Federal-Mogul / Flexitallic: Asbestos-Containing Gaskets and Packing Products

Company History

Flexitallic Gasket Company holds a significant place in American industrial manufacturing history, tracing its origins to the early twentieth century. The company built its reputation on the manufacture of spiral wound gaskets and related sealing products engineered to perform under extreme heat, pressure, and chemical exposure — conditions common to the petroleum refining, chemical processing, power generation, and heavy manufacturing industries. For decades, Flexitallic’s products were regarded as an industry standard, specified by engineers and relied upon by maintenance workers, pipefitters, and industrial mechanics across the United States.

The company’s product lines were distributed widely throughout American industry during the mid-twentieth century, a period when asbestos was considered the premier material for high-temperature sealing applications. Asbestos’s heat resistance, compressibility, and chemical inertness made it a natural fit for gaskets and packing products that needed to maintain seals in steam lines, pressure vessels, flanged pipe connections, and industrial equipment.

Federal-Mogul Corporation, a major automotive and industrial parts manufacturer, later became associated with Flexitallic through corporate acquisitions and business relationships that were common in the American manufacturing landscape during the latter half of the twentieth century. Federal-Mogul itself became one of the most prominent defendants in asbestos litigation in the United States, ultimately filing for bankruptcy protection in 2001 and establishing the Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust — one of the largest asbestos compensation trusts created under federal bankruptcy law.

The Flexitallic product line’s asbestos use is documented across several decades, with production of asbestos-containing gaskets traced from approximately 1912 through the early 1990s. The company transitioned away from asbestos-containing formulations as regulatory pressure and health evidence accumulated through the 1970s and into the 1980s.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Flexitallic manufactured and distributed a range of gasket and sealing products that contained asbestos as a primary constituent material. The two most frequently identified product lines in court filings and occupational exposure claims are described below.

Flexitallic Gaskets

Court filings document that Flexitallic Gaskets were produced over an exceptionally long period, with asbestos-containing versions manufactured from approximately 1912 through the early 1990s. These gaskets were designed for use in industrial flange connections, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and piping systems where standard rubber or fiber gaskets could not maintain reliable seals under high-temperature or high-pressure service conditions.

Plaintiffs alleged that Flexitallic Gaskets were formulated with asbestos-containing filler materials and facing layers, and that the spiral wound construction of many products incorporated asbestos filler between metal windings. The spiral wound gasket design — for which Flexitallic held foundational patents — was particularly well suited to demanding industrial environments, which contributed to the product’s widespread adoption in refineries, chemical plants, power stations, and shipyards.

Court filings document that these gaskets were commonly specified by trade name in engineering drawings and maintenance manuals, making it possible in some cases to establish product-specific exposure through work records, site documentation, and co-worker testimony.

Asbestos Spiral Wound Gaskets

According to asbestos litigation records, a distinct category of spiral wound gaskets containing asbestos filler was manufactured and sold primarily from the 1950s through the 1970s. These products were engineered for use in high-pressure steam and chemical piping systems and were frequently installed in industrial facilities during large-scale construction and expansion projects of that era.

Plaintiffs alleged that during installation, maintenance, and especially during removal of spent gaskets, asbestos-containing dust was released in concentrations sufficient to constitute a health hazard. Court filings document that cutting, trimming, and torquing these gaskets — all routine tasks for pipefitters, boilermakers, and millwrights — could generate respirable asbestos fibers.

Occupational Exposure

Workers in several trades and industries encountered Flexitallic asbestos-containing gaskets and packing products as a routine part of their daily work. According to asbestos litigation records, the following occupational groups have been identified in exposure claims involving these products:

  • Pipefitters and Steamfitters — who installed, replaced, and torqued flanged gasket connections in industrial piping systems throughout refineries, chemical plants, and power facilities
  • Boilermakers — who worked on high-pressure steam boilers and heat exchanger systems where spiral wound gaskets were commonly specified
  • Millwrights and Maintenance Mechanics — who performed routine equipment maintenance involving disassembly of flanged connections sealed with asbestos-containing gaskets
  • Insulators — who worked in proximity to pipe systems where gaskets were being cut or disturbed during installation and repair
  • Refinery and Chemical Plant Workers — who were exposed as bystanders during maintenance activities in enclosed spaces where gasket dust accumulated
  • Shipyard Workers — who installed and maintained piping systems aboard naval and commercial vessels during construction and overhaul operations

Court filings document that gasket removal was among the most hazardous exposure events, as dried and deteriorated asbestos-containing gaskets required scraping, wire brushing, or grinding to remove residual material from flange faces — activities that generated significant quantities of respirable asbestos dust. Plaintiffs alleged that workers typically received no warning of asbestos content and were not provided respiratory protection or other engineering controls during these operations.

Industrial facilities where Flexitallic products have been identified in litigation records include petroleum refineries, chemical processing facilities, electric power generating stations, paper mills, steel mills, and naval shipyards — environments where high-temperature piping systems made asbestos-containing gaskets ubiquitous from the 1940s through the 1970s.

Secondary or household exposure has also been raised in some claims, with family members of workers alleging exposure to asbestos fibers carried home on clothing and work gear.

Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust

Federal-Mogul Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2001, citing the financial burden of asbestos personal injury claims arising from its various product lines and corporate acquisitions. Following the bankruptcy reorganization process, the Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust was established under Section 524(g) of the United States Bankruptcy Code to compensate individuals injured by asbestos-containing products associated with Federal-Mogul and its related entities.

Claimants pursuing compensation through this trust for exposure to Flexitallic asbestos-containing gaskets should be aware of the following:

  • The trust operates under a Trust Distribution Procedures (TDP) document that defines eligible diseases, required exposure evidence, and payment percentages
  • Compensable diseases typically include mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related conditions meeting diagnostic criteria specified in the TDP
  • Claimants must provide evidence of occupational or secondary exposure to a covered product during a qualifying time period
  • Claims require documentation such as work history records, product identification evidence, medical records, and in some cases co-worker or expert testimony

Individuals who worked with or around Flexitallic spiral wound gaskets and asbestos-containing packing products during the product’s documented manufacturing period may be eligible to file a claim with this trust, depending on the nature and duration of their exposure, the disease diagnosed, and the sufficiency of product identification evidence.

Ongoing Civil Litigation

Beyond the Federal-Mogul trust, plaintiffs alleged in separate civil actions that other entities in the chain of Flexitallic product distribution — including manufacturers, distributors, and facility owners — bore responsibility for asbestos exposure occurring at specific industrial sites. Court filings document that these claims have proceeded in various jurisdictions under standard asbestos personal injury theories, though no specific liability findings are cited here as established fact.

If you or a family member was diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-caused disease, and your work history includes contact with Flexitallic gaskets or spiral wound gaskets at any point from the mid-twentieth century through the early 1980s, there are two primary avenues to consider:

Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust: This established trust was created specifically to compensate people harmed by asbestos products associated with Federal-Mogul and related entities, including Flexitallic. Filing a trust claim requires documentation of product exposure and a qualifying diagnosis, but does not require filing a lawsuit.

Civil Litigation: Depending on the circumstances of your exposure — particularly the industrial facility where you worked, the time period involved, and whether additional manufacturers or distributors supplied asbestos-containing products at that site — civil claims against other parties may remain an option separate from, or in addition to, a trust claim.

An attorney experienced in asbestos personal injury matters can review your work history, evaluate which products you encountered, identify applicable trusts and defendants, and help determine the most appropriate legal path given your specific diagnosis and exposure history. Many asbestos attorneys handle these cases on a contingency basis, meaning no fees are charged unless compensation is recovered.