Gaskets are mechanical seals that fit between two surfaces. Designed to prevent leakage under pressure, they have been used in applications ranging from car engines to heating systems and boilers. Though today’s gaskets are made from carbon-based or organic materials,[1] for almost a century they were made from asbestos. Though asbestos gave gaskets strength and heat resistance, the mineral has been linked to malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, and asbestos gaskets have been blamed for thousands of deaths.
What Are Asbestos Gaskets?
Gaskets hold two things together and create a seal. They are made of two non-moving parts that are locked together. Though they can be made from a variety of materials including rubber, plastic, and metal, applications that require resistance to heat and wear require special materials that are either molded to fit or are flexible enough to fit into position and stay there as long as they don’t move against each other. Before the public became aware of the hazards, gaskets were frequently made from asbestos, which has long been prized for its ability to withstand pressure and heat.
Asbestos is an extremely versatile material that can withstand high pressure and has exceptional heat resistance, and those characteristics made it particularly attractive for industrial use. Gaskets need to be strong enough to withstand pressure without deforming under normal conditions. The ideal material has good flexibility, low density, and high tensile strength – all requirements met by asbestos.
Asbestos gaskets were used in applications that required the ability to withstand extreme temperature and pressure differentials: The material insulated the integral parts against heat and made them very durable. It had the added advantage of being inexpensive and readily available.
Where Were Asbestos Gaskets Used?
Asbestos gaskets were used by industries as diverse as shipbuilding and nuclear power plants, from automobiles to oil refineries. Any situation that required a tight seal between machinery or parts called for a gasket, and gaskets made of asbestos were considered the gold standard from the early 1900s to the 1980s and beyond.
Some of the most common uses of asbestos gaskets included:[2]
- Vehicle engines and exhaust systems – Gaskets were used to seal joints and connections in automobile and truck engines, and were especially useful in high-temperature areas like exhaust manifolds where their use protected against leaking exhaust gas and ensured the efficiency of the vehicle’s operations.
- Industrial machinery and equipment – Factories and manufacturing sites, food processing plants, petrochemical refineries, and hundreds of other environments relied on asbestos gaskets in a wide range of heavy machinery. The parts sealed joints between parts, preventing leaks and allowing the equipment to operate smoothly despite constant heat and pressure.
- Heating systems and boilers – Asbestos gaskets were critical to keeping heating systems and boilers operating safely and preventing heat from escaping between parts that were constantly exposed to extreme temperatures and pressure.
- Piping and plumbing – Preventing the escape of fluids or gases in piping and plumbing is critical to their operation, and asbestos gaskets ensured leak-proof connections of water, chemicals, and other fluids and gases. They were used in residential, commercial, and industrial applications as well as in infrastructure.
- Electrical appliances and transformers. Electrical appliances included asbestos gaskets to provide reliable seals that prevented heat from escaping.
Types of Asbestos Gaskets
There are so many applications in which asbestos gaskets were used that several different types were created. These include:[2]
- Spiral wound gaskets – These were V-shaped metal strips encompassing a soft filler material that included asbestos fibers. This type of gasket was extremely strong and durable and could withstand fluctuating pressure conditions. They were most frequently used in industrial settings for mechanical systems.
- Asbestos sheet gaskets –Asbestos fibers were blended with fillers and binders and then compressed into sheets that companies could cut or punch out into the specific shape needed for their application. Asbestos sheets provided an inexpensive way to create a tailored fit that could be curved, cut into straight edges, or molded to fit a particular part.
- Asbestos-rubber gaskets – These gaskets combined the strength and resilience of asbestos with the elasticity of rubber, providing both resilience and flexibility.
- Asbestos oval gaskets – This type of gasket combined soft asbestos fibers with a wire insert that provided shape and strength.
- Asbestos rope gaskets – Asbestos fibers were woven into a strong rope that could be used to seal the doors of boilers, furnaces, and ovens. It was generally used where gaskets needed to provide both a seal and fireproofing.
What Were the Dangers of Asbestos Gaskets?
Though gaskets made of asbestos were strong, flexible, durable, and impervious to heat and pressure, time and wear and tear led to their effectiveness being compromised, and they would require replacement. Additionally, when the equipment or parts that gaskets were installed in required repair or maintenance, the gaskets would need to be removed. Both of these processes would disturb the gaskets, and this led to the asbestos material that they were made from breaking down into microscopic particles that became airborne and were easily inhaled or ingested. This is the process that leads to the development of malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, pleural plaques, asbestosis, and other serious and deadly diseases.
According to a report published in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene, “Spiral wound gaskets consist of a crysotile asbestos filler material compressed between stainless steel spiral windings. They typically fall out as soon as the pressure on the seating surfaces has been released. Plate gaskets are compressed sheets of crysotile asbestos bound together with nitryl or neoprene. When plate gaskets have been sitting in an installation or a long period under pressure and exposed to chemical agents, they may become damaged and fixed. In order to remove them and leave a clean surface on which to put a new gasket, scraping may be required. This increases the chance of asbestos fibres becoming airborne and maintenance workers exposed.[3]
Some gaskets were comprised of 50-to-60 percent asbestos, while sheet gasket material was generally made of 80% asbestos, and asbestos rope and the filler in spiral wound gaskets was pure asbestos.[3]
In addition to the problem of occupational exposure, asbestos gaskets created an additional risk of exposure when they were improperly disposed of.
Illnesses Caused by Exposure to Asbestos Gaskets
Asbestos is a known carcinogen that has been linked to several forms of cancer and other serious illnesses. These include:
- Malignant pleural mesothelioma – A rare and deadly form of cancer that forms when asbestos fibers become embedded in the lining of the pleural cavity, causing cell death, mutation, and the growth of tumors.
- Asbestos-related lung cancer – A form of cancer caused by asbestos that leads to the growth of tumors inside the lungs.
- Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. A form of mesothelioma that develops in the abdominal cavity.
- Malignant pericardial mesothelioma. A very rare form of mesothelioma that develops in the lining of the cavity where the heart is located.
- Pleural plaques. Scarring of the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Frequently seen on chest X-rays or CAT scans as a precursor to mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis.
- Asbestosis. Scarring of the lung tissue caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. It causes shortness of breath, chronic cough, and other health effects, including a higher risk of lung infection and pneumonia.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is a group of irreversible lung diseases including emphysema and chronic bronchitis that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe. Symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, or a chronic cough.
Many asbestos-related illnesses can take years before they begin to manifest symptoms, and even longer to diagnose because of their rarity. The longer they are allowed to advance, the more difficult they are to treat.
Who Is at Risk for Exposure to Asbestos Gaskets
Because gaskets were used in so many applications, the risk of exposure extends to a wide range of occupations and industries including:
- Aircraft mechanics
- Appliance repairmen
- Auto mechanics
- Auto parts store employees
- Boiler workers
- Brake mechanics
- Chemical plant workers
- Construction workers
- Electricians
- Engineers
- Factory workers
- HVAC workers
- Machine operators/machinists
- Navy veterans
- Oil refinery workers
- Pipefitters
- Plumbers
- Power plant workers
- Shipfitters
- Shipyard workers
- Steamfitters
Additionally, hobbyists who perform their own auto and home repair are at risk of asbestos gaskets that may have been installed in their vehicles or home heaters, and wives, children, and other family members of the workers listed above were also put at risk of secondary asbestos exposure when airborne asbestos fibers settled on workers’ hair, skin, and clothing and were carried into the home.
Companies that Manufactured Asbestos Gaskets
There are dozens of companies that manufactured, sold, and distributed asbestos gaskets. These include:
- A. W. Chesterton Company
- Anchor Packing Company
- Boise Cascade Corporation
- Chemical and Power Products, Inc.
- Crane Co.
- Dana Corporation
- Durabla Manufacturing Company
- Flexitallic Gasket Company
- Garlock Packing and Garlock Sealing Technologies
- Goetze Gasket and Packing Company, Inc.
- Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Inc.Greene, Tweet & Company
- John Crane Co.
- Johns Manville
- McCord Manufacturing Company, Inc.
- Melrath Supply and Gasket Company
- Raybestos-Manhattan
- Union Asbestos and Rubber Company (UNARCO)
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation
Many of these companies have been named in personal injury lawsuits filed by or on behalf of individuals who have been sickened or killed by exposure to asbestos in their products.
Asbestos Gasket Lawsuits
Asbestos gaskets are frequently cited in personal injury lawsuits filed by those diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other illnesses. Many of these cases have resulted in significant verdicts awarded by juries. These include:
- Marlena F. Robaey ordered Felt Products Manufacturer (a/k/a Fel-Pro), the manufacturer of asbestos automotive gaskets that she had been exposed to while helping her husband in his automotive work and while laundering his asbestos-covered clothes. The jury awarded her $50 million for past and future pain and suffering and awarded her husband $25 million for loss of consortium past and future.
- Auto mechanic Al Bennett and his wife Pam were awarded $8.433 million in compensation by a St. Louis jury that found Ford Motor Company responsible for his malignant mesothelioma. The jury agreed that the company’s asbestos-containing gaskets caused his illness.
- William Phipps and his wife Linda were awarded $25 million in damages by a California jury that agreed that his malignant mesothelioma had been caused by his exposure to asbestos in Copeland Corporation’s replacement gaskets that he removed, scraped, and installed in compressors.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos Gaskets?
If you were exposed to asbestos gaskets during your career, from exposure to a loved one who worked with asbestos gaskets, or while doing your own home or auto repairs, you may be at risk for any of the asbestos-related illnesses listed above. Though you may feel healthy right now, it is important to notify your physician of your history of asbestos exposure so that they can include asbestos-related illnesses in differential diagnoses for any symptoms you may have in the future.
If you are diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, you have several options available to help you meet the challenges that lay ahead; get compensation for your expenses, pain, and suffering; and secure your family’s economic well-being in the future. An asbestos attorney can answer all your questions and explain the possibilities, including applying for veterans benefits if your exposure came during military service; filing a claim with an asbestos bankruptcy trust if any of the companies whose products you were exposed to filed for bankruptcy; and filing a personal injury lawsuit. Asbestos-related diseases are life-changing, but justice is available.
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