Flowserve Corporation and Asbestos-Containing Valves and Steam Traps

Flowserve Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of flow control products in the world, supplying industrial valves, pumps, seals, and steam traps to refineries, power plants, chemical processing facilities, and other heavy industrial operations across the United States. According to asbestos litigation records, Flowserve and its predecessor companies supplied flow control equipment that incorporated asbestos-containing components during the mid-twentieth century — a period when asbestos was considered the preferred material for high-temperature sealing applications in demanding industrial environments.

Workers who handled or maintained Flowserve valves, steam traps, and related equipment during the 1940s through the early 1980s may have encountered asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and internal sealing materials. This reference article is intended to assist workers, their families, and attorneys in documenting potential occupational asbestos exposure histories.

Company History

Flowserve Corporation exists today as the result of a long series of mergers and acquisitions involving some of the most recognized names in industrial flow control. Its corporate lineage includes companies such as BW/IP International, Durco International, Durametallic, Mark Controls, Valtek International, Ingersoll-Dresser Pump, and Rockwell International’s flow control division, among others. Many of these predecessor entities were independently manufacturing and marketing valves, steam traps, and pump sealing components during the peak era of industrial asbestos use.

Flowserve itself was incorporated under its current name in 1997, consolidating several of these legacy businesses. However, courts and plaintiff attorneys have named Flowserve in asbestos litigation in connection with the historical manufacturing activities of its predecessor companies, whose products were widely distributed to American industrial jobsites for decades before asbestos use was curtailed in the early 1980s.

Because Flowserve’s corporate history involves numerous predecessor entities, establishing which specific company manufactured a particular piece of equipment — and at which facility — is often a critical step in documenting exposure. Court filings document that plaintiffs have pursued Flowserve in connection with products manufactured under predecessor brand names that the company absorbed through acquisition.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, the primary concern with Flowserve and its predecessor companies involves flow control products that incorporated asbestos-containing internal components. The specific product categories of concern include industrial valves and steam traps, both of which required high-performance sealing materials capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and pressures in industrial service.

Valves: Industrial valves — including gate valves, globe valves, ball valves, butterfly valves, and control valves — were commonly assembled with asbestos-containing packing and gaskets through much of the twentieth century. Plaintiffs alleged that valves manufactured by Flowserve predecessor companies contained asbestos-based stem packing, which was used to seal the valve stem and prevent process fluid from escaping around the operating mechanism. Court filings document that this packing material, when removed during maintenance or repair, could release respirable asbestos fibers.

Valve body gaskets — used to seal flanged connections and bonnet assemblies — were also frequently made from compressed asbestos sheet or spiral-wound gasket material containing asbestos. Plaintiffs alleged that cutting, trimming, or disturbing these gaskets during routine maintenance generated airborne asbestos dust.

Steam Traps: Steam traps are mechanical devices used in steam distribution systems to discharge condensate while preventing the passage of live steam. They operate under conditions of high temperature and cyclic pressure, making robust sealing essential. According to asbestos litigation records, steam traps manufactured by Flowserve predecessor companies used asbestos-containing gaskets and sealing materials to maintain integrity under these demanding operating conditions. Plaintiffs alleged that tradespeople who regularly serviced steam trap assemblies — including pipefitters, steamfitters, and maintenance workers — were exposed to asbestos fibers released when these components were disturbed, cleaned, or replaced.

The asbestos content of these sealing components was not unique to Flowserve or its predecessors; compressed asbestos sheet, asbestos rope packing, and asbestos-reinforced gasket materials were industry-standard products through the 1970s. However, the sheer volume of valves and steam traps distributed to American refineries, power generation facilities, chemical plants, and shipyards means that Flowserve predecessor products have appeared across a wide range of documented exposure sites.

Occupational Exposure

Workers most likely to have encountered asbestos-containing Flowserve or predecessor-brand valves and steam traps include those employed in industries where high-pressure steam and process fluid systems were central to operations. Court filings document that the following trades and industries have been associated with alleged exposure to these products:

  • Pipefitters and steamfitters who installed, maintained, and repaired steam distribution systems in industrial and utility facilities
  • Refinery workers who maintained process control valves and related equipment at petroleum refineries across the country
  • Power plant workers, including those at coal-fired and nuclear generating stations, where large quantities of steam valves and traps were used throughout the facility
  • Chemical plant operators and maintenance workers who serviced flow control equipment in chemical manufacturing environments
  • Shipyard workers who installed and maintained steam system components aboard naval and commercial vessels
  • Insulators and maintenance mechanics who worked in proximity to valve and steam trap assemblies that incorporated asbestos-containing sealing components
  • Millwrights and industrial mechanics performing routine valve repacking and gasket replacement

According to asbestos litigation records, the hazard was frequently greatest not during original installation but during maintenance and repair activities. Removing old valve packing, scraping deteriorated gaskets, and cleaning valve bodies and steam trap internals were tasks that brought workers into direct contact with friable or disturbed asbestos-containing materials. In many industrial settings, these tasks were performed without respiratory protection, particularly before the hazards of asbestos were widely communicated to tradespeople.

Secondary exposure is also documented in some cases, where family members of workers who carried asbestos dust home on clothing and equipment were exposed without any direct occupational contact.

Because Flowserve products and predecessor-brand products were distributed nationally, exposure may have occurred at facilities across many states and industries. Workers recalling specific valve or steam trap brand names — including those of Flowserve predecessor companies — are encouraged to document that information as part of any occupational history.

Flowserve does not have an active asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. The company has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in connection with asbestos liability, and accordingly, there is no Flowserve trust through which claims can be submitted administratively.

According to asbestos litigation records, Flowserve has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury lawsuits filed in courts across the United States. Plaintiffs alleged that Flowserve, through its own operations and through the legacy of its predecessor companies, manufactured and sold flow control products containing asbestos-based sealing components that caused occupational asbestos disease, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Court filings document that these cases have proceeded in the civil litigation system, and claims against Flowserve are handled through conventional asbestos tort litigation rather than through a bankruptcy trust process.

Establishing a viable claim against Flowserve typically requires demonstrating a connection between a specific diagnosed asbestos-related disease, a documented exposure to a Flowserve or predecessor-brand product, and sufficient frequency, regularity, and proximity of that exposure to support causation arguments under applicable legal standards.

Because of Flowserve’s complex corporate history, identifying the correct predecessor entity associated with a particular product may be important in building a litigation record. Attorneys handling asbestos cases regularly investigate corporate lineage to establish which manufacturer was responsible for a specific product at the time of manufacture.

If you or a family member worked with or around industrial valves or steam traps — particularly at refineries, power plants, chemical facilities, or shipyards — and has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, exposure to Flowserve or predecessor-company products may be part of your occupational history.

Key points to understand:

  • There is no Flowserve asbestos trust fund. Claims cannot be filed through an administrative trust process.
  • Civil litigation is the available legal pathway. Asbestos attorneys can evaluate whether a lawsuit against Flowserve is appropriate based on the specifics of your exposure history and diagnosis.
  • Documentation of product identity matters. Recalling brand names, job sites, employers, and approximate dates of exposure will assist attorneys in building a claim record.
  • Predecessor company products are relevant. If you recall working with valves or steam traps bearing brand names associated with Flowserve’s predecessor companies, that information may be legally significant.
  • Statutes of limitations apply. Time limits for filing asbestos claims vary by state and diagnosis date. Consulting an experienced asbestos attorney promptly after diagnosis is strongly advised.

Workers and families researching exposure history should speak with an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation who can assess the full range of defendants — including manufacturers of other asbestos-containing products encountered at the same worksites — and advise on the appropriate legal strategy.