PaVerde, along with four other companies (PG Enterprises, Neo Terra LLC, Adherent Technologies, and EarthTek LLC) recently completed a New Mexico SBA-sponsored test at Sandia National lab. The goal: Pass ASTM E-119. Did we do it? Mostly. Here is what we got:

Sandia measured the products expelled from two blocks bonded together with NeoTerra's proprietary adhesive as a function of time and temperature. The usual transpiration products (water) were detected at 100 degrees C and the bonding material products (hydrocarbons) were detected around 420 degrees C. No surprises here.

The E119 test was trial run on a smaller wall of 2' x 2' x 1' thick. The wall was compressed with a load of 3000 pounds. The wall was heated on the 2'x2' face to 1000 degrees C for four hours and then sprayed with a fire hose for three minutes in its center. The wall had no burn-throughs, no collapse, and no failures as a result of the water impact. All indications were that a full size wall (100 sq feet) would pass the test.

The large wall was tested days later and did not fail, however the maximum temperature attained during the test was 500 degrees C. While encouraging, this result does not satisfy the E119 test criterion and an additional test is being requested from NMSBA sponsorship.