are even available in kit form. Te
gypsum-based printers are larger and more expensive
but ofer extremely fne detail, as shown in Figure 9, in
several colours. Of course these are getting bigger as
well as less expensive as the market matures. Tis has
now been extended to serve the building industry such
that there is now a 3D printer in Holland that prints
full-size rooms for transport to a construction site, as il-
lustrated in Figure 12. Tis 3D printer is apparently both
an engineering marvel and a tourist attraction!
5
Of course if youre going to 3D print and you want to
Right - Figure 7: The use
of conductive concrete for
heating applications could
be extended to gypsum
board.
Far right - Figure 9: 3D
printing can be used to
produce highly intricate
structures.
Below - Figure 8: The
possible applications of
conductive gypsum board
in the home or ofce.
Below right - Figure 10:
3D printing in action.
Erisim 1 September 2013.indd 1 05/09/2013 13:42
take the time in design, then it does not cost that much
more to print intricate design even on a large scale.
Similarly, it is possible to design structures with shapes
that are optimised to maximise performance, such as
protection from seismic activity, while minimising ma-
terial used and cost.
MIT is working on a 3D building system that prints
a mould for concrete, insulation and services. Teir in-
tention is to produce a device that will print not only
the structure but also the services such as wiring and
plumbing. Note that some of the funding for this work
comes from NASA, because it is likely to be the system
that will be used for the frst structures built in space,
this truly being a new market region.
6
Back on earth, the 3D printing systems that will be
used for construction will look less like a robot and
more like a very large inkjet printer. At the University
of Southern California, there is a system in use, Con-
tour Crafing,
7
where they claim they can build a small
house in 20 hours at 20% of the normal cost. Provision
is being made to add services, electrical, plumbing,
etc., along the way as the structure is being built. Te
frst high-volume market that they see for this type of
house printer is the developing market where there is
a need for thousands of inexpensive but secure homes
for the new middle class in developing countries. Tis
provides the opportunity to build attractive neighbour-
hoods rather than street afer street of identical housing.
Houses can be tailor-made to the needs and tastes of the
family that will occupy it. Note that the inventor of the
system started with gypsum but is now using a polymer
modifed fast-setting concrete. Perhaps the gypsum in-
dustry needs to bring him back to gypsum.
An ambitious project underway is the printing of
a larger structure called Landscape House, shown in
Figure 11, once again in the Netherlands.
8
Tis will be a
very large and very novel structure with the eventual use
likely to be as an art museum. Te D-shape printer that
will be used to build the structure will come from Italy
and is based on the oversize jet inkjet printer concept
printing resin on sand, as shown in Figure 13.
9
How will disruptive innovation arrive?
As you can see there are many examples of work un-
derway in the building industry using the disruptive
innovation technique of 3D printing. Tere are also
opportunities using high-performing materials with
benefts that are useful to the building industry.
Will this have an impact? Again the answer is yes.
We dont yet know how and we dont know when but
eventually any innovation that signifcantly improves
value to the customer will become common practice.
Landscape House is
currently under
construction at Janaap
Ruijssenaars, Universe
Architecture, Holland.
D-shape house printer
that prints resin on sand
in Italy will be used to
produce some of the
components required for
the Landscape House in
Holland.
Right - Figure 12: By
utilising 3D printing,
entire rooms can be
printed and then trans-
ported to the construction
site.
Erisim 2 September 2013.indd 1 06/09/2013 11:40
Disruptive innovation has been underway for centu-
ries. What is the normal route by which these innovative
products and processes come into use? Typically, a truly
new disruptive innovation is frst done on a commercial
scale for a diferent set of consumers in a new market. In
this new market there is no resistance from the current
suppliers of products/services and there are few barriers
based on established practices. Te advantages of the
new innovation simply drive application. People use it
because it works! Once this new technology has been
shown to work, optimisation of both performance and
cost will eventually result in the replacement of the cur-
rent technology based on these proven benefts.
In the global market today, there are many countries
with an emerging middle class that will naturally expect
to spend some of their newfound discretional income
on improved housing. Rapidwall appears to be tapping
into this market today in Southeast Asia and the Middle
East. Although there is technology being developed in
Southern California and Europe, it is more likely that
the market pull will come from the Growing Markets
rather than from the Mature Markets. Southeast Asia,
the Middle East, or perhaps the major cities of South
America are the prime candidates for these new con-
struction methods.
Tis all seems so futuristic. Does it really matter for
the current business underway today? Perhaps the an-
swer to this question is found in the story behind the
frst example of disruptive innovation mentioned in this
article; digital cameras.
When these cameras were introduced there were
clear winners and losers as this technology replaced
flm. Tis did not work out very well for Eastman Kodak,
which actually invented the digital camera technology
in 1975. Te company continued to grow, peaking in
value in 1987 and enjoying a reputation for innovation
and sound management. 15 years later, in 2012, they
were bankrupt. Te original inventor of the digital cam-
era, an engineer working for Kodak, characterised the
initial corporate response to his invention in this way:
thats cute; but dont tell anyone about it.
10
I guess that
word got out.
Moving back to gypsum, will disruptive innovation
grow the gypsum business or will it replace gypsum?
Will the gypsum industry develop ways to 3D print
insulating conductive loadbearing gypsum structures?
Or will the gypsum industry as we know it be replaced
with a non-gypsum-based building system? Te onus is
on our industry to use new technology to our advantage
before it is used against us!
References
1. Colombani, J., University of Lyon, France,
Mechanism of wet creep of plasterboards, MixBuild Con-
ference, 2011.
2. South Korean patent application (KR20130025116).
3. Olson, E., Electro Conductive Wallboard, Superfcial
Studio.
4. http://cunicode.com/3d-printing-this-centurys
-most-disruptive-innovation%E2%80%AC-dfanders-
tedxhamburg/#sthash.OuikkPBW.dpuf.
5. DUS Architects has built its own 3-D printer, known
as the KamerMaker, or Room Builder.
6. http://www.3ders.org/articles/20121204-mit-lab
-testing-building-scale-3d-printing.html.
7. Khoshnevis, B., Contour Crafing, University of
Southern California.
8. Ruijssenaars, J., Landscape House, Universe
Architecture, Holland.
9. Dini, E., house printer called the D-Shape.
10. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/
technology/02kodak.html?pagewanted=all.
Below - Figure 15: The
share price of Kodak over
1962-2012, with the
invention of the digital
camera highlighted.
The invention of the
digital camera by Kodak
Right - Figure 14: 3D
printing enables the
production of advanced
free-form structures.
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2010 2005 2000 1985 1995 1990 1980 1975 1970 1965
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The 13th Global Gypsum
Conference, Exhibition and
Awards took place on 21-
22 October at the historic
Fairmont Royal Oak hotel in
Toronto, Canada. Around 275
delegates from 38 countries
attended the event, as well
as 29 exhibitors from around
the world. The 14th Global
Gypsum Conference will take
place in Berlin, Germany, on
29-30 September 2014.
Global Gypsum Conference &
Exhibition 2013 - Reviewed
Dr Robert McCarey, Editor, Global Gypsum Magazine
Above: The skyline of
Toronto, host city for the
13th Global Gypsum
Conference & Exhibition, as
seen from Lake Ontario.
T
he 13th Global Gypsum Conference actually started
with a popular short course, given by Mark Flumi-
ani of Innogyps, entitled What you need to know about
gypsum, attended by 55 delegates. Te course covered
the basics of gypsum chemistry and plaster and board
manufacture and it is intended that it will be repeated
in the future.
Afer conference registration, delegates were invited
to attend the conference welcome party in the Global
Gypsum exhibition area. Te busy evening event was a
time to greet old friends and to visit some of the 36 exhi-
bition stands showcasing gypsum equipment, additives
and services.
Conference frst day
Te conference frst day was opened by Robert
McCafrey, conference convenor, who welcomed
delegates and reminded them - since they were now in
litigation-prone North America - that they should be
careful not to be party to any anti-competitive discus-
sions, either intentionally or inadvertently. Te sponsors
of the conference, Gyptech, Grenzebach, Johns Manville,
Erisim Makina and Sicit 2000 were thanked profusely.
Robert Morrow, partner at Innogyps, gave the frst
presentation at the Global Gypsum Conference and
wished delegates a special welcome to Canada. He
pointed out that gypsum is used for wall and ceiling cov-
erings, in dental work, mouldings, for storage vessels, as
a fertiliser and cement additive and in many other ways.
However, on the other hand, gypsum is not load bearing,
it is heavy, it is not good in very humid conditions and
it is relatively energy-intensive to produce. Drywall and
plaster product demand are not price sensitive - lower
prices will not drive increased housing demand. How-
ever, dry lining penetration is driven by
the cost of labour and capital: as labour
costs rise, gypsum products are used
more and more. Robert pointed out
that in the US in particular, there has
been a marked cyclicality in demand,
starting with demand growth, leading
to new entrants, eventual excess capac-
ity, inevitable falling demand, painful
consolidation and fnally new demand
growth. Robert suggested that the US
market is not going to recover back to
its former state in the very near future,
2: Innogyps Bob Bruce
presented his views on
potential future scenarios for
the gypsum industry. See his
written article on page 12.
1: Robert Merrow from Inno-
gyps said that the US gypsum
market would not recover to
normal levels soon.
1 2 3
3: Kerry Satterthwaite of
presented aspects of her com-
panys research into the future
of gypsum to 2017.
so that producers have had to fgure out a way to survive.
In general, they have focused on reducing costs and on
supplying customers as close to their plants as possible.
Robert Morrow pointed out some of the barriers to
entry, such as access to gypsum, paper, energy, costs of
building a factory and of freight, legislative barriers and
the fnal hurdle of customer acceptance.
Robert McCafrey of Global Gypsum gave the sec-
ond presentation, which was an overview of global
wallboard markets and companies. Te US was named
as the largest wallboard producer by capacity, followed
by China, the UK and Japan. Canada, Mexico, much
of Europe, Turkey, Russia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia,
Tailand, Indonesia and Australia were all named as
3rd Tier producer countries, with production capac-
ity of between 100-500MM
2
per year, although Russia,
Brazil, India, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Iran were all singled
out as countries with either fast growth or high poten-
tial for plasterboard demand growth. In Europe, the UK,
France, Germany and Russia were named as the largest
producers by capacity, with Spain, Italy, Turkey, Poland
and Ukraine in the second tier. Western Europe has
plateaued in terms of wallboard demand, but Eastern
Europe and Russia are still growing as their economic
development level increases to Western European levels.
Asia continues to show very strong potential for wall-
board demand growth, with Tailand and Indonesia
leading the way.
Bob Bruce of Innogyps, a gypsum laboratory and
consulting company based in Hamilton near Toronto
which had also helped with organisation of the con-
ference, next spoke about disruptive innovation in the
gypsum industry. Sustaining innovation is commonly
used to transform companies to optimise them to
changing circumstances. On the other hand, disruptive
innovation is the technology that destroys previous in-
dustries, such as digital cameras, email, mobile phones,
mini-mills (which innovated to overtake the old capital-
intensive steel mills) and LED light bulbs. A number of
disruptive technologies have swept through the gypsum
industry, from the use of alabaster as a load-bearing
material, to the use of plaster, the invention of wallboard
in the 1890s and the introduction of manufactured
gypsum elements for load-bearing structures using
additives to decrease creep. What will be the next dis-
ruptive technology that sweeps over the industry? Will
it be insulating boards incorporating aerogel? (A sample
was brought to the conference by another of the del-
egates). What about conductive board that allows you to
plug in your light directly into the board? Its been done!
Might we see conductive wallboards used as radiative
warming elements in a house?
In fact, Bob suggested that 3D printing of gypsum
might actually be the most disruptive technology out
there for the current wallboard industry. Te frst 3D
printer capable of making entire rooms has been created
in Te Netherlands. It is possible that 3D printing will
be able to include wiring and plumbing and the systems
will be able to print solar panels as well. Bob passion-
ately advocated the use of gypsum for 3D printing of
dwellings, rather than other materials such as concrete,
or resin and sand, with the suggestion of increased
speed of building and dramatically decreased cost when
using gypsum. Bob suggested that any innovation that
ofers signifcantly improved value to the customer will
eventually prevail. South America or the Middle East
are good prospects for the economic roll-out for the frst
examples of this disruptive innovation. Bob ended with
4 5 7
6
4: Alfred Brosig gave an
animated performance of his
paper Technical aspects of the
Chinese wallboard saga.
5: Ronny Velicogna of ADM
presenting aspects of starch
use in gypsum wallboard.
6: Gyptechs Jefrey Warren
introduced the Gyptech
Stucco Analyser as an
improved tool for use in the
gypsum industry.
8: Michael Sellers from
MTorres gave a well-received
presentation about
paper-unwinding.
8 9 10 11
7: Dustin Neumann of
Neumann Process Control
pointed out the potential
pitfalls of optimising isolated
parts of the wallboard plant.
9: Akzo Nobel Chemicals
Anna Thom presented Elotex
CAST, an additive that enables
more types of gypsum to be
used as foor screed.
10: Michael Schinabeck
from BASF spoke about
the problems surrounding
clay-contaminated gypsum
sources and a BASF solution.
11: Aleksay Eremin presented
a well-received paper from
the Moscow State University.
a fnal question: will these
kinds of systems grow the
gypsum business, or will it
replace the gypsum industry?
Collectively, we will be the
ones who decide.
Kerry Satterthwaite of
presented the main fndings
from the companys new
gypsum outlook multi-client
study. Kerry pointed out that
US housing starts are a hard set of statistics which are
reliably used as a forward indicator of gypsum demand.
A precipitous drop in starts was seen from 2007 to the
bottom of the market in 2009, dropping from nearly
1.5million per year to closer to 500,000 in 2008-2009.
Tey have since only slowly drifed upwards to barely
600,000 in 2013. Kerry pointed out that if the rest of the
world consumed plasterboard at the same rate as the
US, then total global consumption would amount to
around 70 billion m
2
per year, 20 times as much as pre-
sent. Kerry suggested that around 55% of global gypsum
production in terms of tonnage is actually used by the
cement industry and that the evolution of demand for
cement is actually of greater importance to the gypsum
industry than is generally realised. Roskill forecasts that
global gypsum demand will grow by above 5% per year
to at least 2018.
Alfred Brosig next stood to give an update on the
technical aspects of the Chinese drywall saga. He re-
iterated his view that hydrogen sulphide through the
activity of sulphate reducing bacteria was at the heart
of the problem. Te bacteria produce hydrogen sul-
phide and carbon disulphide as a metabolic by-product.
Alfred said that imported drywall was kept on barges
and in warehouses for months in elevated dewpoint
temperatures, waiting for permission to enter the US.
Construction workers reported putrid smells
when unwrapping boards and also heavy board
weights due to high moisture contents. Weeks
spent on ships passing through the humid Pacifc
and Caribbean would allow humidity to penetrate
the drywalls packaging, which would condense in
cooler night-time conditions and then be taken up
by hygroscopic forces leading to saturation of the
boards in the absence of air and allowing the activ-
ity of the sulphate reducing bacteria. Once installed
in homes the putrid smell of Chinese Drywall was
gone. However, it returned the next summer when
temperature and relative air humidity was high.
Condensation would also take place on the reverse sur-
face of drywall, due to the air conditioning in the house
making the inside surface cooler than the dew point. Al-
fred denied that elemental sulphur might be a problem
in drywall since, he said, there are no conditions which
would allow elemental sulphur to be transformed into
any form of gaseous sulphur compound.
Afer the presentation programme of the frst day
of the conference, a discussion forum was held which
touched on a number of critical topics for the industry,
including sustainability, recycling and the impending
gypsum industry retirement crisis.
Te Global Gypsum Conference in 2013 was salted-
through with networking opportunities, not only the
popular long cofee breaks in the exhibition area, but
also the Meet the delegates sessions where each del-
egate has a chance to introduce themselves to the other
delegates, as well as the Speed dating sessions where
delegates are brought together for half an hour but with
just four minutes to meet each other before having to
move on. Te many opportunities for networking meant
that the conference was rated the best ever for making
contacts on the delegate questionnaires.
Global Gypsum Awards Cruise
Afer the frst day of the conference, delegates took to
the waters of Toronto Harbour to enjoy an atmospheric
cruise aboard the dining yacht Northern Spirit, while
enjoying views of Torontos spectacular skyline and
music from a funky local band. During the evening,
the Global Gypsum Awards 2013 were presented, based
on a two-stage online nominations and voting process
open to all gypsum industry participants from around
the world.
Te Global Gypsum supplier of the year was Gyptech,
while company of the year was Saint-Gobain. Plant
of the year was the El Carmen plant of Panel Rey in
Mexico, while the Global Gypsum product of the year
12: Brian Walks of West
Indies Gypsum (Jamaica)
introduces himself during
one of the Meet the
Delegates sessions.
12
13
14
13: Jorg Bold of Jorg Bold
Consulting (left) and Jefrey
Warren of Gyptech (right) in
discussion during one of the
cofee breaks.
14: Juan Fransisco Lopez
of Alier SA, left, speaking to
Pornchai Vittayakoonsakul-
chai, centre and
Chukiat Jirojkul from Siam
Kraft Industry.
15: Global Gypsum
personality of the year went
to Bob Bruce of Bob Bruce &
Associates, Canada.
16: Mike Lively accepts
Gyptechs supplier of the
year award.
17: BNBMs Wang Bing
accepts the companys
Outstanding contribution
to the global gypsum
industry award.
15
16 17

SENSORTECH SYSTEMS, INC.
5140 Commerce Avenue, Moorpark, CA 93021,USA
Tel: +1-805-378-1160 Email: sales@sensortech.com

SENSORTECH SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
Distributiestraat 27, 4283 JN, Giessen, Netherland
Tel: +31-(0)183-445051 Email: info@mctec.nl

SENSORTECH INTERNATIONAL
Suite 1, 375 Pacific Highway, Artarmon, NSW 2064, Australia
Tel: +61-(0)2-9438-4544 Email: seanh@sensortech.com

IR-3000
NETWORKED
SENSORS
Portable
Testers

In-Kiln
Moisture
Sensortech January 2014.indd 1 08/01/2014 15:18
was Gyprocs ActivAir ceiling boards. A new category,
Outstanding contribution to the global gypsum in-
dustry was awarded to BNBM. Te Global Gypsum
personality of the year was awarded to well-known
Scotland-born consultant Bob Bruce of Bob Bruce &
Associates, Canada.
Te Global Gypsum Awards Cruise ended with a
memorable and drenching rainstorm, leaving many del-
egates relieved that the yacht had not ventured out on to
rough and stormy waters of Lake Ontario. On returning
to the hotel, discussions continued late into the night at
the hotel bar.
Conference second day
Ronny Velicogna of ADM started the second day with
a presentation on the use of starch in gypsum. Wheat
starch was originally used to improve the binding of
the paper to the board. Now starch is also starting to
be used for board strength optimisation. Starch protects
gypsum crystals, which bond the paper to the core,
from breaking when exposed to heat in the oven. Te
starch is distributed evenly in the slurry, but it migrates
with water through the curing process and becomes
concentrated at the board surfaces. Ronny mentioned
the importance of having a balanced, well-functioning
dryer to enable starch to migrate to the board surfaces
to become efective. Natural plant-based starches are
modifed to enable them to migrate faster through the
board. At higher water to stucco ratios, starch can mi-
grate faster. If lower water to stucco ratios are required
in the process, then more highly modifed starches may
be required.
Jefrey Warren of Gyptech started his presentation
with the bold statement that the gypsum industry needs
better tools and went on to introduce the bench-top
Gyptech Stucco Analyser. Te analyser - developed afer
initial work by Dr Bob Bruce of Innogyps - is a laboratory
instrument with a calorimeter for analysis of hydration
reactions, which also acts as a database which grows as
the instrument is used over time. Te instrument has
three approaches:
it determines the
percentage of hy-
dratable material
in the specimen
(the material that can be used to generate strength in
the board coat); the second level gives a stucco compo-
sitional phase analysis, with raw gypsum, hemihydrate,
AIII, inerts and moisture quantifcation; while level
three gives a full thermodynamic response data set with
almost unlimited potential. Te analyser gives full de-
tailed knowledge of the stucco samples, allowing users
to see patterns, opportunities and changes and giving
users the confdence to make informed decisions. Te
instrument can be used for board quality control, mill
process control and optimisation, plant commissioning
and start up, plant maintenance optimisation, analysis
of additive set efects, equipment design and research
and development, all leading to cost optimisation.
Jefrey admitted that the analyser is not necessarily a
commercial prospect for Gyptech, but instead is part of
what Gyptech is, and is part of Gyptechs complete solu-
tion for the gypsum industry.
Dustin Neumann of Neumann Process Control next
spoke about the possibilities for reducing energy con-
sumption in a well-balanced wallboard dryer. Dustin
frstly recommended that manufacturers benchmark
their equipment against similar equipment in the in-
dustry, to gain an idea of the amount of efciency that
could be gained through engineering improvements. He
suggested that there are fve main routes to improving
dryer efciency: increasing board entrance temperature,
preheating the dryer air, reducing the exhaust tempera-
ture, reducing infltration and reducing the evaporation
rate by increasing the level of fnished board moisture.
Some of these routes are more practical or cost-efcient
than others. A full description of Dustins approach to
board dryer optimisation was included in the November
2013 issue of Global Gypsum Magazine.
Michael Sellers of M.Torres next spoke about the
importance of consistent unwinding in
gypsum board production. Te company
started in 1975 when a machinery operator
had a great idea for a splicer: his boss didnt
think so, so the machinery operator lef to
start his own company which now oper-
ates on all continents and in 60 countries.
What his ex-boss now thinks of the idea is
not known. As mentioned by Michael Sell-
ers, the essence of consistent unwinding is
21: A stylish and busy
custom-built stand
for Gyptech: this time
the show was on their
home turf.
18: The Claudius Peters
Projects stand manned
by (left to right) Ryan
Hogan, Lars Rttger and
Henrik Wetegrove.
22: Fred Curren proudly
showing Arizona Instru-
ments Computrac
moisture analyser.
24 global gypsum MAGAZINE
20
18
19
21 22
19: Michael Butts, left and
Thorsten Mller Wimmers,
right of Eclipse Combustion
pose for the camera.
20: Alberto Arbizu, left
and Michael Sellers, right
of M.Torres.
tension control, efected through controlling the feed
rate and through measuring and controlling the actual
tension value. Paper breaks, slack, wrinkles, misalign-
ment and elongation may occur if tension is controlled
incorrectly. When completing a splice, the running roll
has to be stopped, the two paper rolls have to be joined,
the new roll has to be accelerated to line speed and dur-
ing this process there should be no spike in tension.
M.Torres ofers a piece of equipment that can accom-
plish this. A high speed board line may have more than
15,000 splices each year, any one of which could end in
chaos and economic loss if not completed correctly: a
reliable solution is required.
Anna Tom of Akzo Nobel Chemicals AG next
spoke on how additives can be used to increase the
utility of alternative gypsum sources for use as levelling
compounds. Anna pointed out that beta-gypsum and
FGD gypsum are typically not suitable for self-levelling
fooring applications, having high water requirements.
Even alpha-gypsum and anhydrite, which can be used
for fooring, require complex formulations including
superplasticisers, defoamers, retarders, cellulose ethers
and redispersive polymer powders to work. Now Akzo
Nobel has developed a new technology, Elotex Cast,
that will allow practically all types of gypsum, including
beta and FGD gypsum, to be used for fooring appli-
cations. Cast - calcium sulphate technology - leads to
reduced water demand, good surface stabilisation, ex-
cellent levelling properties, simplifed formulation and
easy handling and lower shrinkage risks.
Michael Schinabeck and co-authors from BASF
Construction Polymers then spoke about some of the
challenges involved in trying to use clay-contaminated
stucco and some of the advantages ofered by a new
superplasticiser. Tese additives are used to improve
fow behaviour, to modify rheology and to reduce water
demand typically through electrostatic repulsion. Of
course, reducing water demand means that less water
is added to the stucco and less water is required to be
evaporated. Michael pointed out that clays in stucco
have a variety of deleterious efects, including possible
thickening of stucco mixtures requiring addition of
higher levels of water to achieve fowability. Te new
Melfux CR 1000 L superplasticiser is a completely new
molecule structure with an anionic backbone and an
electrosteric dispersing mechanism. Te new additive
has no negative infuence on setting time and reduces
water demand for even heavily clay-contaminated
stuccos. In addition it has no infuence on the pore
structure of the solidifed stucco. Te new additive is
about to reach the market afer extensive testing and
legislative control.
Markus Lackmann of Haver Filling Systems spoke
about the flling of well-known valve bags versus form,
fll and seal bags (FFS). Te form, fll and seal bags have
been used for the last twenty years or so, but mainly for
non-dusty fllings where an imperfect seal would not
lead to dusting. However, the sealing of FFS bags has
improved to the extent that they are now accepted in
fussy big box building material retailing stores where
cleanliness is at a premium. Markus said that the se-
cret to flling an FFS bag is to extract the air from the
product before the bag is sealed, which can be done by
vibrating the bag and the product during flling. Haver
now makes machines capable of flling up to 2000 FFS
bags per hour.
Aleksey Eremin of the Moscow State University
completed the programme with a presentation on quan-
titative phase analysis of multiphase gypsum using XRD.
Russian gypsum manufacturers
have recently replaced traditional
calciners with rotary and fuidised
bed kilns with lower energy con-
sumption. Rietveld methodology
can be used to quantify crystal
phases through an iterative pro-
cedure to minimise the deviation
between experimental and calcu-
lated difractograms. Having the
ability to quantitatively analyse
the composition of multiphase
gypsum samples allows Aleksey
23 24 25
26
27 28
29
23: Mark Nichols in
discussion at
Aecometrics booth.
26: Limab measurement
experts, left to right, Jens
Svensson, Stefan Jerrelid,
Tony Godair and
Michael Karlsson.
24: Xiaodong Li talking
to Innogyps Bob Bruce at
the CNBM stand.
25: Sicit 2000s team, left
to right, Alfred Dayem,
Alessandro Carreri, Oreste
Odelli and Peter Schnur.
28: The smiling team
from Erisim Makina lines
up for the camera.
27: Elkems Gerry Brown
on the company stand.
29: Grenzebachs smart
custom-built stand made
quite an impression.
and his colleagues to try to optimise the mineralogical
mix of industrial stuccos used for self-levelling foor
screeds.
Conference prizes and farewells
Afer the conclusion of the conference programme,
delegates made their way to the CN Tower, the worlds
tallest free-standing tower, for a farewell party with stun-
ning views over Toronto and Lake Ontario. At the event,
sponsored by Gyptech
in recognition of its 20th
anniversary, a number of
conference prizes were
given out, including the best
presentations based on del-
egate voting. Alfred Brosig
was awarded third place for
his dramatic presentation
on the ongoing Chinese
wallboard saga. Bob Bruce
of Innogyps was awarded
second place for his
thought-provoking speech
on disruptive innovation
in the gypsum industry.
However, the best presen-
tation prize was awarded
to Michael Schinabeck
for his eloquent summary
of the efects of a new
superplasticiser on clay-
contaminated stuccos.
Gyptech won the best ex-
hibition stand award for its
impressive purpose-built
construction in the exhibi-
tion hall. Celebrations of the
win and of the companys 20 years of Proven technology
worldwide continued into the night at the companys
popular hospitality suite back at the conference hotel.
Delegates commented on the conference:
A nice combination of work and fun;
Good job!
Good conference as usual;
All important players come together in this one
concentrated event;
Great opportunity to connect with customers;
We are glad to participate and look forward
to next year.
Where next?
Te Global Gypsum Conference has taken place around
the world, in Bangkok, San Francisco, Miami, Barcelona,
Prague, Cancun, Shanghai, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, Paris,
Las Vegas, Istanbul and in 2013 in Toronto. Te confer-
ence organisers had been asked many times to organise
the event in an up-and-coming region with plenty of
wallboard production and potential for more. With this
in mind - and also with an eye out for cost-efective hotel
accommodation, ease of access and logistics, relative ease
of visa acquisition and general reputation for efciency
- the organisers were pleased to announce at the event,
to popular acclaim, that the venue for the 14th Global
Gypsum Conference on 29-30 September 2014 will be the
Estrel Hotel in Berlin, Germany.
Also, bis Berlin: See you in Berlin!
30: Aaron Reid, left and Michael
Gramling, right, of the materials
handling guru WTW & MHC
Group smile for the camera.
31: Brad Suter, centre and
Dennis Poirier, right, on Alstoms
stand during a cofee break.
30
31 32 33
32: Trevor Wendt, far left, and
Denis MacKenzie, centre right,
networking with delegates.
33: Conform Internationals John
S Conboy, right, and Bob Pach-
mayer, left, with the companys
Quad-Taper unit.
38: The Gyptech team celebrat-
ing 20 years successduring the
Gyptech-sponsored Farewell
Party in the CN Tower.
39: High-fyers networking and
enjoying the views at 346m in
the CN Tower.
36: Bagging experts Haver Fill-
ing Systems in discussion with
visitors to the company stand.
37: Plaster engineering expert
GUPSOS was out in force again
in Toronto.
34: Henrik Lund Nielsen of
Gypsum Recycling International
discusses options with delegates
from Chiyode Ute.
35: The Johns Manville Team. From left to
right: Danny De Kock, Chris Dudeck, Jared
Cox, Anne Schaefer, Dominik Baumgaert-
ner & Tom Kendrick.
34
35
36 37
38
39
2930 SEPTEMBER 2014 Estrel Hotel, Berlin, Germany
gl bal
gypsum
14th
gl bal gl bal
- Gypsum market trends
- Cutting-edge research
- Plaster technology
- New applications
- Beyond commodity board
- Energy ef ciency
- Sustainability
The worlds
largest meeting
of gypsum professionals
- attendees from
35+ countries.
Attend the event
for technical info
and best networking
in the world of
gypsum!
Major exhibition!
Booths allocated on
frst come, frst served
basis. Contact
Paul Brown
for enquiries.
gl bal
gypsum
MAGAZINE
The annual Global Gypsum Conference is well-known around the world as the
largest meeting of gypsum professionals and as the must-attend gypsum event. The
conference in 2014 will meet in the buzzing new capital of Germany - and will appeal
to gypsum and wallboard producers from around the globe.
If your business is gypsum, you must attend!
Details and registration: globalgypsum.com
Twitter: #globalgypsum
Berlin 1 page.indd 1 08/01/2014 16:44
Forbo Siegling has developed
a new forming and setting belt
for the gypsum board industry.
Thin but strong New
plasterboard belts
from Forbo Siegling
Forbo Siegling
F
orming belts have an average length of 140-220m
with a width of approximately 1500mm. Consider-
ing a specifc belt weight of around 11kg/m a single belt
can easily amount to 3t or more.
New materials
Te retention time on the forming and setting belts is
used to pre-cure the gypsum before it is transferred to
a drying channel. Te technology to produce gypsum
boards this way is not new at all, the innovative
aspect is the material of Forbo Sieglings new belt.
Whereas in the past mainly rubber belts have
been used to fulfl this task Forbo Siegling has
started to replace rubber belts and conventional
PVC belts by 9mm thick PVC belts with a two
ply fabric inside. It ofers an extremely fat and
hard surface. Tis special and extremely strong
polyester fabric ensures low elongation and high
stifness, which are essential for an excellent
production process and minimal downtimes. Op-
timum fatness, low friction and exact thickness
accuracy make this belt a unique product.
Fast and reliable repairs
One of the top arguments for plant-operators
regarding the selection of a new belt is the possi-
bility of fast and reliable splicing and easy repairs
to the belts surface. Scratches and holes from the
production process using rubber belts lead to tre-
mendous quality problems in gypsum wallboards
and could hardly be repaired at all. With the new
Forbo Siegling PVC belt these repairs can be
Above: Low sag, no re-tensioning, no shortening: Siegling Transilon plasterboard belts are dimensionally stable and ofer
optimum stress-strain values.
Above: Unwinding a new
plasterboard belt from
Forbo Siegling.
carried out afer a short training session as a
Do-It-Yourself job and it only takes a matter
of a few minutes.
Siegling Transilon plasterboard belts are
dimensionally stable and ofer optimum
stress-strain values. Te belts are tensioned
and tracked only once during the run-in
period. Due to the high-tech fabric tension
member there is no need to re-tension them.
All belts are 100% quality controlled and
shipped either as endless belts ex-works
from Hanover, meaning the belts are spliced,
or they can be delivered as roll material to
the customers site, ftted and spliced on the
conveyor system.
Planning and operation
Forbo Siegling ofers customised support, not
just when ftting the belts but also at the plan-
ning stage. On-site pre-inspections ensure the
belt replacement project is prepared properly.
And this well-coordinated planning can mean
a belt replacement in 48 hours. Furthermore a team
of committed experts is at customers disposal at all
times. Forbo Siegling has supplied its belting technol-
ogy to major plasterboard producers like Knauf and
Saint-Gobain as well as to OEMs like Gyptech and BSH
Grenzebach for many years.
In addition to Siegling Transilon plasterboard belts,
Forbo Siegling also supplies the entire belting range for
making plasterboards, such as for example: Taper edge
belts in customised designs, modular belts for heavy-
duty stack conveying or conveyor and processing belts
for almost every application.
Below: Fast and reliable splicing with highly-specialised equipment. The time required for splicing is substantially shorter compared to conventional rubber belts.
Above: Low friction: The
surface of Siegling
Transilon plasterboard
belts has a particularly
low friction coefcient.
GLOBAL INSULATION NEWS
Building Science Corporation study shows air
sealing is essential for all insulation types
US: The Building Science Corporation (BSC) has released a report
detailing the results of a multi-year insulation research project.
The most signifcant fnding from the report is that sealed walls of
the same R-value perform equally well regardless of the type of in-
sulation used. The study entailed a baseline set of seven test walls
using various insulation types including fbreglass, cellulose, spray
foam and extruded polystyrene. Other selected highlights from the
report include:
When walls are constructed with the same installed R-value in
the stud space and are air sealed both inside and outside, they
exhibit essentially the same thermal performance regardless of
the type of insulation material used.
All of the reference test wall assemblies were subjected to sig-
nifcant temperature diferences. Natural convective looping
was not noted in any of the wall assemblies.
Conventional energy models may over-predict the negative
energy impact on walls that have a signifcant interaction efect
(e.g. air moving through insulation).
All wall assemblies experienced a loss in thermal performance
due to air movement through the assembly. This is true for
Plastic foam demand mounting healthy recovery
US: The demand for plastic foams is forecast to rise by 4.1%/yr to
3.90bn kg in 2017, valued at US$24.7bn. The market will mount a
healthy recovery from the declines posted during the recession-
impacted 2007-2012 period, according to a report by The Freedonia
Group Inc.
Packaging will remain the leading outlet for plastic foams to 2017,
accounting for nearly one-third of total volume. Increased levels of
housing construction combined with rising consumer spending lev-
els bode well for foams used in household products such as bedding,
furniture and appliances. In the motor vehicle market, advances will
be promoted by rising vehicle output and eforts to enhance safety
and comfort.
Flexible polyurethane foam, the leading resin in the plastic foams
market, will remain the dominant product throughout 2017, outpac-
ing demand for rigid polyurethane, based on especially rapid growth
in the bedding and carpet underlay markets. Strong gains for rigid
polyurethane foam will be propelled by a healthy rebound in con-
struction activity and by changes in building codes and construction
practices that call for structures with increasing energy efciency.
However, polyurethane foam insulation will continue to encounter
competition from fbreglass and polystyrene foam.
Polystyrene accounts for almost two-ffths of demand for plastic
foam and will maintain a sizable share of the market until 2017 based
on its excellent protective and insulating capabilities, moisture re-
sistance and low cost. However, advances in the large packaging
sector will be restricted by ongoing solid waste disposal concerns re-
garding the use of disposable foam products and rising competition
from paper-based materials, which are viewed as more eco-friendly.
Expanded polystyrene foam is projected to see more rapid gains
in the period to 2017, stemming primarily from its use in insula-
tion, moulded foam protective packaging and insulated shipping
containers. Expanded polystyrene geofoam is predicted to exhibit
especially rapid growth, albeit from a relatively small base.
30 global insulation SECTION January 2014
Paroc opens Russian insulation plant
Russia: Finnish insulation producer Paroc opened an
insulation plant in Tver, Russia in December 2013. The
plant will primarily produce materials for the Russian
market but technical insulation materials will also be
exported to European Union members, according to
Russian media.
The demand for insulation is likely to increase in
Russia. The growth here has been even more rapid than
in Europe, said Kari Lehtinen, CEO of Paroc Group. Our
share of the Russian market is about 2%. After launch-
ing production at full capacity, we are planning to
control 7-8% of the Russian market.
The new plants location was chosen because of the
railway links between Tver, near Moscow, and St Peters-
burg. Parocs new plant will be the third Finnish plant in
the Tverskaya Oblast region of Russia. Paroc purchased
the former mineral wool plant in late 2011 and has
rebuilt around 90% of the production machinery. Cur-
rently 150 workers are employed by the plant and Paroc
plans to increase that number to 400 by 2015 and to
600 when development of the site is complete.
Superglass Holdings sales down 22.5%
UK: Superglass Holdings reported that its revenue fell
by 25% year-on-year to Euro29m in its fnancial year
that ended on 31 August 2013. In the UK-based mineral
wool producers preliminary results statement, chief
executive Alex McLeod conceded that the company
had faced extremely challenging trading conditions.
The transition from CERT to ECO/Green Deal has
caused a major gap in activity within the retroft mar-
ket for both loft and cavity insulation. Combined with
abnormally low levels of house-building activity in the
UK by historical standards of new unit construction de-
spite recent early signs of recovery, the net efect has
been a surplus of UK-based insulation manufacturing
capacity and highly competitive market conditions,
said McLeod. In Superglass fscal 2013 its operating
loss grew to Euro13.2m from Euro2.98m in the 2012
fscal year.
Both McLeod and chairman John Colley highlighted
Superglass capital investment programme, Project
Phoenix, which delivered cost savings in reduced en-
ergy consumption and waste of Euro3.36m in the 2012
2013 fnancial year. Superglass expects revenues to
recover slowly in 2014.
all of the assemblies tested, regardless of the type of
insulation material used (e.g. cellulose, fbreglass, open
cell spray foam, closed cell spray foam or extruded
polystyrene.)
Commercially available 2D and 3D heat transfer models
provided good predictions of thermal bridging in the
assemblies tested, as did the parallel path method de-
scribed in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals and
other texts.
A profound knowledge of the products and production methods
within the industry
Solutions specially adapted to customer requirements
Proven technology and concepts ensuring high availability
In-house design, programming, production, test and installation
Our long experience in management of complex projects
Our global presence
WHEN CHOOSING QUBIQA AS YOUR
SUPPLIER YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM:
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MACHINERY FOR THE
INSULATION INDUSTRY
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CS12
INTELLIGENT LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS
FOR THE INSULATION INDUSTRY
GLOBAL INSULATION NEWS
32 global insulation SECTION January 2014
Paroc rejig to create 40 jobs in Sweden
Sweden/Finland: Mineral wool producer Paroc Group in-
tends to relocate its manufacturing of technical insulation
and acoustic products from Lappeenranta, Finland to its
plants in Hllekis and Skvde, Sweden creating 40 new
jobs in Sweden. The company is investing approximately
Euro8.06m in Hllekis and Skvde, according to the
Finnish business news service Esmerk.
Owens Corning builds 2.7MW captive
solar plant
US: Owens Corning has completed the construction of
a 2.7MW solar power plant for its thermal and acousti-
cal insulation facility in Delmar, New York. Constellation
Energy, part of Exelon Corp, funded, constructed and
will operate the solar facility. The project was de-
veloped under the NY-Sun initiative, which is being
administered by the New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority.
Owens Corning will buy the power generated by
the plant under a 20-year power purchase agreement
(PPA) with Constellation. The facility consists of 9000
ground-mounted panels and is expected to produce
about 3.3BWh/yr of power, ofsetting about 2339t of
carbon dioxide (CO
2
) emissions. It will cover over 6% of
the electricity requirements of Owens Cornings insula-
tion facility.
NASA to test integrated multi-layer insulation in
2015 space mission
US: The National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA)
Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) will test integrated
multi-layer insulation (IMLI) in 2015. Quest Thermal Group LLC will
manufacture the insulation under a subcontract from Ball Aerospace
& Technologies Corp. Quest is developing the technology under small
business innovative research (SBIR) contracts to NASA.
Conventional insulation was necessary for the GPIM spacecraft,
and now we can fy a section of the IMLI at no extra cost to the
program and prove it for operational use, said Jim Oschmann, vice
president and general manager for Balls Civil Space and Technology
business unit.
GPIM is a project for NASAs Technology Mission Demonstration
(TDM) programme managed by NASAs Space Technology Mission
Directorate (STMD). The primary purpose of the mission is to demon-
strate the viability of an alternative propulsion system for spacecraft
other than hydrazine by fying a green propulsion system.
JM rolls out mineral wool ofering
US: Johns Manville (JM) has added commercial and residential
mineral wool to its full spectrum of insulation products, allowing
customers to meet an even broader range of project demands.
JM mineral wool is made from inorganic fbres using an advanced
manufacturing process that ensures a high-fbre density and a low
amount of shot material, resulting in consistent product quality and
performance. JM is a manufacturer that ofers compression packag-
ing for mineral wool products for efcient storage and transport.
Mineral wool is a great addition to JMs already robust line of
insulation products, said Fred Stephan, senior vice president of
Insulation Systems at Johns Manville. Building occupants beneft
from acoustically superior environments, moisture protection and
increased fre performance. Contractors also enhance their bottom
line because its rigid for accurate cutting and ftting, compressed
and durable for easy transport and requires zero downtime
during installation.
JMs line of mineral wool products will include: TempControl
Batts and Sound & Fire Block Batts, which are lightweight, non-com-
bustible and contribute to high fre-resistance ratings in wood-stud
cavities; MinWool Sound Attenuation Fire Batts for noise control
in metal stud wall cavities of interior partitions, foor cavities and
above suspended ceiling systems; MinWool Safng insulation, which
creates a fre-rated seal when installed between the spandrel panel
and foor slabs in commercial curtainwall systems and prevents
fame and smoke from passing through openings that penetrate fre
rated assemblies; MinWool Curtainwall provides fre resistance and
thermal properties in glass, metal and masonry curtainwall spandrel
systems and can be placed between or over framing members.
California to review use of toxic fame-
retardants in building insulation
US: Californian governor Jerry Brown has signed into law
bill AB 127 that directs the California State Fire Marshal to
consider fre safety without the use of toxic fame retard-
ant chemicals, now commonly used in building insulation.
The bill does not ban the use of chemicals such as a Hexa-
bromocyclododecane (HBCD) but it does encourage a
reduction in their use.
The Californian State Fire Marshal, in consultation with
the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home
Furnishings and Thermal Insulation will review the fam-
mability standards for building insulation materials. The
State Fire Marshal may propose, by 1 July 2015, for con-
sideration by the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission, updated insulation fam-
mability standards whose objectives include maintaining
overall building fre safety.
Rhino Linings acquires Expo Stucco
US: Rhino Linings Corporation has acquired the assets of Expo
Industries Inc, a San Diego-based manufacturer of Expo Stucco
interior and exterior stucco products, sealers, bonders, patch
products and plaster mixes.
The acquisition expands Rhino Linings line of building prod-
ucts, which already includes waterproofng products, spray
polyurethane foam insulation, decorative concrete and epoxy
fooring systems.
Expo Stucco is a well-respected and recognised leader in
the building industry, said Pierre Gagnon, president and CEO
of Rhino Linings Corporation. Since Expo Stucco blended and
packaged our Concrete Solutions bag mixes, we are now able
to bring product packaging in-house and expand our line of
building products. We are also excited about the opportunity to
expand name recognition and sales for the Expo Stucco brand.
Diana Fisler, Johns Manville
globalinsulation section
Fire retardants in building insulation
34 globalinsulation SECTION January 2014
Thermal insulation for building envelopes is a great beneft to the environment. It
increases occupant comfort and saves energy at the same time. However, energy
efciency should not be achieved at the expense of building safety and durability, so
the fre resistance of building materials and assemblies must always be a priority in
building construction. Certain thermal insulations, including some of the most highly
insulating foams, need added fre retardants to meet building codes and ensure
building and occupant safety. These are also required to meet fre safety during
transportation, storage and construction. Various types of thermal insulations and
fre retardants are discussed as well as new developments in the area.
Introduction
Buildings consume about 40% of the worlds primary
energy according to the International Energy Agency.
Building codes in North America and Europe address
this fact with increasing requirements for thermal insu-
lation among other measures for building construction.
Tese requirements and increased energy awareness
drive builders and building owners towards higher lev-
els of thermal insulation and better-performing thermal
insulations, including foam plastics. Tis helps with the
future of energy stability and the health of our world.
Building codes have a long history. Te frst building
code was the code of Hammurabi, the Babylonian King,
around 1700BC, perhaps better known for the concept
of an eye for an eye.
If a builder builds a house for someone, does not con-
struct it properly and the house which he built falls in and
kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
Many of the modern building codes evolved as a re-
sult of devastating fres in urban areas from as far back
as the 17th Century. From the great fre of London (See
Figure 1), which was estimated to
have destroyed the homes of 70,000
of the citys 80,000 inhabitants at
the time, to the Dupont hotel fre in
Puerto Rico in 1986, responsible for
97 deaths, these large events have
inspired reform to building require-
ments throughout the world.
It is clear from history that building codes addressing
human safety and building durability are far more fun-
damental than those requiring energy efciency. Energy
efciency in homes is important but not at the cost of
compromising safety or survival of occupants or of the
building itself.
Worldwide, most countries regulate the fre resist-
ance of building components, assemblies or both. Te
fre-resistance may be measured by laboratory material
tests of ignition, fame spread, smoke and gas develop-
ment, heat release rate and the occurrence of droplets
or particles.
Smoke kills more people than fre. Smoke can kill by
sufocation and by inhalation of toxic fumes. However,
fre spreads rapidly and the rate of fame spread is also
an important metric used to understand and quantify
fre safety. Laboratory tests for both smoke density and
fame spread rate are used by building code developers
to predict the contribution of those materials to fres
in residential and non-residential buildings. In the
United States and Canada a fame tunnel (the Steiner
Above - Figure 1: The Great
Fire of London, 1666.
tunnel ASTM E-841) test is one of the many tests used
to qualify insulation materials (See Figure 2) to meet
stringent building fre codes. Tis material test quanti-
fes fame spread and smoke density but not heat release
rate or the characteristics of the smoke.
For commercial buildings, whole wall assembly tests
are sometimes required, in which fame spread and heat
release rate are quantifed. In Europe, construction ma-
terials other than foor coverings are classifed as A - F
using several tests, including those measuring non-com-
bustibility, heat release rate, a simulated corner burn test
and an ignition test. In all cases these laboratory tests
attempt to give a classifcation
for use in building codes as to
how a given material or assembly
will behave in the event of a fre.
However tests under controlled
conditions can never capture the
full complexities of a fre in a real
world building structure.
The fre cycle and
fre retardants
2
Fire retardants are added to com-
bustible materials to prevent fres
from starting and limit the spread
of fre and the development of
smoke. Some fre retardants
work efectively alone, whereas
some act in combination with
other fre retardants by multiple
mechanisms. Fire retardants work to stop or delay fre.
However, depending on their chemical makeup, they in-
teract at diferent stages of the fre cycle. Tis is because
fre is the result of only three components:
Heat;
Fuel;
Oxygen.
However, the fre cycle itself is quite complex. Te
initial ignition source can be any energy source, such as
heat, a spark, radiation or a small fame.
Te heat produces fammable gases from the pyrolysis
(breakdown) of the fuel material. Te fame-less burn-
ing of the solid residue (char) lef behind by pyrolysis
is called smouldering. During this phase, materials will
slowly smoulder, sometimes for a long period of time.
Smouldering materials can self-extinguish, especially if
the char creates a carbonated barrier between the fame
and the underlying material, preventing oxygen from
reaching the combustible material and fammable gases
from further contributing to combustion.
Te fammable gases released from the material are
mixed with oxygen from the air in the gas phase. Te
right ratio between these gases and oxygen leads to igni-
tion of the combustible material. Te combustion leads
to a production of heat that is spread out and fed back.
Tis heat feedback further pyrolyses the material and
keeps the combustion cycle going.
To break the combustion cycle, one or more of the
three components must be removed. Tis can be accom-
plished in several ways:
Disrupt the combustion stage of a fre cycle. Halo-
genated fre retardants work in the gas phase of the
fre by trapping radicals that propagate thermal
oxidation reaction in the fame, i.e.: they perform
as radical scavengers. Te exothermic processes
that occur in the fame are thus stopped, the system
cools down and the supply of fammable gases is
reduced and eventually completely suppressed.
Limit the process of decomposition by physically
insulating the available fuel sources from the ma-
terial with a fre-resisting char layer. Common
char-formers are based on organo-phosphorus
materials. Intumescents are a special type of char
former that expand in volume provide an insulat-
ing, fre-resisting layer.
Dilute the fammable gases and oxygen concentra-
tions in the fame formation zone by introducing
water, nitrogen or other inert gases. Examples are
melamine and hydrates such as aluminium trihy-
drate and magnesium hydroxide.
Understanding the physics and chemistry of the fre
cycle makes it clear what needs to be done to prevent
the ignition and spread of fre. However, doing this in
practice can be a complex task, when the structure of the
material, interactions and fuel load must be considered.
Fire resistance of insulation materials
For the purposes of discussing fre safety, thermal in-
sulation can be considered to be either combustible or
non-combustible.
Mineral wool and fbreglass
Naturally incombustible insulation materials include
mineral wool, fbreglass, silica aerogels, calcium silicate,
perlite and cellular (foamed) glass. Mineral wool (See
Figure 3) and fbreglass are the most popular building
globalinsulation SECTION January 2014 35
Left - Figure 2: View inside
a fre-testing tunnel.
insulation materials worldwide. In
Europe mineral (or stone) wool and
fbreglass are generally classifed
as A2, meaning they will not con-
tribute signifcantly to fre growth.
Tis is because they are composed
of inorganic materials that can-
not provide fuel for the fre cycle.
Mineral wool and fbreglass may
generate a small amount of smoke
from organic binder content, but
are generally resistant to burning. If
fbreglass includes a cellulosic fac-
ing material, that material and the associated adhesives
may be combustible.
Organic fbrous insulations
Combustible organic fbrous insulations include wood
fbre boards and cellulose and natural fbres such as
wool. Most cellulosic insulations employ boric acid and
sodium borate as fre retardants at levels up to 10-15
weight %, which promote char formation. Cellulosic
materials are particularly prone to smouldering com-
bustion, which borates are highly efective at inhibiting.
Boric acid is historically thought to be a relatively benign
fre retardant, but it was recently added to the REACH
list Substances of Very High Concern.
10
Foam plastics
Combustible materials can include combustible plas-
tic foams and combustible fbrous insulations. Of the
combustible foams, the fammability varies according
to the underlying chemistry. Termosetting or curing
foams are generally more stable at high temperatures
than thermoplastic foams, which can sofen or melt at
high temperatures. Some of the basic foam chemistries
encourage char formation, which, in conjunction with
thermosetting, helps the formation of a stable char layer
that can resist further combustion.
Te type of blowing agent that creates the foam
structure and remains in the foam cells also afects
the relative combustibility. Polystyrene, polyurethane
(PUR), and polyisocyanurate (PIR) blown with pentane
are relatively more combustible, while polyisocyanurate
with non-combustible blowing
agents, phenolic, polyimide and
melamine foams are less combus-
tible.
Polystyrene
Extruded and expanded poly-
styrenes (See Figure 4) are used
extensively throughout the world
for thermal insulation. Tese foams
are lightweight, good thermal insu-
lators and inexpensive. However,
they are also thermoplastic, mean-
ing they will melt above a certain temperature and they
require fre retardants to meet most fre standards.
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDs) is a highly
efective additive (non-reactive) halogenated fre retard-
ant for polystyrene foam thermal insulations. However,
the European Union announced in 2011 that it is ban-
ning HBCD.
4
Te ban will take efect by mid-2015
and be implemented through the European Unions
REACH programme (Registration, Evaluation, Author-
isation and Restriction of Chemicals).
5
Te US shares
Europes concern. Since August 2010 HBCDs have been
included in the EPAs List of Chemicals of Concern.
6

Te polystyrene industry has announced that it has
an alternative solution, a brominated long chain fre
retardant available under license from Dow Chemi-
cal Company. Te longer polymer chain is intended to
make the chemical less bioaccumulative. Te manufac-
turer claims the chemical has been extensively tested
and is a non-PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic).
Polyisocyanurate (PIR)
Rigid polyisocyanurate foams (See Figure 5) are ther-
mosetting materials, meaning that they cure and are
thus more resistant to high temperatures. Tese are
generally more thermally stable than polystyrene,
but still usually require fre retardants to meet world
building fre standards, as they ofen contain a blowing
agent with low global-warming potential, but that is
relatively fammable.
Tese typically use chlorinated fre retardants like
tris-(2-chloro-1-methylethly)-phosphate (TCPP).
TCPP has a dual function as a halogenated fre retard-
ant and a phosphorus char-former. Te European
Union recognises the diference between brominated
and chlorinated fre retardants and that some chlorin-
ated fre retardants may be less biopersistant and toxic
than brominated, while the US environmental commu-
nity has tended to use a more broad brush approach
when considering halogenated fre retardants to be
potentially hazardous.
In 2008, the EU found, Tere is at present no need
for further information and/or testing (for TCPP) and
no need for risk reduction measures beyond those
which are being applied already. In addition, the risk
assessment concluded that TCPP should not be consid-
ered a PBT because it does not meet all PBT criteria.
7
In contrast, environmental and public health advo-
cates in the US point out there is a lack of studies on the
Right - Figure 3:
Mineral wool.
Below - Figure 4: Poly-
styrene foam insulation.
persistence of TCPP. In addition, TCPP is used com-
monly in fexible foams (such as are used in couch
cushions), which are a more-likely cause of chemical
exposure than thermal insulations. For these reasons,
there are studies in progress to evaluate the safety
of TCPP.
9
Spray polyurethane
Polyurethane spray foams (See Figure 6) are com-
bustible and require fame retardants to meet fre
standards. Tese insulations generally use reactive
brominated fre retardants rather than additive bro-
minated fre retardants, in conjunction with TCPP.
Te European Union recognises that reactive bro-
minated fre retardants may provide less exposure
of the chemical to the environment than additive
brominated retardants, as the fre retardant is bound
to the insulation material, while the US research com-
munity does not tend to distinguish among brominated
fame retardants.
The future of environmental regulation
Halogenated fre retardants are coming under increas-
ing scrutiny worldwide because of the ability of some of
them to persist in the environment, people, and animals.
On 27 March 2013, the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) announced that it would, begin assess-
ments on 23 commonly used chemicals, with a specifc
focus on fame retardant chemicals, in order to more
fully understand any potential risks to peoples health
and the environment. Tis efort is part of the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan which iden-
tifes commonly used chemicals for risk assessment.
11
Decabromodiphenyl ether (Decabrom), a highly
efective fre retardant, has already been voluntarily
phased out by manufacturers afer being banned in sev-
eral locations in the US.
Some environmental groups and green building
standards propose loosening fre codes in the US be-
cause insulation is not directly exposed to fame. Tis
proposal is controversial because the new language
would rely on the building assembly to prevent fre
from accessing non-fame retarded materials. Industry
representatives argue that materials are not protected
during construction or may be exposed, in confict with
codes. Tis could lead to millions of dollars in property
damage, or worse, loss of life, regardless of codes written
around assemblies.
What is clear is that certain types of halogenated fre
retardants have been and are being eliminated in build-
ing products, and that all chemical fre retardants will
be scrutinised by the public for their safety for people
and the environment. Te industry has responded and
continues to respond by looking for alternatives.
However, proposals to eliminate all halogenated fre
retardants are being put forward, even where there are
published reports from REACH as to their safety. In
some cases, exposure route and level is being carefully
considered in addition to chemical toxicity, as is scien-
tifcally valid. Meanwhile in other cases, whole classes of
chemicals are coming under suspicion. A broad brush
is being applied, which could endanger public safety in
buildings, where a more targeted, peer-reviewed scien-
tifc approach would make more sense.
Recent research developments patent aurvey
Troughout the last 30 years there have been over 3000
patents fled in which the title contains fame or fre
retardant, but only 6% of these related to thermal in-
sulation. However, in the past fve years, there has been
an increase in insulation-related fre-retardant patents,
rising to nearly 10%.
A search of patents from 2008 - 2013 was conducted
for those mentioning fame or fre retardants for ther-
mal insulation including the words non-halogenated,
to determine what innovations are being patented in
response to some of the environmental and safety con-
cerns. A total of 10 patents were uncovered that were
directly applicable to insulation materials. Most of these
were aimed at polyurethane foams and either improve
thermal stability of the polyol segment, thus making it
more fre resistant and char-forming, or they explore
various phosphorus-based chemistries.
globalinsulation SECTION January 2014 37
Left - Figure 5:
Polyisocyanate foam.
Below - Figure 6: Spray
polyurethane foam.
Published research
A literature search on non-halogenated fre retardants
reveals over 22 publications in the last 20 years that men-
tion thermal insulation. Specifc non-halogenated fame
retardants mentioned in the enclosed citations include
ammonium polyphosphate (2 references) expandable
graphite (an intumescent) (3) amorphous sodium po-
lyborate (2), melamine compounds (inert atmosphere
and char-former) (1) organoclays/nanoclays (hydrates)
(2) and a variety of phosphorus-based compounds (6).
Most of the scholarly articles focus on fnding non-
halogenated fre retardants for polyurethane foams.
Conclusion
Some thermal insulations are naturally incombustible
making added fre retardants unnecessary for acceptable
fre-resistance performance within buildings envelopes.
However, some of the better thermally insulating ma-
terials available are foam plastics that require an added
fre retardant. Halogenated fre retardants are some of
the most efective but there are pressures throughout the
world against the use of certain classes of brominated
fre retardants.
Tese pressures are expanding in certain cases to
include all reactive halogenated fre retardants without
regard to exposure routes and levels. Some solutions to
this pressure exist, including using more environmen-
tally-benign halogenated retardants and characterising
the true exposure and risk of fre retardant chemicals
that are currently in use. Te latest research into non-
halogenated fre retardants explores phosphorus-based
retardants in combination with thermally stabilising the
basic components of the foams.
References
1. ASTM Standard E84, 2013, Standard test method
for surface burning characteristics of building materials,
ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2013,
DOI: 0.1520/E0084, www.astm.org.
2. American Chemistry Council North American
Flame Retardant Alliance, http://fameretardants.ameri-
canchemistry.com/FR-Basics.
3. American Chemistry Council North American Flame
Retardant Alliance, http://www.americanchemistry.
com/FireCycle.
4. UNEP Stockholm Convention HBCD Risk manage-
ment evaluation, http://chm.pops.int/Convention/
POPsReviewCommittee/Chemicals/tabid/243/Default.
asp.
5. Registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction
of chemical substances, http://ec.europa.eu/environ-
ment/chemicals/reach/reach_intro.htm.
6. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) action plan
summary, http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/
pubs/actionplans/hbcd.html.
7. European Union Risk Assessment Report - Tris-(2-
chloro-1-methylethyl) phosphate (TCPP), http://
ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_risk/committees/04_
scher/docs/scher_o_064.pdf.
8. Flame retardants in building insulation: a case for
re-evaluating building codes, http://saferinsulation.
greensciencepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/
Babrauskas-et-al-2012.pdf
9. Early zebrafsh embryogenesis is susceptible to develop-
mental TDCPP exposure, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pmc/articles/PMC3556627.
10. ECHA adds eight substances to the Candi-
date List for authorisation, http://echa.europa.eu/
documents/10162/13583/pr_10_12_candi date_
list_20100618_en.pdf.
11. EPA website, http://www.epa.gov/oppt/ex-
istingchemicals/pubs/workplans.html.
3031 OCTOBER 2014 Copenhagen, Denmark
The popular annual Global Insulation conference will
concentrate on energy ef ciency in manufacture,
recyclability, product optimisation and installation
advances; innovation, developments and networking.
globalinsulation .com
Twitter: #globalinsulation
Organised by:
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Excellent networking and business
opportunities. If your business is
insulation, you should attend!
Making the
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Delegates
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2013 exhibitors included:
ACC
CNBM
EFRA
Gamma Meccanica
Grenzebach
Izoteh
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Kaibel & Saibel GmbH
Lachenmeier
LIMAB
Mnstermann
PremierTech
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STM
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Who should attend?
insulation manufacturers
equipment suppliers
equipment buyers
additive companies
consultancies
researchers
distributors
associations
legislators
Materials covered:
mineral wool,
polyurethane, cellulose,
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polystyrene, VIPs and
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I
remember going to a business development meeting
where some sage person opined that You need to fnd
a niche small enough so that you can expand to fll it,
but not so small that there is no business in it. A niche,
for the uninitiated, is a small space, sometimes cave-like,
sometimes occupied by a religious icon, also any small
cavity-like physical space or specialised subject area
or concept. I wonder if we might usefully think of the
building materials industry as a series of niches? Let me
explain.
Wallboard - sometimes called gypsumboard, or
gypsum wallboard - has found itself a magnifcently
well-appointed niche, with enough space for many man-
ufacturers to make a living. Te product itself started out
as a more-or-less unspecialised product for the covering
of interior walls in situations where specialised charac-
teristics were not required. Plenty of these commodity
boards are still produced around the world, at the easier
end of the spectrum of boards to make.
Wily and business-savvy producers, however, have
periodically innovated to invade other niches (and to
avoid being so dependent on the wafer-thin margins and
vagaries of the market for the perennially over-supplied
commodity boards). Commodity board has morphed
into moisture-resistant board, specialised fre-resistant
board, acoustic-attenuation board, impact-resistant
board, air-quality improvement board, fexible boards,
sag-resistant boards, condensation-management boards
and now light or even ultra-light versions of practically
all of these diferent types of boards.
Not only can you source boards with each of these
characteristics, but you can also buy boards with combi-
nations of these characteristics. For example, USG lists
more than 30 diferent types of boards and panels on
its web site.
1
Te permutations are almost endless (its
worth remembering that the total number of possible
diferent moves in a game of chess is higher than the
total number of atoms in the universe
2
). Each of these
specialised boards has its own niche - and some of the
more specialised niches are quite small. Te question
must be, for marketers and for producers, which niches
are too small to try to fll - which niches are too small to
try to make a viable business in?
Now, add in the possibility that wallboard might be
required to exhibit all these specialised characteristics
as well as some form of insulation performance as well
and the niches and micro-niches will make the mind
boggle. At the recent Global Gypsum Conference in
Toronto I had the good fortune to handle a piece of
wallboard that incorporated aerogel
3
- a synthetic po-
rous ultra-lightweight material with record-breaking
insulation properties. Whether aerogel is ultimately
incorporated into wallboard as millimeter-sized gran-
ules or as nanometer-sized powder, the possibility of
a further multiplication of board types (and entry into
further micro-niches) is obvious.
At AlitInforms MixBuild conference in Moscow at
the end of November, I saw a number of presentations
that might signal even weirder board recipes, perhaps
incorporating calcium sulphate cements or metakaolin
mixes. At the upcoming 1st Global Boards Conference
4

in London (30-31 January), we will showcase cement-
based boards: Everything from near pure cement
boards to wood-based boards with exotic mixtures of
cement, gypsum and a plethora of additives.
5
As previ-
ously reported in this magazine
6
, boards may yet come
with sprayed-on solar panels, or with continuously
variable insulation values (that could be automatically or
remotely controlled according to environmental factors
like solar gain, temperature or wind speeds). It seems
that there are nearly as many diferent types of board as
there are possible applications.
From our involvement in the insulation industry,
we can also see that there is innovation pressure there
as well, with the main insulation types (mineral wools,
organic-based systems) progressively adding not only
specialised characteristics (fre-resistance, air quality im-
provement, lower density) but also new physical forms.
When insulation that has previously only or mainly been
available as stif boards becomes available as fexible
blankets, or vice-versa, or which has been produced as
granules but becomes available as boards or blankets (or
as components in board systems), then the niches that
we have previously been sure of as being large enough
for a viable business to exist in suddenly seem a little
smaller - or at least more crowded.
1: http://www.usg.com/content/usgcom/en/products-solutions/products/
interior-panels/panels-&-drywall.html
2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_number
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel
4 http://www.GlobalBoards.com
5 http://www.globalcement.com/magazine/articles/825-cement-boards-101
6 Global Insulation Conference 2013 Reviewed, Global Gypsum Magazine
November 2013, pp34-39.
Dr Robert McCarey, Managing Editor, Global Gypsum Magazine
The Last Word
When is a niche a niche and when is a niche not a niche?
COMMENT
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Schenck Process 6
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China | Phone: +86 21 6126-8000 | info.gs@grenzebach.com
www.grenzebach.com
grenz_Anzeige_Steinwolle_210x297.indd 1 26.02.13 12:48
Upgrade or Turnkey:
Global Solutons for Wallboard Equipment
Well built, long-lasting, value-added Gyptech
machines will serve your plant well into the
future. For details, call: +1 (905) 567-2000.
Our custom designs are built for lower
power consumption to reduce energy
needs. We are committed to ensuring your
companys cleaner, greener future.
Whatever your need; a complete turnkey
greenfeld plant or an improvement to your
existing facility, Gyptech is the right choice.
Equipment & Large Plants
Think Green
www.gypsumtechnologies.com
Reduce Costs
Gyptech is committed to supplying
equipment that is energy efcient,
environmentally friendly, and cost efective.
Gyptech July 2012.indd 1 11/09/2012 15:16

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