George C. Hawley & Associates was established in 1971 as a consulting practice for industrial minerals producers and consumers. As befits the nature of the markets, industrial minerals consulting activities are worldwide in cooperation with overseas associated consultants. Our client list includes government agencies, and large and small mining companies in USA, Canada, W. Europe, Japan, Australia and Africa.

G.C. Hawley & Associates is also called in to investigate problems related to construction methods and materials, paints and plastics, and to act as an Expert Witness in litigation proceedings. He has acted as a consultant for, and as a delegate to policy committees of the Canadian Government.

Experience spanning 5 decades

George C. Hawley has over 40 years experience in the formulation, production and processing of coatings, caulks/sealants/adhesives, plastics, and building products; and on the characterization and processing of industrial minerals to meet the technical requirements of these consumer industries.

He was Technical & Marketing Director of Suzorite Mica Products, Ltd., for 10 years, joining as Manager at the inception of this Martin Marietta joint venture. He was a key member of the team that took phlogopite from a zero sales base to world leader in mica products in plastics, oil well drilling, joint cement, coatings, friction and construction materials.

He developed the first commercial high aspect ratio mica dry production process, and directed the efforts that produced the first mica products surface treated with silanes and non silane chemicals.

Prior to Suzorite Mica, G.C. Hawley was Manager of the Physical Testing and Chemical Analysis Dept. of Warnock Hersey, then Canada's largest testing laboratory. He directed 24 chemists and technicians in laboratories devoted to Materials and Product Testing , Chemical Analysis, Plastics, Textiles and Clothing, Coatings, Fuels, Food & Drug, and Air Pollution, Water Testing and Analysis, and Cargo Survey.

Previously, he was engaged in R & D and QC of paints and plastics;

Industrial Minerals

1. mined minerals: asbestos, barite, calcium carbonate, diatomite & bentonite, feldspar, graphite, lithium, mica, micaceous iron oxide, pumice, pyrophyllite, silica, talc, vermiculite, wollastonite
2. magnesium compounds: magnesium carbonate [nesquehonite], magnesium hydroxide and oxide (by chemical extraction), forsterite (from calcination of asbestos)
3. aluminum compounds
4. synthetic silica
5. fiber-reinforced cement

Paints

1. water-based alkyd house paints; Research Chemist; Lewis Berger ( Berger, Jensen & Nicholson)
2. polyurethanes, epoxies and architectural coatings; caulks & sealants; Group Leader ; Monsanto Canada Ltd.

Plastics

1. ABS, PVC, PE ,GFRP/UP,asphalt
   - high porosity separators and cases, for lead -acid batteries ; synthetic leather; wound dressings; R&D/QC Chemist; (Chloride Group).
2. EP, PF, CF - polymer impregnated graphite brushes, friction materials, sealing rings; R&D/QC Chemist; Morgan Crucible ( Morganite Carbon)

Other

1. a) Lead casting, lead paste & battery plate pasting and forming; sulfuric acid processes.
   b) Starch compounding, calendering, swelling, hydrolysis & extraction; R&D/QC Chemist;
   Chloride Group.
2. Nuclear graphite; rocket nozzles; chemical graphite R&D/QC Chemist; Morgan Crucible ( Morganite Carbon)

Publications

G.C. Hawley has published over 50 papers on technical and marketing topics of industrial minerals and mineral-based products, including the annual articles in Mining Engineering on Mica and Wollastonite; and chapters in handbooks:-

' Aluminum Potassium Silicate' (Mica); Pigments Handbook, Wiley Interscience,1988

' Flakes'; Handbook of Reinforcements for Plastics, Van Nostrand Reinhold, NY, 1987

' Plastics'; Industrial Minerals and their Uses; A Handbook & Formulary. Noyes Publications, 1996

He has been selected to write the chapter on “ Mica” in the handbook “ Functional Fillers for Plastics” to be published in 2004 by Wiley-VCH.