Keene Corporation: Asbestos-Containing Products, Occupational Exposure, and Legal History

Keene Corporation was a diversified American industrial manufacturer whose product lines spanned floor tile, pipe insulation, refractory cements, spray fireproofing materials, and valve and steam trap systems. According to asbestos litigation records, Keene and its predecessor and subsidiary operations manufactured or distributed dozens of products containing asbestos across several decades, with documented product lines extending from at least the late 1930s through the early 1980s. Workers in construction, shipbuilding, steelmaking, power generation, and heavy industry encountered Keene-associated products on jobsites throughout the United States during this period.

Company History

Keene Corporation operated as a holding company with multiple industrial subsidiaries, acquiring and absorbing a number of specialty manufacturers over its history. Among its most significant acquisitions were the Kentile flooring business, the Leslie Controls operation (which produced valves and steam regulators), and the National Refractories and Minerals Corporation (NARCO), which manufactured a broad range of refractory cements and gunning mixes used in high-temperature industrial applications.

The company’s reach into asbestos-containing product categories was therefore not confined to a single factory or product line but reflected the combined output of several distinct manufacturing operations, each serving different trades and industries. Court filings document that Keene’s asbestos-containing products were present in industrial plants, commercial construction sites, naval vessels, oil refineries, and steel mills during the peak decades of asbestos use in American industry — roughly the 1940s through the early 1980s.

Keene ceased production of asbestos-containing products in approximately the early 1980s, consistent with broader industry trends following increased regulatory scrutiny by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The company subsequently faced substantial asbestos-related litigation.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Keene Corporation and its subsidiaries manufactured or distributed a wide range of asbestos-containing products across multiple industrial categories. According to asbestos litigation records, the following documented products were alleged to contain asbestos:

Insulation and Refractory Cements

  • Thermalite (approximately 1900–1963): An early insulating product used in pipe and block insulation applications.
  • Number One Plus Cement (approximately 1938–1971): A general-purpose insulating cement applied during rough installation work.
  • Mono Block (approximately 1940–1968): A block insulation product used in industrial pipe systems.
  • Thermasil (approximately 1956–1972): An insulating cement product documented in industrial and commercial jobsite exposure claims.
  • Super Power House Cement (approximately 1960–1971): A high-temperature insulating cement.
  • Staz-on Insulating Cement (1960s–1970s): A rough-in insulating mud used in commercial applications.
  • Narco Unicote Finishing Cement: A finishing-grade insulating cement used by insulators to coat and seal pipe and equipment insulation.
  • Narcolite Refractory Cement (approximately 1964 onward): A refractory cement product used in high-heat industrial settings.
  • Narcocast ES Fine Trowel (approximately 1963–1977): A trowel-applied refractory product used for furnace and boiler linings.
  • Narcocrete Trowel (approximately 1963–1977): A trowel-applied castable refractory material.

Spray Fireproofing and Gunning Mixes

  • Monospray (approximately 1963–1970): A spray-applied fireproofing material used on structural steel in commercial and industrial construction.
  • Pyrospray (approximately 1963–1970): A spray-applied fireproofing product used similarly to Monospray on steel structures and decks.
  • Aerogun (approximately 1971–1979): A spray-on application product used in industrial settings.
  • CM Gun Mix (approximately 1963–1973): A boiler spray product used in gunning applications for furnace and boiler linings.
  • CM-18 Gun Mix (approximately 1963–1977): A boiler spray gunning mix used in industrial refractory work.
  • MC-Gun Mix (approximately 1963–1975): A gunning mix applied in industrial boiler and furnace environments.
  • WO-339 MC Gun (approximately 1964–1975): A gunning product used in refractory applications.
  • Narcogun CM-343 (approximately 1965–1977): A NARCO-branded gun mix used in high-temperature refractory work.
  • Narcogun CR-346 (approximately 1965–1975) and Narcogun CR-346 NN (approximately 1966 onward): Gunning mixes used in furnace and kiln applications.
  • Narcogun CRD-347 (approximately 1965–1975): A refractory gunning product.
  • Narcogun MC-339 (approximately 1965–1975): A gunning mix used in industrial boiler applications.
  • Narcogun MCD-344 (approximately 1964–1977): A refractory gunning mix.
  • Narcogun P-340 (approximately 1965 onward): A boiler spray product used in gunning refractory work.
  • Narcogun PD-345 (approximately 1965 onward): A boiler spray gunning product.
  • Narmag OH Gun Mix (dates documented in litigation records): A gunning mix used in open-hearth furnace applications.
  • Super 505 Hot Gun C (approximately 1964–1977): A high-temperature gunning mix used in industrial furnace settings.

Anti-Erosion and Specialty Refractory Products

  • Anti-Erode (approximately 1963–1977): A protective refractory coating applied to furnace and boiler surfaces subject to erosion.
  • BOF Cote (approximately 1966–1975): A coating product used in basic oxygen furnace applications in the steel industry.
  • BOF Patch (approximately 1965–1975): A patching compound used in basic oxygen furnace maintenance.
  • Narmag 60 DBRC (approximately 1970–1980): A metal firebrick product used in high-temperature furnace linings.
  • NARCO IND-PH: A refractory product documented in industrial exposure claims.

Floor Tile

  • Kentile Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile: Plaintiffs alleged that Keene’s Kentile subsidiary manufactured vinyl asbestos floor tile that was installed in schools, commercial buildings, and residential structures throughout the country. Kentile floor tile products were among the most widely distributed asbestos-containing floor products in the United States during the mid-twentieth century.

Valves and Steam Regulators

  • Leslie Super G Series Regulator: According to asbestos litigation records, internal components of Leslie steam regulators were alleged to contain asbestos-containing packing and gasket materials.
  • Leslie Class DLO Control Valve: Court filings document allegations that this valve product contained asbestos-containing internal materials exposed during maintenance and repair.
  • Leslie Steam Regulator Valves: A broader category of Leslie-branded steam regulators alleged to have incorporated asbestos-containing components.

Occupational Exposure

Workers across a wide range of trades encountered Keene Corporation products containing asbestos during the course of normal job duties. According to asbestos litigation records, the following occupational groups were most frequently exposed:

Insulators and pipefitters worked directly with Keene’s insulating cement products, including Thermalite, Number One Plus Cement, Mono Block, Thermasil, Super Power House Cement, and Staz-on Cement. Mixing dry cement powders and applying them to pipe systems generated substantial airborne dust. Court filings document that insulators regularly handled these materials without respiratory protection during the decades of peak use.

Boilermakers and refractory workers applied Keene’s NARCO-branded gun mixes, trowel products, and anti-erosion coatings in industrial plants, steel mills, and power generation facilities. Gunning operations, in which refractory material was sprayed pneumatically onto furnace and boiler walls, were alleged to produce intense concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers in confined spaces.

Construction tradespeople were exposed to Monospray and Pyrospray fireproofing products applied to structural steel in commercial buildings during the 1960s. Plaintiffs alleged that spray fireproofing operations released heavy concentrations of asbestos fiber into the air, affecting not only applicators but other trades working in the same areas.

Steelworkers encountered BOF Cote, BOF Patch, Narmag products, and related refractory materials used in basic oxygen furnace operations and open-hearth steel production. Maintenance work on furnace linings — including chipping and removal of spent refractory — was alleged to generate significant asbestos exposure.

Flooring installers and building occupants encountered Kentile vinyl asbestos floor tile during installation, cutting, sanding, and eventual removal. Building maintenance personnel and later abatement workers also faced potential exposure when aging tile was disturbed.

Pipefitters and maintenance mechanics working on steam systems that incorporated Leslie valves and regulators were alleged to be exposed during routine maintenance procedures involving the replacement of internal packing and gasket components.

Keene Corporation is a Tier 2 manufacturer for purposes of this reference. The company has been a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation and has been the subject of extensive court filings documenting the alleged asbestos content of its product lines. However, Keene Corporation does not have an active, independently administered asbestos bankruptcy trust fund in the manner of some other major asbestos defendants.

Individuals who believe they were exposed to Keene Corporation products should be aware that legal options and avenues for compensation may differ from those available in trust fund claims. Asbestos litigation against Keene or entities associated with its former subsidiaries — including NARCO, Kentile, and Leslie Controls — has proceeded through the civil court system. The availability of claims and the status of any successor entities should be confirmed with a qualified asbestos attorney, as corporate restructurings and subsidiary histories can affect which legal entities remain viable defendants.

Plain-Language Summary

If you or a family member worked with Keene Corporation products — including NARCO refractory cements, Kentile floor tile, Leslie valves, or any of the insulating and spray fireproofing products listed above — and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may have legal options. Because Keene does not operate an active asbestos bankruptcy trust, compensation claims are typically pursued through civil litigation rather than a trust fund submission process. An attorney experienced in asbestos exposure cases can review your work history, identify the specific products involved, and advise on the most appropriate legal pathway. There are time limits on filing asbestos claims, so early consultation is important.