And now for something "completely different", i.e. again: what I can expect as results of the study:
Let's see...
Personally, I have tended to confine my reasoning just to red primers used in WTC1 and WTC2, since one of the identical Bentham chips (a) to (d) was found in the dust collected before WTC7 collapse.
But, in any other dust sample we can expect even chips of red primers (and other red paints) from WTC7 and also from other WTC buildings (and perhaps even some from other sources).
We concentrated on a-d because those were the only chips we had with enough data to work with, and also the only type of chip of which there was more than one specimen known to us. And because the MEK chip was already identified as Tnemec
BasqueArch mentioned about 8 various steel primers probably used just in Twins themselves. Primers applied in other buildings were probably different, so expecting maybe even tens of various red chips in the dust is not unrealistic.
No, I think that's a misunderstanding. BasqueArch mentioned about 8 various steel
manufacturers (9, to be exact). Among these, 2 known primers were used: Two companies were required to paint Tnemec on the perimeter columns from 4th to 107th floor, and the other is LaClede. Two more companies supplied perimeter columns above the 107th and below the 4th floor - it seems reasonable to assume that they, too were required to use Tnemec.
One of the latter two also did the hat truss and all rolled beams in the core. Two more companies did the core box columns. We don't know if they had a primer spec . Finally, two more companies did basement floors and "grillages". Whatever primer they used probably didn't make it into the dust in vast amounts.
So, in addition to Tnemec and LaClede, I'd expect at most 3 more other primers, or perhaps only 1, or even 0.
From this point of view (from my point view
), Jim Millette should focus his study to dust samples collected before WTC7 collapse (if any available in his "stock").
Highly unlikely. The samples collected for the Lioy study were collected a few days after 9/11.
But, Jim Millette has a broader task, so we can expect quite a complex set of results, as regards red chips found and investigated (I think).
I am not even sure that he is even tasked with analysing red-gray chips
His original task is to answer the question "is there thermite in the dust?"
There is no good reason for starters to focus on bi-layered chips with a bright red layer. Thermite is a mix of red iron oxide and silvery-gray aluminium oxide - it would probably not even be bright red, but rather dull red.
Jim wrote that he will not screen a large amount of particles, but look for certain clues, look at individual particles, and procede according to what he happens to find. Remember he's a forensic scientist with a lot of experience with solving riddles hidden in bags of mixed stuff. I have no clear idea what his results will look like.
)- it would probably not even be bright red, but rather dull red.
