Asbestos Products, Suppliers and Manufacturers (Companies)

Asbestos Products

Asbestos-containing products are majorly used for construction and insulation, but the toxic mineral may also be found in many types of consumer goods. There are regulations for working on asbestos-containing materials in the U.S., but only certain asbestos products are banned.

When Americans are exposed to asbestos today, it is usually through renovation or demolition work on an old building that still contains legacy asbestos products. It less commonly happens to workers at risk of exposure to a handful of new asbestos products that remain legal to import into the U.S.

In 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency completed a risk evaluation for legal chrysotile asbestos products and found an unreasonable exposure risk to workers handling asbestos diaphragms, sheet gaskets, oilfield brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes and linings, and other vehicle friction materials.

A 2019 rule enacted by the agency states manufacturers must seek government approval before selling discontinued uses of asbestos.

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Asbestos Products and Materials

Industries in America used many types of asbestos products for construction, manufacturing and chemical refining from the late 1800s through the 1980s.

Rules and regulations passed from the 1970s through the 1990s minimized the use of asbestos, but did not completely ban it, and lawsuits discouraged companies from carrying on to use the mineral. Asbestos products are still regularly used in nations such as Russia, China, India and Mexico.

Many Americans think within themselves what products are the sources of asbestos today. According to a 2020 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, chrysotile asbestos is imported into the U.S. solely to make asbestos diaphragms for the chloralkali industry.

The report found unreasonable asbestos exposure risk for workers who handle oilfield brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes, linings and other vehicle friction products, sheet gaskets used in chemical production facilities and gaskets used in other industries.

They also discovered a risk to consumers handling gaskets and aftermarket auto brakes and linings. Asbestos has been currently discovered in contaminated talc products, including baby powder and children’s makeup.

Some old asbestos materials stay in place, including attic insulation or floor tiles in older homes. Some uses of asbestos remain active today, such as old asbestos pipes used for plumbing and laboratory equipment at universities around the country.

Industrial and Commercial Asbestos-Containing Common Products

Industrial and commercial asbestos products were used in a variety of industries by many various types of trade workers , including power generation, oil and gas, construction, automotive repair, plumbing, electricity and chemical production.

Construction workers were exposed when building homes, plumbers are exposed to asbestos pipes and insulation, electricians are exposed while repairing electrical panels and other equipment, and auto mechanics are exposed when changing brakes and clutches. Do-it-yourselfers who perform repairs on older homes and home auto mechanics handling aftermarket brake pads and clutch linings are also at risk of asbestos exposure.

Most Common Asbestos Products:

Some of the most common Asbestos products in the world today are listed below:

Automotive Parts: Brake pads, clutches, hood liners, gaskets and valves contained asbestos.

Tiles: Flooring, ceiling and roofing tiles were commonly made with asbestos. The adhesive used to lay down flooring tiles has also been a source of exposure.

Cement: Asbestos-containing cement was used in building materials because the fibers provided strength without adding much weight. Its insulating and fire-resistant properties also made the mineral an ideal substance to add to cement.

Textiles: Asbestos was used in the production of cloths and garments for its resistance to heat and corrosive elements. Some of the most common textiles included blankets, firefighter suits and rope.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 risk evaluation discovered an unreasonable danger to the health of chloralkai workers who handle raw asbestos to make diaphragms. The asbestos diaphragms work as a filter to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide. Asbestos reportedly does not end up in the final products, so the agency did not find a threat to consumers.

In February 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a 30% increase in raw chrysotile asbestos importation for the previous year to support the chloralkai industry.

The use of asbestos-containing products stretched across a number of industries. Most of the products could be categorized as either construction or automotive materials.

Industrial And Commercial Asbestos Products:

• Adhesives
• Automotive parts
• Cement
• Construction mastics & gunning mix
• Diaphragms
• Duct connectors
• Electrical components
• Felt
• Fireproofing
• Gaskets
• Insulation
• Laboratory equipment
• Plastics
• Cement sheets
• Textiles
• Tiles
• Vinyl products

Home and Consumer Asbestos-Containing Common Products

Consumers, homeowners and do-it-yourselfers have been exposed to asbestos in consumer goods and home building materials. Current DIY projects in older homes present an exposure danger to homeowners today. Do-it-yourselfers who installed their own insulation and flooring before the 1990s faced a maximum risk of dangerous asbestos exposure.

Consumers of makeup are at danger of exposure to asbestos through contaminated talc products. Unfortunately, asbestos has been detected in children’s makeup in recent years. It has also appeared in children’s toys, including crayons, clay and a fingerprint kit.

Home And Consumer Asbestos Products:

• Appliances
• Cigarette filters
• Potholders
• Ashtray coasters
• Wicking for gas ranges
• Fake snow
• Hair dryers
• Makeup
• Talcum powder
• Zonolite insulation

Uses Of Asbestos

Asbestos was used for its capability to strengthen and fireproof materials, including concrete, bricks, fireplace cement, pipes and insulation. Despite the fact that the use of asbestos has been widely eliminated since the 1980s, it can still be discovered in products such as gaskets and brake pads.

Until the 1800s, people mainly used asbestos to produce fireproof cloth in small amounts. Then, during the Industrial Revolution, large requirement arose for a material that could insulate steam engines. At the same time, the technology was evolved to easily mine asbestos and combine it with other materials.

During the 20th century, demand for asbestos products was propelled further by the shipbuilding efforts of World War II and the postwar building boom. Many veterans were exposed to asbestos during both their military service and their civilian careers.

By the 1970s, lawsuits were holding asbestos manufacturers responsible for the diseases their products had caused. Workers who in one way or the other got mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis were suing for compensation to cover medical costs and lost wages. Sadly, doctors are still searching for a treatment for every type of asbestos-related disease.

Reasons Asbestos Are Used in Products and Materials

Asbestos has isolated chemical and physical properties that make it strong and resistant to heat and chemical reaction. Its chemical composition makes it less likely to react with other compounds, and the space between its fibers reduces conduction of heat, making it resistant to fire.

Are Asbestos and Asbestos-Containing Products Banned?

Asbestos is not banned in the United States, but it is highly under control. The asbestos industry has powerful lobbying organizations protecting its profits. The toxic mineral is still majorly used in Russia, China, India and Mexico.

Presently, lot of asbestos products are banned in the U.S. through the Clean Air Act, the Consumer Product Safety Act and regulations enacted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, known as the EPA.

The EPA is evaluating legacy uses of asbestos to assess present danger to workers and the general public. It conducted a analysis of present asbestos uses and provide a final rule in 2019 forbidding new asbestos products from entering the market without a good evaluation. This have to do with once-common products such as asbestos plastic, asbestos cement and vinyl asbestos tile.

The agency endeavored to supply a ban on all asbestos products in 1989, but the U.S. Court of Pleads for the Fifth Circuit overturned the ban in 1991 under pressure from industry lobbyists. The EPA was then able to ban six asbestos products at that particular time, and the ruling did not reverse previously banned asbestos materials. Because of this, certain asbestos-containing products, such as gaskets and brake pads, are still sold in America.

By law, these products are not allowed to carry a warning label if they are less than 1% asbestos or if they will not release asbestos fibers during any reasonably foreseeable use. Though asbestos remains legal in the U.S., regulatory organizations control its use and manage its removal from older buildings.

Asbestos-Containing Products Presently Banned in the U.S

The following are list if product containing Asbestos and are currently prohibited or not allowed in the U.S:

Asbestos Materials Categories:

The Asbestos Materials can be classified into two risk categories which are listed and explained below:

Friable asbestos materials:

Friable asbestos materials are easy to break or crumble by hand. Examples include old asbestos pipe insulation and talcum powder contaminated with asbestos. These materials are dangerous because they can easily release toxic dust into the air.

Nonfriable asbestos materials:

Nonfriable asbestos materials, such as asbestos cement slabs and vinyl asbestos tiles, are durable. These products keep asbestos fibers safely trapped as long as the products are undisturbed. Sawing, scraping or smashing the product may release fibers.

Understanding the Dangers of Asbestos

Asbestos is dangerous because it’s a known carcinogen, and inhaling or ingesting it is linked to mesothelioma, asbestosis and other health problems. Although asbestos isn’t banned fully in the U.S., its use is limited. However, asbestos-containing materials (ACM) still pose a danger to the public because they were common building products in homes, schools and other structures built before the 1980s.

Asbestos abatement involves the identification, removal, repair and encapsulation of materials or products in a structure to remove the risk of exposure to toxic asbestos fibers. It’s best handled by a professional asbestos abatement company.

Common Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings

Due to the reason that asbestos doesn’t burn, it was used in many products to resist heat. The “miracle mineral” made these asbestos-containing materials valuable to the building industry.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Asbestos Products

Asbestos Suppliers and Manufacturers (Companies)

Lot of manufacturers used asbestos insulation in steam engines, piping and locomotives. Plenty of other uses later come up, and companies began putting it in products such as boilers, gaskets, cement, roofing materials and automotive brake pads.

Main suppliers of asbestos-containing products include Johns Manville, National Gypsum Company and Armstrong World Industries. Many companies involved in manufacturing and chemical-refining also relied heavily on asbestos at their facilities.

Increase In The Asbestos Industry

In the late 1800s, American companies, such as Johns-Manville, gathered great wealth by mining, manufacturing and selling asbestos-containing products.

Hundred of years later, evidence showed that Johns-Manville and numerous other companies not only knew about the potentially deadly effects of asbestos exposure but also went to great lengths to hide the information from workers and consumers.

The asbestos industry places corporate earnings over public health and the value of life.

During the middle decades of the 20th century, asbestos materials were common in U.S. industries including shipbuilding, construction, power generation and heavy manufacturing.

But a wave of personal injury claims in the 1970s drove hundreds of asbestos suppliers and companies to liquidation. Overwhelmed by claims against them, they set up asbestos trust funds to cover the costs of current and future lawsuits.

Concerns about the diseases caused by asbestos exposure prompted more than 50 nations, including the entire European Union, to ban or severely restrict asbestos use. Strict U.S. regulations took hold in the 1970s.

Asbestos Manufacturing Studies

Despite the fact that  asbestos mining has been in existed for thousands of years, it was only during the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s that the industry became prosperous. Asbestos’ natural resistance to heat, chemicals and electricity made the fibrous mineral desirable for innumerable industrial applications.

Manufacturers first integrated asbestos insulation into steam engines, piping and locomotives. lot of other uses later pop up, and asbestos manufacturers began putting it in products such as boilers, gaskets, cement, roofing materials and automotive brake pads.

Asbestos Companies Placed Earnings over Safety

By the early 20th century, some asbestos companies realized their primary source of revenue was seriously injuring employees and consumers. But instead of upgrading workplace safety standards, executives disregarded information that would damage their business and reputation.

Internal documents indicate Johns-Manville executives were informed of the risks as early as 1934. The company organized private medical studies on asbestos exposure around this time, and they kept the implication results personal. It was an asbestos cover-up that lasted decades.

Names Of Other Leading Asbestos Manufacturer

In addition to John Manville, below are the names of other Asbestos manufacturers:

Asbestos use expanded throughout World War II, largely because of military shipbuilding contracts. The U.S. government required U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels use asbestos insulation.

Decades after the war, hundreds of asbestos companies grew and succeeded by integrating asbestos in thousands of industrial and household products.

Products

During the peak era of asbestos consumption, the toxic mineral was incorporated into approximately 3,000 types of products. One of the most major commercial applications was insulation products for construction, shipbuilding and industrial manufacturing.

Countless other types of building materials were produced with asbestos, including ceiling tiles, joint compounds, cement, drywall and roofing materials. To this day, these building products have a maximum potential to deliver toxic fibers into the air during renovation and demolition work.

Asbestos has also been spun into various textile products such as rope, cloth and garments. Shipyard workers who installed asbestos insulation often wore protective gloves and aprons that also contained the dangerous ingredient.

Another leading sector that continues to use asbestos materials is the automotive industry. Many car parts that withstand high temperatures and friction, such as gaskets and brake pads, may still contain some asbestos.

Industries & Occupations

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 125 million people have experienced workplace asbestos exposure worldwide. By far, the most dangerous professions involve mining and processing the mineral. These activities give massive amounts of toxic fibers into the air.

Another industry with high exposure risks is construction. American drywall hangers and insulation workers faced continuous asbestos exposure risks, and many other professions related to carpentry might have been exposed while working at the same site.

Shipyard workers, especially during the World War II era, experienced heavy exposure as well. Asbestos insulation was once a staple aboard seafaring vessels, and the cramped working conditions made its installation especially hazardous. Also at risk were pipefitters, boiler workers and electricians who serviced Navy ships.

Downfall of US Asbestos Industry

By the 1960s, scientists had assembled enough and adequate proof of asbestos’s dangerous effects. A landmark occupational study conducted by Dr. Irving Selikoff in 1964 revealed a clear link between the mineral and various types of cancer.

The research indicated that between 1943 and 1962, a large number of insulation workers died of asbestosis and malignant diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer.

More medical evidence came in to bolster Selikoff’s findings, and the outcome was a significant downturn for America’s asbestos industry.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dealt another blow to the industry with the Clean Air Act of 1970. It set up the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), which set up stringent restrictions on the use of asbestos and other harmful airborne contaminants.

Several new regulations directly affected the industry, specifically companies that milled, sprayed or disposed of asbestos materials. By the late 1970s, many companies began phasing the mineral out of their products.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q) About Asbestos Companies

Steps Taken if Asbestos Contamination Is Suspected

The most important first step is to not touch the suspicious materials. Let a professional asbestos abatement company handle the job.

Workers Are Trained In:

Abatement starts with a certified asbestos inspector who takes samples of suspected asbestos. Samples are analyzed at a laboratory to determine extent of the problem. The asbestos removal can be complicated and includes lot of site preparations.

SITE PREPARATIONS FOR ASBESTOS REMOVAL

• Work area established
• HVAC and electrical systems disabled.
• New electrical system installed to power negative air pressure units that avoid contamination of air outside work area.
• Decontamination enclosure systems installed.
• Seal openings with plastic sheeting and duct tape.
• Wet wipe or use a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter on nonmovable objects to keep asbestos from becoming airborne.
• Seal immobile items with plastic sheeting and duct tape.
• Cover surface not getting abated with plastic sheeting.
• Post warning signs that read: Danger, Asbestos, Cancer and Lung Disease Hazard, Authorized Personnel Only, Respirators and Protective Clothing Are Required in this Area.
• Clean up using a HEPA vacuum.
• Disposal requires asbestos-containing waste be sealed in leak-tight containers while still wet, then labeled clearly and taken to qualified landfills that have specific requirements for securing the waste and preventing fibers from escaping into the air.
• Vehicles that transport the waste to the landfill have specific requirements and labeling instructions.