Asbestos Spiral Wound Gaskets (Federal-Mogul/Wagner)

Product Description

Spiral wound gaskets were precision-engineered sealing components used extensively throughout American heavy industry from the 1950s through the 1970s. Manufactured by Federal-Mogul/Wagner among other industrial suppliers, these gaskets were designed to create pressure-tight seals in flanged pipe connections, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, boilers, pumps, and valves operating under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions.

The spiral wound gasket derives its name from its construction method: alternating layers of metallic strip and soft filler material are wound together in a spiral configuration around a central core. The metallic winding—typically stainless steel or carbon steel—provided structural resilience and compressibility, while the filler material between the metal layers performed the actual sealing function. This design gave spiral wound gaskets a significant mechanical advantage over flat sheet gaskets in demanding industrial applications, allowing them to recover from fluctuations in pressure and temperature that might cause simpler gaskets to fail.

During the decades of peak production, Federal-Mogul/Wagner supplied spiral wound gaskets to a broad range of industries, including petroleum refining, chemical processing, pulp and paper manufacturing, power generation, and shipbuilding. These industries relied on reliable high-performance sealing technology to maintain the integrity of complex piping systems, and spiral wound gaskets were considered a premium solution suited to the most demanding service environments.

Federal-Mogul itself became one of the largest industrial component manufacturers in the United States during the twentieth century, with the Wagner brand representing a well-recognized product line in the gasket and sealing segment. The company’s products reached facilities across the country through extensive distribution networks, placing these gaskets in an enormous variety of workplaces over multiple decades.

Asbestos Content

The filler material wound between the metal strips in Federal-Mogul/Wagner spiral wound gaskets consisted of chrysotile asbestos fiber. Chrysotile, sometimes called white asbestos, was the most commercially prevalent form of asbestos used in industrial products during the mid-twentieth century. Its fibrous, flexible structure made it well suited as a filler material in spiral wound gaskets because it could be compressed uniformly, withstand extreme heat, resist chemical attack, and maintain sealing integrity under sustained mechanical stress.

Chrysotile asbestos was incorporated into the gasket filler either as a woven or compressed sheet material, and it was tightly integrated with the metallic winding throughout the body of each gasket. The asbestos content served a functional purpose that manufacturers at the time argued could not be easily replicated by alternative materials available during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s.

The use of chrysotile asbestos in spiral wound gaskets continued until regulatory pressure and evolving awareness of asbestos-related disease risk prompted the industry to develop alternative filler materials, including flexible graphite and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). These substitutes became commercially viable during the mid-to-late 1970s and gradually displaced asbestos-containing filler materials across the gasket industry.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers generally encountered asbestos exposure from spiral wound gaskets at multiple points during the life cycle of these products. The nature of gasket service in industrial settings meant that installation, maintenance, and removal activities occurred repeatedly throughout the operational lifespan of any piping system or pressure vessel.

During installation, workers cut, handled, and fitted gaskets into flanged connections. Although spiral wound gaskets were designed to minimize fiber release compared to cut sheet gaskets, the handling of asbestos-containing filler material during fitting and adjustment could disturb fiber-containing surfaces and release chrysotile fibers into the breathing zone of workers in proximity.

Gasket removal and replacement presented a more significant exposure scenario. Spiral wound gaskets in high-temperature, high-pressure service could become bonded to flange faces over time. Workers tasked with breaking flanges, removing deteriorated gaskets, and cleaning flange faces often used wire brushes, scrapers, grinders, or power tools to dislodge and remove spent gaskets and residual filler material. These activities could generate substantial quantities of airborne asbestos-containing dust, particularly in confined or poorly ventilated spaces common in industrial plant environments.

Maintenance workers, pipefitters, and millwrights working in proximity to gasket replacement activities—even when not directly performing the work themselves—could also be exposed to airborne fibers dispersed in shared work areas. In industries such as petroleum refining and power generation, gasket replacement was a routine maintenance task performed on a scheduled basis throughout the operating year, meaning that cumulative exposure across a working career could be substantial.

The enclosed nature of many industrial facilities, combined with the limited use of respiratory protection and the absence of comprehensive industrial hygiene programs during much of the 1950s and 1960s, created conditions under which chrysotile fiber concentrations could reach significant levels without workers’ awareness.

Federal-Mogul/Wagner asbestos spiral wound gaskets do not have an associated bankruptcy trust fund. Federal-Mogul Corporation did file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2001, establishing the Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust to address asbestos claims against certain product lines. However, eligibility for that trust is determined by the specific products and subsidiaries covered under the reorganization plan, and individuals seeking compensation related to spiral wound gasket exposure should consult with a qualified asbestos attorney to determine whether their particular circumstances fall within covered claim categories.

For claims not covered by the trust structure, litigation records document that plaintiffs have pursued compensation against Federal-Mogul and related entities in civil asbestos litigation. Plaintiffs alleged that Federal-Mogul/Wagner manufactured and distributed spiral wound gaskets containing chrysotile asbestos, and that the company knew or should have known of the health hazards associated with asbestos fiber exposure during the decades of production. Plaintiffs further alleged that adequate warnings were not provided to workers who handled, installed, or removed these products in the course of their employment.

Litigation records document claims brought by workers diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer following documented occupational exposure to asbestos-containing gasket products. Industrial workers, pipefitters, and maintenance personnel employed in refining, power generation, and chemical processing industries have been among those represented in such litigation.

Individuals who worked in facilities where Federal-Mogul/Wagner spiral wound gaskets were installed, maintained, or removed, and who have received a diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease, should seek evaluation by an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation. Because statutes of limitations apply in asbestos cases and vary by jurisdiction, prompt legal consultation is important. Medical documentation of diagnosis, along with employment records and any available product identification evidence, will generally form the foundation of a legal claim.