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Writer's pictureMarkus Sommer

A little technique

Updated: Jul 9, 2022

Who doesn't know them, the so-called "weirdos" on the Internet with their obscure theories?

Especially in Corona times there are the wildest conspiracy theories and what works with Corona could also apply to hexavalent chromium compounds.


Let's start to question the topic a little bit technically, so that it doesn't become only a steep thesis, the formation of chromium (VI) compounds with Kao's unwanted help (CaO - calcium oxide).


Let's take a look at a technical presentation by a well-known manufacturer of power generators and turbines:









Well, what do you say now?


How do you like the sentence: "The use of calcium-containing insulation.... is widespread in the industry and reflects the state of the art?


Or the sentence: "...that Cr (VI) is formed when the following four conditions are simultaneously met:


a chromium-containing maetrial is in contact with

a calcium-containing material in contact

at a temperature above 400°C and

the presence of oxygen

Steep thesis? Not at all!


Many scientific papers have dealt with the admittedly unfortunate role of Kao in various sectors:



You probably already guessed it, and yes it is true, in the insulation sector the insulation materials used have a calcium content of 15-40%, which leads to the formation of hexavalent chromium compounds after only a short period of use.


For example, a Cr 6 rapid test shows a clear result when testing plant components insulated with calcium silicate mats (calcium content between 30 and 40%):




Quick side note:


The darker the purple color, the higher the Cr6 content (manufacturer's note: "it doesn't get any darker than this", which suggests a Cr6 concentration of more than 10 micrograms).

You want to know how high the limit value of chromium (VI) is at the workplace or in drinking water?

Answer: it is one microgram!


Hard to believe, isn't it?


Would you like another picture?


Here you go:



And do you know where the parts end up when they are no longer needed?


Well, there is a small "gap" in industrial waste:


We don't know anything about chromium (VI), where there's no seeker, there's no finder.

So we call the manufacturers of the raw materials and ask!


Ohhh, insulation fabric, just a moment...


Ah, there we have it, "EAK 101103", glass fiber waste, you can hand it in almost everywhere at the recycling centers, for 50-60€ a ton.


Disposal problem solved, one worry less, get rid of it, have a nice weekend!


I almost forgot:


Stay healthy ;)




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