Asbestos product & application FAQs set #3:

Questions & answers about the most-common forms in which asbestos was used in building materials & products.

This article series provides a master list of the forms in which asbestos was used, a list of known asbestos-containing materials, and links to detailed articles about individual asbestos-containing products & materials found in buildings and in a wide range of products used in both home and industry.

Page top photo: a widely used form of asbestos-cement roof tiles.

FAQs about Asbestos-Containing Products & Materials-3

These questions and answers about the use of asbestos in various products world-wide were posted originally

at ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS - be sure to see that comprehensive list of products and materials that contained or used asbestos in any form.

On 2020-09-24 by (mod) - Do you know if, in the late 1970's the 8x4 sheets of "Masterboard" contained asbestos?

Pete

Thank you for a helpful question. I don't know and am looking further at it.

For other readers, "Masterboard" is "a multi-purpose board suitable for a variety of applications offering up to 30 minutes fire resistance. MASTERBOARD® is an integral element of the Promat moisture resistant ceiling and wall lining system specifically for use in swimming pool and other high humidity environments." - Original source: https://www.promat.co.uk/en-gb/products/masterboard

Promat's current products include Promat Masterboard "Fireproof" Board - it appears to be a wood product, with, of course, binders and possibly other substances.

In the UK, NPS described the product in 1995 as "Fibre-reinforced calcium silicate flat sheet - a general purpose building board of limited combustibility." [Calcium silicate is not asbestos]

Older versions of this document were not available.

Contact

• Promat, Etex Building Performance Limited, Gordano House, Marsh Lane, Easton-in-Gordano, Bristol, BS20 ONE UK
  
  

On 2020-09-24 by Pete

Do you know if, in the late 1970's the 8x4 sheets of "Masterboard" contained asbestos?

On 2020-09-13 - by (mod) -

Possibly - you'd need to examine it.

On 2020-09-13 by K

Would a wooden science storage cabinet from the 40s or 50s have asbestos?

On 2020-09-08 - by (mod) -

Charles

You'll find asbestos uses in furniture or discussed and listed in ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS. I don't have information for your specific manufacturer.

On 2020-09-08 by Charles

I was curious if asbestos was commonly used in the making of furniture inthe 50s-70s. Specifically Henredon Furniture in High Point NC

On 2020-08-25 by Emma

Was asbestos used in vehicle headliners and floors in 1966?

On 2020-08-21 by Aaron Pasillas

Hi, I just bought a Bollinger aerometer stationary exercize bike. Could the friction pads be made of asbestos. they are white and kind of frail if poked. is there anything on this bike that is asbestos

On 2020-07-09 - by (mod) -

I don't think that diy test would be conclusive. You could msil a sample to a lab,
...
Keep in mind the lab fee will be more thzn the cost of a new cord. You'd do it only out of technical interest.

Our page top EXPERTS DIRECTORY lists asbestos test lab contact information

On 2020-07-09 by Anonymous

Thanks for the reply. I am also doubtful and I can't seem to find evidence of asbetos in this aplication. Currently where I live it is under lock down due to the pandemic and I wont be able to take it to a lab
This might sound silly but is there a way I could test it myself. Maybe visual signs or maybe putting it under a flame to see if the cord is fire retardant or not. Sorry if that sounds like a silly thing to do and I wont think about atempting it until I get advice. Thank you.

On 2020-07-08 - by (mod) -

I'm doubtful, Dan,

but sure, you can send a sample of the cord to any asbestos test lab - if you decide to do that please keep me posted as that'd be of interest to others.

On 2020-07-08 by Dan

I have a 70s hayterette lawn mower with a briggs and stratton engine. I was wondering whether the pull start cord/rope would be made of or contain asbestos. I was only thinking that as the pull start cord (which is fairly old and worn) would have to withstand some heat the comes from the engine. Is there a way i can test it for abestos or is there nothing to worry about. Thank you

On 2020-06-17 - by (mod) -

I don't have data on the Leonard refrigerator brand, Doug, but it's possible that asbestos was used as insulation or as gasket material. Insulation, contained completely enclosed in a refrigerator frame, isn't likely to produce a detectable asbestos hazard if the unit remains intact.

Research:

Leonard, Jr Louis H. "Refrigeration apparatus." U.S. Patent 3,277,658, issued October 11, 1966. Application filed by Carrier Corp ["Asbestos" does not appear]

Leonard, Jr Louis H. "Refrigeration apparatus and method." U.S. Patent 3,257,817, issued June 28, 1966.

On 2020-06-17 by dougdonnasherman@gmail.com

Would a Leonard 1948 refrigerator have asbestos?

On 2020-04-18 - by (mod) -

Yes

On 2020-04-17 by Richardo

I was cutting up a laboratory cabinet from the 60's and noticed a board material inside. Was asbestos used for heat resistant lab equipment?

On 2020-04-10 - by (mod) - asbestos in backer rods?

Andy

I'm not able to rule out asbestos in a backer-rod product as asbestos was so widely used in many products. However a visual examination of the backer rod might answer your question - not that we can identify all asbestos (nor even most of it) by the naked eye, but some backer rods typically used in the 1980's will be quite apparently simple polyethylene foam products.

See also this more-recent

BACKER ROD INFORMATION [PDF]

An asbestos-containing backer rod or sealant gasket is more-likely to be found where heat or fire-resistance were required but certainly asbestos rope gaskets were widely used on heating equipment like woodstoves and might have appeared in rope gaskets that were comprised of putty, formulated simiarly to asbestos-containing window putty.

Research on asbestos in rope gaskets & backer rods

• ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS
• Bernstein, Wilburn F., and Thomas F. Mika. "Gasket material." U.S. Patent 2,330,106, issued September 21, 1943.
• Boelter, Fred, Catherine Simmons, and Paul Hewett. "Exposure data from multi-application, multi-industry maintenance of surfaces and joints sealed with asbestos-containing gaskets and packing." Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene 8, no. 4 (2011): 194-209.
• Daley, Robert E. "Hot top gasket." U.S. Patent 3,186,042, issued June 1, 1965.
• Earle, Paul Lewis, and George William Snider. "Fire resistant joint system for concrete structures." U.S. Patent 4,058,947, issued November 22, 1977.
• Paul, Sussenbach. "Sealing composition." U.S. Patent 2,510,727, issued June 6, 1950.
  
  [Thermoplastic rod adhesives]
• Payne, Frank E. "Packing." U.S. Patent 1,964,272, issued June 26, 1934.
• Robert, Beldam William. "Packing." U.S. Patent 1,655,589, issued January 10, 1928.
• Scheffler, Michael J., and James D. Connolly. "History of building joint sealants." In Science and Technology of Building Seals, Sealants, Glazing, and Waterproofing: Fifth Volume. ASTM International, 1996.
• Tschudin-Mahrer, Rolf. "Fire-protective sealing element." U.S. Patent 4,839,223, issued June 13, 1989.
  

On 2020-04-10 1 by Andy

We are planning a window replacement project on a 1960s building that received new windows sometime in the 1980s. We have tested both the 1980s caulking as well as new caulking that was done over it, both were negative.

The question is whether there is potentially asbestos in the backer rod used beneath the caulk. Is anyone aware of backer rod that contained asbestos?

On 2020-04-10 - by (mod) - asbestos in fiberboard / plastic laminated bathroom vanity ?

Roel

How old is this vanity? It looks quite modern, apparently a plastic film veneer on fiberboard or foamboard.

The photos are a bit blurry, so I'm not sure of the liner or interior material. If it's foam or fiberboard those are not asbestos product.

It *looks* (blurry) like fiberboard with a plastic veneer.

See related research at SHEATHING, FIBERBOARD ASBESTOS CONTENT

see also

Hartzell, Rowland S., and Gene Gerek. "Asbestos-foam laminates." U.S. Patent 3,522,140, issued July 28, 1970.

On 2020-04-10 by Roel

Adding secondary photo of bathroom vanity. The few grey areas (where the wood has not pulped out yet) may be just dust.

I have an old wooden bathroom vanity which has some sort of wood lining. Is it likely or unlikely that this has absestos in it? Attaching two photo's.

On 2020-03-31 5 - by (mod) - use of asbestos in car repairs.

Hugh

Thanks for the interesting question on use of asbestos in car repairs.

Soaking asbestos-cement material in water to mash into a pulp isn't an application I've come across but I'm not at all surprised; you'd end up with a home-made asbestos lagging quite similar to the asbestos paste used on elbows and boilers in heating systems when we needed to insulate irregular surfaces.

Wetting would have reduced the level of airborne asbestos but I suspect that in the actual work environment there would have been some dust and airborne debris as th

I don't have explicit knowledge but I can give these general points:

- asbestos cement sheets were used as firewalls and door panels and some other car parts in older vehicles, cars, trucks, vans, buses, trucks from the 1920s or earlier into at least the 1950s and possibly a bit later

- asbestos was used in body fillers and compounds used in vehicle body repair

- asbestos was also used in gaskets in engine and other parts

On 2020-03-31 by Hugh Forbes

Have you any knowledge of asbestos sheets being used in the car body repair industry . In the 60,s we would be told told soak sheets in water and mash them to a pulp. To be used as a heat resistant method. When welding 2 panels together. This was done in a main Ford Dealer.

I always felt this wrong. But apparently it was stated in a ford technical bulletin. To apply this method. Do you have any information about this.

On 2020-03-23 by Anonymous - asbestos in chemical suits

Fire garb for sure, chemical or hazmat, perhaps.

On 2020-03-22 by Rodney

Military chemical suits?

On 2020-03-10 - by Anonymous - Asbestos used in the manufacture of NATURAL fabric ROYAL MAIL SACKS/BAGS / Postman/women’s Satchels - UK?

Re-posting from private email,

Anonymous asked:


1. Was Asbestos used in the manufacture of NATURAL fabric ROYAL MAIL SACKS/BAGS / Postman/women’s Satchels - UK?

2. Was Asbestos used in the manufacture of Fishing Reels/Tackle - UK or IMPORTS?

3. Was Asbestos used in the manufacture of Rope, Twine String, etc - UK?


Moderator reply:

ASBESTOS MAIL BAGS will be of interest.Naturally one would think that "natural fabric" would not include mineral fibres such as asbestos.

Asbestos might have been used in small parts in some fishing tackle, nobody can give a comprehensive, absolute reply that would be correct.

Asbestos was widely used in some string and rope such as rope gaskets used on woodstoves.

On 2020-02-28 by S. A. Linden

Thanks . . . just checked this. I'll try to get that done and get back with you!

On 2020-02-22 - by (mod) -

SA it doesn't sound like asbestos but no one can make an accurate guess at asbestos from your text alone. Perhaps you could use the "add image" button (one per comment) post some photos of the sink, surface, and debris.

On 2020-02-22 by S. A. Linden

My house was built in 1961 and a few years ago I noticed a lot of yellowed white debris on the cabinet floor underneath the kitchen stainless steel sinks.

I have to sweep it all up periodically. Turns out the sink bottoms have a thick white coating that is breaking down into small pieces from the vibrations of the disposal and closing the cabinet doors. Most of the coating is still on the sinks and breaking off gradually. It seems to be there for insulation.

Do you know an asbestos product was used for this purpose?

On 2020-02-03 by (mod) - hazard from asbestos in plastic saucepan handle?

Tiiu,

Some hard plastics used asbestos so it's certainly possible. I'm not sure there's a detectable hazard if you're not grinding or chopping up the material. It's not friable.

Here's the photo you sent:

Also see ASBESTOS in PLASTICS

On 2020-02-03 by Tiiu Roiser

I have a question regarding old cooking pots, from probably the 1950's? I have several large and medium soup pots that have plastic-like handles. I have no idea what they may be made of. The imprinted manufacturer says "Artistocrat".

I've been reading about old bakelite. Might the handles be the same material and contain asbestos? I've been using these in the dishwasher.

The handles appear to be intact, but the black handles are disclouring to a dull gray.
Any idea what these might be? Is their use dangerous?

On 2020-01-03 by (mod) -

No cap probably explains the problem

Also see ASBESTOS in PLASTICS

On 2020-01-03 by Chasity

The mortar comment was his initial response. After he inspected the chimney further he said all it needed was a liner (it doesn’t have one currently). And it needs a cap on top.

On 2020-01-03 by (mod) -

Ah

Indeed a masonry chimney can be water damaged by water leaking down the flue or in from the chimney sides or by freeze-thaw cycles;

With the reclama that we can't see much of your house from here on the other side of "the wall" (in Mexico), worrying about the asbestos in your residential chimney's dust cleaned up by the chimney sweep may be worse for your health than the chimney.

However we do want to be darn sure the chimney is safe. Did the chimney sweep mention that the chimney was damaged or missing a cap or otherwise leaking? If so those repairs are needed.

As the sweep HEPA vacuumed the debris the dust hazards are perhaps minimized already.

On 2020-01-03 by Chasity

Sorry for the confusion. The chimney sweep inspecting the chimney, originally said he (the chimney sweep) thought by the amount of dirt/debris that came out when he (the chimney sweep) opened the flue must be from some deteriorated mortar. (The amount that came out filled up theirs hepa vacuum.) Upon further inspection said the chimney was structurally sound.

It randomly started bothering me the other day so I did a google search on deteriorated mortar and saw on asbestos.com the comments about lethal amounts of asbestos (the more dangerous kind) being added to almost all mortar made after the late 1800’s.

And that people are at risk if the come into contact with deteriorated mortar (which they -the writer on asbestos.com- said could happen with time and wear from weather). It did seem like a bit of an alarmist website, but I guess it worked because I became very alarmed!!

On 2020-01-03 by (mod) -

Chastity

Forgive me but I don't know who "they" refers to in your comment nor the guy nor he nor who that is nor their expertise. Portland cement is a mixture of limestone and clay that, when water is added, hardens in a chemical reaction.

Whether or not mortar has "lethal amounts of asbestos" sounds a bit inappropriately scary to me. Mortar, in place in a masonry wall, is *normally* a hard, cementious material - it's not friable - a key concept in asbestos hazards. Friable means you can crumble a material into very fine dust using no more force than to mash it between a thumb and forefinger.

So sure, somebody might have added asbestos to mortar - typically when making fire-resistant structures, not in normal construction - but the risk, even if your building was made with such mortar, would arise from demolition or abrasion or a similar activity that attacked the material.

In fact, converting asbestos waste into a cementious material is considered one of the methods for reducing possible asbestos hazards (Mezhov 2018)

More authoritative comments are in

Colangelo, F., R. Cioffi, M. Lavorgna, L. Verdolotti, and L. De Stefano. "Treatment and recycling of asbestos-cement containing waste." Journal of hazardous materials 195 (2011): 391-397.

Mezhov, Alexander, Ekaterina Shokodko, and Maria Kaddo. "Mortars prepared with mechanochemical treated asbestos-containing waste." In MATEC Web of Conferences, vol. 251, p. 01009. EDP Sciences, 2018.

Yvon, Yan, and Patrick Sharrock. "Characterization of thermochemical inactivation of asbestos containing wastes and recycling the mineral residues in cement products." Waste and Biomass Valorization 2, no. 2 (2011): 169-181.

On 2020-01-02 19:56:26.009228 by Anonymous

@Chasity,
They cleaned up the “dirt and debris” with a hepa vacuum but the cloud of dust that came down was throughout the room and would have settled on furniture/rugs.

On 2020-01-02 19:53:00.644912 by Chasity

I noticed under asbestos in mortar it said that there wasn’t any added until the 1950’s. But I saw that mortar was commonly made with Portland cement in the early 1900’s and on their site said asbestos may have been added to mortar. I’m checking here because I’m worried about our chimney. We bought a 1929 bungalow a year ago and had the chimney inspected afterward. When they opened it up from inside a bunch of dust came down (there is no cap on the chimney) and the guy said he believed it was a combination of some dirt and debris but also a lot of deteriorated mortar. He didn’t say anything about a risk from that but I recently became curious and saw on different sites that mortar had lethal amounts of the worst kind of asbestos in it. I’m worried sick now that my family (including 3 kids under 4) have all been living in a contaminated home with the worst kind of asbestos in the air and on our furniture, clothes, ect for close to a year. I’m so worried my kids are going to suffer from this in their early/mid adulthood. Can you tell me if that is a risk (was there asbestos in mortar in 1929, and could it disintegrate and become airborne?

On 2019-12-28 17:51:26.484108 by (mod) -

Barb

That's an application of asbestos I've not found; the window film is basically clear, typically mylar or a similar plastic.

Here are examples of solar film from a US Patent disclosure - in which the word "asbestos" does not appear.

Murphy, Charles H. "Solar control products." U.S. Patent 4,157,417, issued June 5, 1979.

Oliver, Dell B., and Peter Jahoda. "Solar control window film." U.S. Patent 4,797,317, issued January 10, 1989.

To be compulsively-thorough, in some forms asbestos was used in polymer formation:

Habaue, Shigeki, Tetsuya Hirasa, Yuichi Akagi, Kiyotsugu Yamalovea, and Meisetsu Kajiwara. "Synthesis and property of silicone polymer from chrysotile asbestos by acid-leaching and silylation." Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials 16, no. 2 (2006): 155-160.

That does not give you an asbestos hazard on your solar window film.

On 2019-12-28 16:42:39.546864 by barb

could there be asbestos in a window film used to block out light that has been on the window for at least 30 years

On 2019-12-17 17:05:20.978246 by (mod) -

Rebecca

Using a Google Scholar search for Patent 2,681,863 tells us that this patent was issued in June 1954 and expired in 1971.
filed by Certain Teed Products Corp

This CertainTeed drywall might contain asbestos, as we note this text in the patent disclosure:

It should be observed also that in some instances asbestos has been used in plaster. In one such use the asbestos fiber has been added to plaster primarily to improve the plaster workability or trowelling characteristics while in another instance, in the Croce Patent No. 2,526,066, such asbestos fiber was added as a means for retaining an expansive component of the plaster composition in place in the set cast. In each case the amount of asbestos was quite high, and the Water absorptive capacity of the asbestos has increased the drying time of casts thus made.
- https://patents.google.com/patent/US2681863A/en

On 2019-12-16 23:38:24.847191 by Rebecca

Do you know if drywall with patent no. 2,681,863 has asbestos

On 2019-12-17 by (mod) - asbestos in old wall sheathing based on U.S. Patent No. research

Rebecca

Using a Google Scholar search for Patent 2,681,863 tells us that this patent was issued in June 1954 and expired in 1971.
filed by Certain Teed Products Corp

This CertainTeed drywall might contain asbestos, as we note this text in the patent disclosure:

It should be observed also that in some instances asbestos has been used in plaster.

In one such use the asbestos fiber has been added to plaster primarily to improve the plaster workability or trowelling characteristics while in another instance, in the Croce Patent No. 2,526,066, such asbestos fiber was added as a means for retaining an expansive component of the plaster composition in place in the set cast.

In each case the amount of asbestos was quite high, and the Water absorptive capacity of the asbestos has increased the drying time of casts thus made.
- https://patents.google.com/patent/US2681863A/en

On 2019-12-16 by Rebecca

Do you know if drywall with patent no. 2,681,863 has asbestos

On 2019-12-11 by (mod) -

Olga

you would have to either track down the water heater brand and model and age of manufacturer and then research the history of materials used in that heater, or materials used by that heater manufacturer,

or you need to have a sample of that suspect material tested - about $50 or less.

the comment about no fibers being observed is not useful. First the human eye, without polarized light microscopy, cannot see asbestos fibers, and second, there were asbestos fillers or shorts in a powdery form sometimes used in various products including insulation.

or you could simply have someone excavate and remove all of the suspect material and bag it for disposal.

On 2019-12-10 by Olga

We had an old water heater removed from the roof of our 1920's house The heater was cut in half, and white clumpy cotton wool type insulation spilled out onto our front lawn. The builder cleared up most of it, but a lot is still embedded in the grass. The builder assures us that it is not asbestos, because there are no "fibres" in the clumps. How can we be sure?

On 2019-12-04 by (mod) -

Sounds like a pretty small potential volume of material. But you might want to start by inspecting the machine to see if there are any parts that are fraying or shedding material.

On 2019-12-02 by MB

Hi,
I have inherited an old sewing machine which converts from a cabinet. The brand is Mundlos and im not sure of the manufacturing date.
I have heard that these machines could contain asbestos in either the pedal padding (which is rubber), or in some washers near the gears.
Should i be concerned about it

On 2019-11-25 by (mod) -

Paul

Please see your question and our detailed reply now found at

TEMPLE-INLAND PRODUCTS ASBESTOS ?

On 2019-11-25 by Paul Osborne

We have Temple insulation sheathing under our floor boards. In the upstairs. This was disturbed by the electrician and cut with a saw. The house was built in 1968. The company is now called Temple-inland. Should we be concerned about asbestos

On 2019-11-13 by (mod) -

there was no appliances in the 60s that used Us best of insulation but unless you actually disassembled the appliance to remove it there's no reasonable possibility of an exposure.

On 2019-11-13 y Sophia

I grew up in a house with a 1960's Frigidaire Flair range and now that I am older I am wondering does it have asbestos?

On 2019-11-05 by (mod) - 1981 Sprite Swift caravan flooring asbestos?

Belinda, I don't know for a fact if asbestos-containing vinyl flooring was used in 1980's Sprite Swift Caravans, but as these are a U.K. product you'll want to take a look at

ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION 1950's or LATER in the U.K. https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/UK-Asbestos-Floor-Tile-2.php

You'll see that crocidolite asbestos was not banned in the U.K. until 1985, four years after your caravan was made.

I'd like to see a photo of the flooring in your caravan and in a second posted comment, an image of the caravan.

An example of a 1981 Sprite Swift caravan showing a glimpse of its flooring is shown below, adapted (unfortunately) from a junkmail website.
IMAGE LOST Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-11-05 by Belinda

Hi we purchased a 1981 Sprite Swift caravan and I was wondering if the fridge and vinyl flooring may contain asbestos?

On 2019-11-01 by M

Thanks for the quick reply.
The label on the blanket doesnt say anything much about the material, but i know it is from the early 60s, and, according to my mother, who used it for years, it is made of pure wool.
Though i still feel unsure, your reply certainly helped.
Thanks M

On 2019-11-01 by (mod) - does my EarlWood blanket contain asbestos?

M

Earl-Wood wool blankets are sold widely throughout the U.K. and are described as tartan wool blankets; Earl-wood blankets were also imported and sold by Hudson Bay Co.

I have found no mention of asbestos in that product, and it seems unlikely. Where asbestos would be used in a "blanket" would be where fireproofing would have been critical such as fire-control blankets.

See details at ASBESTOS FIRE BLANKETS

Finally, take a look at the label on the Earl-Wood tartan throw blanket shown here: the label advertises "Pure Wool".

On 2019-11-01 by M

I've been recently using an antique wool blanket but after a while it seems that white fibres are coming out of it. Under the wool there seems to be a woven net. The company name is Earlwood. Could this possibly contain asbestos?

On 2019-09-06 by (mod) - asbestos used in some furniture padding

Martin:

Asbestos in furniture padding:

Yes asbestos may have been used in furniture that was designed to be fire resistant;

See details at ASBESTOS FURNITURE PADDING

If you search ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS (try Ctrl-F to "find" on a PC or CMD-F to "find" on a Mac computer) for the word PADDING you will find many reports of use of asbestos in various padding materials.

On 2019-09-06 by Martin D Branning - Was asbestos used in old furnitire for padding. Old chairs in particular ?

Was asbestos used in old furnitire for padding. Old chairs in particular ?

On 2019-08-30 by (mod) - asbestos rope gasket no longer sold

Lynn, I'm doubtful that you can find a 1970's asbestos rope gasket still being sold on the open market. However there are heat-resistant and fire-resistant rope gaskets still sold - such as those used on woodstoves.

Our example photo is a 1" rope gasket sold on eBay and at woodstove suppliers, in 8 ft. lengths. Here is an excerpt from the product description:

This fiberglass rope is made with 8 strands of fiberglass yarn and a 3/4" 8 strand fiberglass rope core. It is a high density rope used primarily to seal around wood boiler / wood stove doors.

Features:
Service rating to 1000°F / 538°C. Flexible for installation around tight corners and friction fit "U" channels. These ropes are easily bondable with high temp adhesive / caulk or high temp pressure sensitive tape (neither is included). Fiberglass is a cost effective thermal protection resistant to most chemicals (pH range 4 - 9) with the exception of Hydrofluoric and Hot Phosphoric Acid and wet Hydrogen Chloride. Fiberglass will not burn, smolder or absorb water.

On 2019-08-26 by Lynn - Trying to locate asbestos rope

Trying to locate asbestos rope used at

US Steel TexasWorks 1970s. Used by mold packer to pack the mold head that the laddel of molten steel was poured on as it rolled down the slab line.

It was white very soft very clean extremely fine fibers. Came in huge rolls that was cut into appropriate lengths needed for each pour.

On 2019-06-14 by (mod) - bathtub coating asbestos?

They finish on bathtubs is normally an enamel glaze. At least among US products I'm not aware of any use of asbestos in that application. Of course breathing fine silica dust could be a health hazard for anyone.

On 2019-06-13 by Kenneth

Does the finish on old bath tub and showers made in the early seventies have asbestos. I started feel sick after sanding on one with just a dust mast on.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

We have no info about your particular tub do i can't say mord than "possible",

On 2019-06-13 5 by Kurt

Tearing out an older used hot tub and was wondering if the material used to insulate the tub has any asbestos in it?

On 2019-03-28 by (mod) - asbestos use in floor lamp disk weights made in China

Cseebald

I don't have specific information about asbestos use in floor lamp disk weights made in China, sorry.

However there is no question that some Chinese products that could appear in floor lamps contained asbestos.

Examples:

Zhongyuan, Liao Qilong Lu. "PREPARATION OF GLASS CERAMICS FROM ASBESTOS TAILINGS [J]." JOURNAL OF SOUTHWEST CHINA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 1 (1998).

Xiangning, Huang, Ma Xiuqin, and Wu Fankun. "Recycling Investigation on Household Electrical Appliances in China." In 2010 WASE International Conference on Information Engineering, vol. 2, pp. 339-344. IEEE, 2010.

Huey, C. "ASBESTOS FOR ELECTRICAL PURPOSES." Journal of the American Society for Naval Engineers 47, no. 4 (1935): 543-556.

Most-often asbestos textiles used in electrical insulation.

On 2019-03-15 by cseebald62

Hi Dan,
Have any Made in China cement disk weights for use as stands for lamps and umbrellas, usually coated in plastic, asbestos containing products. My floor lamp's weight and plastic disintegrated.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-03-11 by (mod) - asbestos uses in air conditioners & A/C systems

Joe M

Please see

ASBESTOS IN AIR CONDITIONERS

On 2019-03-11 by (mod) - Asbestos Modeling Powder

Dennis

thank you for that interesting and helpful addition to our list of asbestos uses.

I suspect that the asbestos modeling clay was quite possibly a formula very similar to the asbestos lagging used on Heating and other pipe elbows and valves where simpler asbestos insulation products such as couurgated asbestos paper did not readily fit.

On 2019-03-09 by Dennis McLeod

When I was in Public School in North Bay, Ontario in the late 40-early 50's we used an asbestos Modeling Powder to make all sorts of things in school. The beauty of the product is it dried fast and was extremely Light weight compared to the heavier modeling clay.

Obviously the school system purchased this product by the bagful for just such activities in the Public School System there.

The bags were clearly marked with containing Asbestos. And everyone in the system at that time obviously used it quite freely at the time and brought those articles home for display to parents which were likely kept for a very long time as work that their children did in school in those early grades

On 2019-03-09 by joe m.

Hi dan,, joe m i have 2 wall unit air conditioners from aound year 1982 - 1984 i am trying to be more specific i have name, model and serial numers of both air conditioners. I have called fedders/ fredrickson to ask if their air conditioners contained asbestos they never responded, i tried google the information and i am not getting any info

. i hope you
could help me again one wall unit is Fedders model # ASL18E7HKC, serial #JV3641162554, year 1982 - 1984. The other wall unit is a General Electric model # AJ906L8SL2, serial # FS2552773 year 1982 -84.

This really bothering me i dont kow if cleaning or using equipment puts me at risk and i dont the money to replace the equipment. PLease help me with more info. i would greatly appreicate it. THANK YOU DAN

On 2019-03-08 by (mod) - could my air conditioner have asbestos parts?

Joe:

To have space and permit clear marking of citations and to give a detailed answer to your question about possible asbestos use in your air conditioner I have moved our discussion to

ASBESTOS in AIR CONDITIONERS

Please take a look and don't hesitate to ask if you have further questions.

Also it would be VERY HELPFUL on your part if you would post some sharp photos of your air conditioner - its exterior, brand name, interior, data tags, components.

Use the Add Image button - you can post one image per comment.

On 2019-03-08 by joe m.

Hi dan HVAC tech sent me a text said in his 30 years of experience he has not seen asbestos in wall units air conditioner but he says its possible. l am confused and in a panic mode because i haved cleaned and used this wall unit 1983 air conditioner since 1983 and still works great but i dont if i have been exposed to asbestos.

My question is could my air conditioner have asbestos parts please send me reply which parts i would greatly appreciate it i am worried sick thank you Dan

On 2019-02-27 by (mod) - asbestos in kitchen sink dish sprayer hoses?

Joe

Whike no one can rule out the presence of asbestos by a text message,

I have not come across any references to use of asbestos in Dish spray hoses at kitchen sinks.

However it is possible that asbestos-containing plastics were used not in the hose but in the spray head, handle, nozzle assembly.

This reader also participated in a lengthy discussion about the chances of asbestos use in window or wall air conditioners.

See ASBESTOS USE in AIR CONDITIONERS

On 2019-02-26 by joe m.

Hi i live in an a old house and i dont have the funds to check all my old appliances for asbestos but i have a wall unit air conditioner which i bought new in 1984 and iam worried if it contains asbestos. i have tried researching several household products but found nothing including the kitchen sink spray hose i bought in 1996.

please help for peace of mind. Thank you so much Joe M

I have tried looking up if any kitchen sink spray hoses from year 1996 contain asbestos and i have not found any information. I was me hoping if you could help me. Thank you

On 2019-02-25 by (mod) - asbestos in iron resting pads?

Joe

An interesting way to find a substantial if not scholarly complete answer to your question is for you to go to Google patents and research the patent materials. That's what I would do.

On 2019-02-25 by joe mannino - materials other than silicone used in metal outer framed ironing rest pads in the late 1980s after asbestos was no longer used?

what materials other than silicone was used in metal outer framed ironing rest pads in the late 1980s after asbestos was no longer used? Thank you joe

On 2019-02-25 by (mod) - vermiculite asbestos in ironing board iron rest metal frame pads?

I have not found a reference to that use of vermiculite, Joe. But certainly asbestos fabrics may have been used in irons, ironing boards, pressing machines.

On 2019-02-25 by joe mannino - if verimiulite was used in ironing board rest metal frame pads ?

hi my name is joe i would like to know if verimiulite was used in ironing board rest metal frame pads ?. l also wanted to know what year the material was first used and the last year it was used.?

i also wanted to know which other materils that look like asbestos was used in ironing board rest pads?.

Finally verimiulite is it friable when used in a ironing board rest pad.?Thank you joe m.

On 2019-02-16 by (mod) - asbestos in Zonolite Styrofoam Insulating Panels?

Excellent, thank you.

I'd be surprised if there were asbestos in pure styrofoam panels unless from cross contamination (see Zonolite Vermiculite) . Asbestos was combined with some forms of styrofoam in special products such as used in roofing.

See details at ASBESTOS STYROFOAM PANELS

Also see VERMICULITE INSULATION

On 2019-02-16 by Justin photos of Zonolite Styrofoam Insulating panels

Here are additional photos

On 2019-02-15 by (mod) - asbestos was ever combined with polystyrene?

Justin, I repeat your question and give a researched reply at

at ASBESTOS STYROFOAM PANELS

On 2019-02-15 by Justin

Do you know if asbestos was ever combined with polystyrene? recently I found a package of polystyrene in my attic that was made by the grace mining company and had the zonolite brand on it.

On 2019-02-15 by (mod) - does this faux stone on a 1953 home contain asbestos?

Roxie

Please see yur question and my detailed reply at

https://inspectapedia.com/exterior/Stone_Veneer_Walls.php

STONE VENEER WALLS

On 2019-02-15 by Roxie

Have you seen this faux stone before? It’s on a 1953 home.. do you think it is made of asbestos ?

...

Continue reading  at ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST
• ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS
• ASBESTOS PRODUCTS 1959 - returns to the chapter in ASBESTOS ORIGIN & NATURE where Rosato's Table 1.7 originally appeared.
• Table 1.7. Asbestos Applications - this is a separate PDF file that provides the original Asbestos PPlications Table 1.7 from Rosato (1959) [1] from which the web article above was adapted.
• ASBESTOS PRODUCING COMPANIES & TRUSTS
• ASBESTOS PHOTO GUIDE to MATERIALS
• ASBESTOS PRODUCTS BANNED vs PERMITTED U.S. 2023

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