Kurtis receives the Arthur R. Anderson Medal from the American Concrete Institute 

Dr. Kurtis joins a list of the world’s top concrete scholars as the winner of the Arthur R. Anderson Medal from the American Concrete Institute— recognition of her imaginative leadership and excellence in advancing knowledge about a material that’s the most-consumed product on the planet. Kurtis is just the second woman to win the medal in its nearly 50 years. 

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The development of Supplemental And Cost Cementitious Materials (SCM) by Purebase will not only help fill the supply gap created by the loss of fly ash sources, but it will also, critically provide significant impetus to achieving state and federal environmental goals related to the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Purebase intends, initially, to focus on 2 distinct SCM products. Firstly, an engineered metakaolin to serve the current market produced in the southeast region of the US. Secondly, a high volume SCM to capture the pozzolan market served by Class F Fly Ash. While fly ash supplies are diminishing, they have not completely disappeared and still serve as the principal SCM in California.

U.S. Mine Corp is a comprehensive mining and exploration company that owns and manages mining projects in the western U.S. and provides contract services to the North American mining industry. U.S. Mine Corp operates open pit and underground mining operations in the industrial minerals and precious metals sectors.  

U.S. Mine Corp’s fully-permitted Ione facility is a unique deposit of kaolin clay, high-purity silica, laterite, and lignite. The kaolin clay in Ione is the only commercially viable kaolin in the western United States. The lignite is a rare deposit of low-grade coal with unique properties (and applications.) Specifically, Montan wax can be extracted from the Ione lignite. The only other deposits in the world that can produce this unique wax are located in Amsdorf, Germany and Yunnan, China.  This lignite also has beneficial properties
in agricultural soil amenements.

What is kaolin and why is it important? Kaolin is a white clay that has many unique properties and is used in a variety of industries, both nationally and internationally. Agriculture is one such industry that takes advantage of kaolin clay.

Similar to sunscreen we use on our skin to decrease the chance of sunburn, kaolin is a natural sun protectant that is used on a variety of crops to accomplish the same goal. Sun damage can lower crop yield, reduce the value of crops, or even make crops unmarketable.

In the western United States, where sunshine and heat stress can be overwhelming during these summer months, using kaolin as a sun-protectant is a critical part of crop management. Farmers use kaolin on crops including walnuts, applies, grapes, melons, and other fruits and vegetables. These crops are worth billions of dollars in revenue each year, so it is vital that they are protected from heat stress and sun damage.

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