Flexitallic Gasket Co. — Asbestos Product Reference

Company History

Flexitallic Gasket Co. holds a significant place in American industrial history as the inventor of the spiral-wound gasket, a sealing technology that transformed how high-pressure, high-temperature piping systems were engineered and maintained. Founded in 1912 and originally headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, Flexitallic developed its signature product during an era when refineries, chemical plants, and industrial facilities were rapidly expanding across the United States. The spiral-wound gasket addressed a genuine engineering challenge: conventional flat gaskets frequently failed under the extreme pressures and temperatures found in refinery piping, heat exchangers, and pressure vessels. Flexitallic’s design — a metal strip wound in a spiral pattern with a filler material — offered superior performance and quickly became the industry standard.

Over the course of several decades, Flexitallic grew from a regional manufacturer into a dominant supplier to the petrochemical and refining industries nationwide. The company eventually relocated its headquarters to Houston, Texas, positioning itself closer to the Gulf Coast refinery corridor that represented its largest customer base. For much of the twentieth century, the filler material of choice in Flexitallic’s spiral-wound gaskets was asbestos, selected for its heat resistance, compressibility, and chemical stability — properties that made it well suited for aggressive industrial environments. Flexitallic continued manufacturing asbestos-containing gasket products until approximately 1985, when regulatory pressure and mounting awareness of asbestos health hazards prompted a transition to non-asbestos substitute materials.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Flexitallic manufactured and sold several product lines that incorporated asbestos as a primary component during the period roughly spanning the 1940s through the mid-1980s.

Spiral-Wound Asbestos Gaskets The company’s flagship product, the spiral-wound gasket, was produced using asbestos yarn or fiber as the filler material wound between metallic strips, typically stainless steel or carbon steel. These gaskets were engineered for flanged pipe connections, pressure vessel closures, heat exchanger bonnets, and valve bonnets operating under elevated temperatures and pressures. Court filings document their widespread use throughout oil refineries, petrochemical plants, power generation facilities, and chemical manufacturing operations across the United States. Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets were specified by engineers and purchased in bulk by maintenance departments at major industrial facilities for decades.

Compressed Asbestos Sheet Plaintiffs alleged that Flexitallic also manufactured and distributed compressed asbestos sheet — sometimes referred to as compressed asbestos fiber (CAF) sheet or “sheet packing” — which was sold in large flat sheets and cut by tradesmen into custom gasket shapes at the jobsite. This product category was used extensively in situations where pre-formed gaskets were unavailable or where odd-sized flanges required field-fabricated solutions. According to asbestos litigation records, the cutting and trimming of compressed asbestos sheet generated substantial airborne asbestos dust in the immediate work area.

Ring-Joint Gaskets Court filings document the manufacture and sale of ring-joint gaskets under the Flexitallic name. These solid metal gaskets with asbestos-composite variants were used in high-pressure flanged connections common in upstream and downstream oil and gas operations. Ring-joint connections were a fixture in wellhead equipment, high-pressure manifolds, and refinery piping systems designed to operate above the pressure thresholds where softer gasket materials were impractical.

Occupational Exposure

Plaintiffs alleged that workers across a wide range of trades and industries were exposed to asbestos fibers from Flexitallic gasket products during the course of their ordinary job duties. Because Flexitallic’s products were engineered specifically for the refining, petrochemical, and power generation industries, exposure histories documented in court filings frequently involve workers at refineries, chemical plants, paper mills, and power stations — facilities characterized by dense concentrations of flanged piping and pressure equipment requiring regular maintenance.

The occupational groups most commonly identified in asbestos litigation records involving Flexitallic products include:

  • Pipefitters and steamfitters, who routinely broke open flanged connections for maintenance, removed existing gaskets, and installed new ones — a process that could release embedded asbestos fibers from compressed or deteriorated gasket material
  • Millwrights and maintenance mechanics, responsible for the overhaul of pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, and pressure vessels fitted with spiral-wound or compressed asbestos gaskets
  • Insulators, who often worked in close proximity to pipefitters performing gasket work in confined spaces or pipe corridors
  • Boilermakers, who encountered ring-joint and spiral-wound gaskets in high-pressure steam systems and process vessels
  • Refinery operators and plant maintenance workers, who may have been present during routine turnaround and maintenance activities in which gasket removal and replacement occurred
  • Gasket cutters and supply house workers, who cut compressed asbestos sheet to order in industrial supply houses and gasket shops, generating concentrated asbestos dust in the process

According to asbestos litigation records, the mechanical removal of old spiral-wound gaskets from flanges — often using wire brushes, scrapers, or power tools to dislodge filler material that had bonded to the flange faces — was identified as a particularly significant source of fiber release. Plaintiffs alleged that this gasket removal process, a routine part of maintenance shutdowns and turnarounds at refineries and chemical plants, generated visible asbestos-containing dust in the immediate work area. Workers performing this task, as well as bystanders working nearby, were described in court filings as having been exposed during these operations.

The cutting of compressed asbestos sheet at jobsites was similarly identified in litigation records as a dust-generating process. Tradesmen who cut custom gaskets from bulk sheet material using knives, scissors, or power saws were alleged to have been exposed to respirable asbestos fibers released during that fabrication process.

The latency period associated with asbestos-related disease — typically ranging from ten to fifty years between initial exposure and disease onset — means that workers exposed to Flexitallic products during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s may be receiving diagnoses of mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer in the present day.

Flexitallic is a Tier 2 manufacturer in the context of asbestos litigation: the company has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury lawsuits, but Flexitallic has not established an asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. This distinguishes Flexitallic from manufacturers such as Johns-Manville or Owens Corning, which resolved their asbestos liabilities through Chapter 11 reorganization and the creation of dedicated trust funds for claimants.

According to asbestos litigation records, Flexitallic has faced civil lawsuits brought by workers and their families alleging asbestos-related injury from exposure to the company’s gasket products. Court filings document claims involving pipefitters, refinery workers, and maintenance tradesmen who alleged repeated exposure to Flexitallic asbestos-containing gaskets over the course of their careers. Because no trust fund exists, individuals pursuing compensation for injuries allegedly caused by Flexitallic products must do so through the civil court system rather than through a trust claim submission process.

It is also important to recognize that in many industrial exposure scenarios, workers used products from multiple manufacturers over the course of their careers. A worker who handled Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets may also have worked with asbestos-containing products from other companies that have established bankruptcy trusts — meaning that trust fund claims against other defendants may be available even when direct litigation against Flexitallic is the appropriate vehicle for claims involving that manufacturer specifically. Experienced asbestos attorneys typically conduct a full exposure history review to identify all potentially responsible parties, both those with active trust funds and those subject to civil litigation.

Summary: Who Should Read This Article

This reference is relevant to workers, family members, and legal professionals researching exposure to Flexitallic gasket products. Key points:

  • Flexitallic manufactured asbestos-containing spiral-wound gaskets, compressed asbestos sheet, and ring-joint gaskets from its founding through approximately 1985.
  • Its products were used primarily in oil refineries, petrochemical plants, power generation facilities, and chemical plants — industries with dense concentrations of flanged piping requiring regular maintenance.
  • Pipefitters, steamfitters, boilermakers, millwrights, refinery maintenance workers, and gasket shop employees are among the occupational groups most frequently represented in asbestos litigation records involving Flexitallic products.
  • No Flexitallic asbestos bankruptcy trust fund exists. Claims involving this manufacturer are pursued through civil litigation.
  • Workers exposed to Flexitallic products likely worked alongside products from other manufacturers, some of which have established trust funds. A comprehensive exposure history review by an asbestos attorney can identify all available compensation avenues.

Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer who worked in refinery or petrochemical settings should discuss their complete occupational history — including any recollection of Flexitallic-branded gaskets — with an attorney who handles asbestos personal injury claims.