Asphalt, Concrete and Stone

Our asphalt, concrete and stone products bring people together through roads, railbeds and airport runways. They are often part of the homes that shelter us, the hospitals that heal us, the community and government buildings that serve us and the places of worship that uplift us. They replenish agricultural land and protect our waterways. Paint, bottles, plastics, tiles, pottery, glass and many other common articles require sand, gravel or crushed stone.

Sample Uses: Construction Materials

Stone is the building block for our construction materials business -the main ingredient in concrete and the primary component of paving asphalt. Yet stone and related products offer a wide variety of forms and uses.

Transportation: Safe, convenient transportation facilities are vital to our communities' growth and prosperity. Stone is a crucial ingredient of airport runways, railway beds and bridges. And of course well-compacted crushed stone provides drainage as well as a strong foundation for asphalt and concrete roads -from local streets to superhighways. In addition, thousands of lives have been saved by the temporary and permanent installation of concrete safety barriers.

Buildings, Buildings, Buildings: Civilization's first truly permanent dwellings were made of stone, and this is still the first choice for home building materials. Stone in various forms is the primary construction material for hospitals, schools, churches, commercial and retail centers, office buildings -from the foundation to the highest story.

Water Treatment and Storage: Stone makes possible pure, fresh water - it's used for water treatment plants, pipes and filtration systems. Concrete dams store and collect water to supply local water systems, irrigate cropland and generate inexpensive hydroelectric power.

Erosion Prevention: Concrete, riprap or armor stone is used to protect our soil and land resources as well as our highways. Riprap also lines waterways and drainage systems to prevent soil erosion.

Agricultural Lime (aglime): The proper use of aglime is one of the most important tools in successful crop production. Aglime treatment helps ensure high, profitable crop yields and long-term soil productivity.

Cleaning Up: Coal-burning power plants place limestone in their scrubbers to help remove pollutants from flue gases. Water and sewer facilities use stone and sand in their filtration systems.

Thousands of Other Uses: You don 't think of it often, but aggregates (crushed stone, sand and gravel) go into everyday products too. Bricks, wallboard, roofing tiles, paint, glass, sinks, plastics, paper, pottery, medicines, bottles and rubber use stone as an ingredient or in their manufacture. Next time you brush your teeth or clean your bathroom or polish your shoes, remember: Stone is there!

Chemicals: Chlorine

Our chemical compounds contribute directly to personal health and a clean environment. For example, almost all municipal water supplies use chlorine to purify the water we drink. Chlorine makes possible bullet-resistant vests, computer microprocessors, bicycle and football helmets, fire-resistant clothing, anesthetics, seat belts and air bags. Chlorine is used to produce pain relievers, cancer and AIDS drugs, decongestants and heart medications. About 25% of all medical equipment (IV bags, sutures, contact lenses, sterile tubing) is made from polyvinyl chloride -a chlorine-based plastic also known as PVC. The U.S. Department of Agriculture even requires a chlorine-solution sanitizing rinse for poultry processing equipment.

Other compounds help make paper towels, writing paper, fertilizers and soap. They sanitize soda bottles, refine metals, soften jeans, preserve wood, clean clothes, prepare circuit boards and control odors. They also go into items we use every day, such as refrigerators, ice ream, batteries, TV screens, cake mixes, aerosols and glue.

Chemicals: Fluorocarbon Feedstock

Our researchers and engineers have put environmental stewardship into practice by developing new feedstock products needed to manufacture ozone-friendly, third-generation fluorocarbons used to make refrigerants, insulation and fire suppressors. These environmentally friendly, non-emissive chemicals help replace chemicals such as CFCs that can deplete the earth's stratospheric ozone layer. We intend to continue our leadership in creating alternatives that are safer for the environment.

Sample Uses: Chemicals

Our primary products are chlorine and sodium hydroxide, generated simultaneously from a salt-water solution. (The hydrogen gas formed at the same time provides thermal energy.) We also manufacture considerable amounts of ethylene dichloride, hydrochloric acid and chloroform, along with smaller amounts of the other chemicals listed below.

Chlorine: Used to purify 98% of public water supplies, and to manufacture downstream products such as refrigerants, silicones, plastics, cleaning chemicals and chlorinated organic chemicals.

Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda): Largest users of caustic soda are the pulp and paper, detergent and chemical industries. Also used in the alumina, oil and gas, textile and corn syrup industries.

Hydrochloric Acid: Used to acidize petroleum wells, as a pickling and metal cleaning agent, and in ore reduction, food processing and general cleaning.

Potassium Hydroxide (Caustic Potash): Used in making soaps, detergents, potassium carbonate, deicing chemicals and other potassium chemicals. Also used as an electrolyte in alkaline batteries.

Potassium Carbonate: Markets include screen glass, specialty glass, dishwashing formulations and the fertilizer industry.

Sodium Chlorite: Applications include pulp and paper, textiles, electronics, water treatment, personal care, food processing and metal finishing. Vulcan is one of the largest U.S. suppliers of chlorine dioxide and related equipment to municipal water systems, papermaking and other industrial markets.

Methyl Chloride: Used in the manufacture of silicone products, butyl rubber, quaternary ammonium products and agricultural chemicals.

Methylene Chloride: Used in paint remover formulations, and as a general
cleaning solvent and foam-blowing agent.

Chloroform: Used in the production of pharmaceuticals and dyes and as a raw material for the production of refrigerants.

Carbon Tetrachloride: Used in the manufacture of refrigerants, and in
catalyst regeneration and incinerator testing.

Perchloroethylene: A nonflammable solvent available in several grades for vapor degreasing and as a drycleaning and general solvent; also is a catalyst regeneration agent for the production of refrigerants.

Methyl Chloroform: A feedstock to produce fluorocarbons (chemicals used to manufacture refrigerants and foam-blowing agents) and fluoropolymers (nonstick coatings for cookware, fabric stain repellents and other uses).

Ethylene Dichloride: Used as a raw material in the production of plastics.

Pentachlorophenol: Registered by EPA as a restricted-use pesticide for
industrial pressure and thermal treatment of wood.

EPA High Production Volume Chemicals Challenge Program

We were part of inaugural efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) High Production Volume (HPV) Chemicals Challenge Program. Vulcan was one of 11 companies that initially accepted a 1997 challenge by the Environmental Defense Fund to voluntarily assemble and review test data for certain chemicals, develop and provide test plans, and conduct additional testing. Following the leadership of Vulcan and these other 10 companies, most of the chemical industry now participates. We have expanded our commitment to include all the HPV chemicals we manufacture or import.

Product Stewardship Program

Product stewardship goes beyond the safe manufacture and distribution of products. It includes educating customers and distributors about proper product handling and use. The Chemicals Group's Product Stewardship Program has been successful because it has the commitment of senior management and involves sales, marketing, technical, environmental and customer service managers. We teach customers and distributors how to handle products safely by offering training on safe and proper procedures. The Product Stewardship Management Team, composed of both managers and technical professionals, meets regularly to review the effectiveness of the program, set goals and make decisions about product stewardship.

Site Class Verification Program

We have also worked with trade associations to promote product stewardship, particularly by leading development of a Site Class Verification Program through the National Association of Chemical Distributors. On-site assessments ensure chemical distributors follow responsible distribution and product stewardship practices. In 2000,more than 200 facilities were assessed by a third party to verify they had implemented regulations and followed good industry practices. Physical facilities and operations were also observed.

Federal and State "Right To Know" Laws

The Construction Materials segment has a formal procedure for complying with all federal and state right-to-know laws and for communicating safety, health and environmental information to customers. This includes material safety data sheets, information labels and product brochures.

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