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Chinese Drywall Corrosion Testing 
Welcome to Matco Services, Inc.
MATCO Services, Inc. is a leading independent consulting, engineering, and testing firm specializing in the fields of failure analysis, inspection, corrosion, metallurgical engineering, cathodic protection systems, materials selection, and coatings.
MATCO has investigated a wide range of complex corrosion issues for major US and foriegn companies. Some of these projects include identification of microbiologically induced corrosion, corrosion investigations of historic structures, identification of corrosion contaminants in lubricants, and a wide variety of other complex corrosion investigations for aerospace, manufacturing, electronic, medical, and utility companies.
MATCO has recently developed a standard test method to positively identify Chinese drywall that has been found to cause corrosion of copper, brass, and silver components inside residences and businesses in the United States.
Background of Chinese Drywall Corrosion Issue
In the timeframe of 2004 – 2006 American importers imported Chinese-made drywall which was used in construction of homes throughout the United States. Drywall or sheetrock is a product composed primarily of gypsum (calcium sulfate). Some of this drywall imported during this timeframe exhibits chemical compounds which release sulfur-containing gases.
Residents and building occupants with tainted drywall have reported corrosion or tarnishing of copper and brass components inside the buildings. This includes corrosion of appliances (air conditioners, washing machines, dryers, stoves, etc.) and electronics (televisions, computers, etc.). Some occupants have even reported health effects; however no specific health hazards have been identified as of March, 2009.
The exact causes and full extent of this problem are not yet known, but it has been found that potentially thousands of homes and business in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and California may have been constructed using corrosive Chinese drywall.
Is My Home or Business Affected?
Some preliminary signs of corrosive Chinese-made drywall are as follows (note that not all Chinese or foreign-made drywalls are corrosive and that these early indicators may not accurately confirm presence or absence of potentially corrosive drywall):
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Source & Timeframe – If your house or building was constructed in the 2004-2006 timeframe and it is known that foreign-made drywall was used in construction, there is a higher chance that your drywall is corrosive. Foreign-made drywall sometimes has markings that identify it as such.
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Smell – Some of the affected drywalls have a noxious odor which has been described as smelling like rotten-egg, burnt matches, burnt motor oil, or welding flux. The corrosive gasses emitting from the tainted drywalls are known to contain sulfur. Carbon disulfide and carbonyl sulfide have been positively identified as two of these gasses and others are suspected.
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Visible Corrosion & Appliance/Electronic Failures – If copper and brass components inside your house or building exhibit a dark gray or black coating this may indicate sulfur-induced corrosion. Also, if you have experienced early failure of appliances (particularly air conditioners) or electronics, failure may have been caused by sulfur-induced corrosion of copper and brass components.
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