The treated materials were tested at the Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook, Illinois, pursuant to U.L.'s nationally recognized test procedures. Those tests demonstrated that treated fireproofing maintained the same fire rating on columns and beams as the originally installed material. All tests performed to date used Grace's asbestos fireproofing. Project scientists, who are knowledgeable about the composition of asbestos-containing fireproofing made by others, believe the process should be effective on most of those products as well. Although most of the efforts thus far have been centered around spray-applied fireproofing, laboratory tests conducted by Grace and Brookhaven have confirmed that the digestion process should also be effective with acoustical plasters.
Grace expects to receive six patents for the new asbestos-neutralizing process.
Brookhaven has received one patent relating to the process and is applying for two others. Brookhaven and Grace also developed a new quantitative analytical method that detects chrysotile asbestos fibers in material containing as little as 0.1 percent of the fibers. Development of the technique utilized the powerful X-rays of Brookhaven's National Synchrotron Light Source, as well as conventional laboratory instruments. The development of the asbestos-neutralizing process began at Grace several years ago. Through mutual participation in the Council for Chemical Research, scientists from Grace and Brookhaven met to discuss ways that Brookhaven could participate in the research.