Industrial Boilers by Combustion Engineering

Product Description

Combustion Engineering, Inc. was one of the most prominent manufacturers of industrial boilers in the United States throughout much of the twentieth century. Operating under the brand name C-E, the company supplied large-scale steam-generating and hot water boiler systems to a wide range of industries, including power generation, chemical processing, petroleum refining, paper and pulp manufacturing, and marine applications. Combustion Engineering boilers were engineered for high-temperature, high-pressure environments where reliable heat transfer was essential to continuous industrial operations.

The company’s product lines spanned utility boilers designed for electric power plants, package boilers intended for industrial process heating, and marine boilers installed aboard commercial ships, naval vessels, and tankers. These systems were often massive in scale—occupying entire rooms or decks—and required substantial insulation and sealing materials to contain heat and prevent energy loss. Throughout the mid-twentieth century, asbestos-containing materials were routinely incorporated into these systems as a matter of industry standard practice, regulatory acceptance, and manufacturer specification.

Combustion Engineering operated manufacturing facilities and provided installation support across numerous states and international locations. The company was later acquired by ABB Ltd., and the successor entity ultimately established a bankruptcy trust to address the volume of asbestos-related personal injury claims arising from decades of product use.

Asbestos Content

Asbestos was integrated into Combustion Engineering industrial boilers and their associated components in multiple forms. The mineral’s heat resistance, tensile strength, and insulating properties made it a material of choice for manufacturers and engineers working with high-temperature equipment throughout the mid-twentieth century.

Asbestos-containing materials documented in connection with Combustion Engineering boiler systems include:

• Refractory and fire-side insulation: The combustion chambers, fireboxes, and flue passages of industrial boilers required refractory linings capable of withstanding extreme radiant and convective heat. Asbestos-reinforced refractory cements, castables, and brick mortar were used in the construction and repair of these interior components.

• External pipe and vessel insulation: Steam lines, headers, and boiler shells were wrapped or covered with asbestos block insulation, asbestos blankets, and asbestos-containing insulating cement to reduce heat loss and protect adjacent workers and equipment.

• Gaskets and packing materials: High-pressure boiler connections, flanges, valve stems, and manway covers required sealing materials that could withstand steam pressure and temperature cycling. Compressed asbestos fiber gaskets and woven asbestos packing were specified for these applications.

• Boiler casing and panel insulation: The exterior casings surrounding boiler fireboxes and steam drums were often lined or backed with asbestos millboard or asbestos-containing cement board to limit heat transfer to the surrounding structure.

The Combustion Engineering 524(g) Asbestos PI Trust, established through the company’s Chapter 11 reorganization process, recognizes these product categories as part of its claims evaluation framework.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers who installed, operated, inspected, repaired, or overhauled Combustion Engineering industrial boilers faced repeated exposures to asbestos fibers released from the materials described above. Asbestos fibers become airborne when materials are disturbed, cut, abraded, or broken—conditions that were routine throughout the operational life of industrial boiler systems.

Boilermakers and boiler mechanics were among the most heavily exposed trades. Installation of refractory linings required mixing and applying asbestos-containing cements and castables, tasks that generated significant airborne dust. Periodic overhauls required workers to enter boiler fireboxes and combustion chambers to chip out and replace worn refractory material, releasing concentrated fiber loads in confined spaces. Repair and replacement of gaskets and packing on steam-side components involved scraping old material from flange faces, cutting new gasket stock from sheet asbestos, and winding asbestos packing into valve stuffing boxes.

Industrial workers generally who worked in facilities where Combustion Engineering boilers were in service faced secondary or bystander exposures. Workers in adjacent areas could inhale fibers carried by plant air circulation when boiler insulation was disturbed during maintenance activities. In power plants, refineries, and industrial processing facilities, boiler maintenance was a frequent and ongoing activity, and nearby workers were often present without awareness of the hazard.

Marine workers—including shipfitters, machinists, and engine room crew—encountered Combustion Engineering marine boiler installations in particularly confined quarters. Engine rooms and boiler rooms aboard ships offered little ventilation, and the concentration of asbestos-containing equipment in a small enclosed space meant that any maintenance or repair activity could elevate fiber levels throughout the space.

Pipe insulation workers and laggers who applied or removed the external insulation from Combustion Engineering boiler systems and associated piping directly handled raw asbestos materials or aged insulation that crumbled and released fibers during removal.

Because many industrial boilers remained in service for decades, workers who encountered these systems during the 1940s through the 1980s—and in some cases later, during remediation and demolition activities—faced cumulative exposures over extended periods.

Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options

Combustion Engineering, Inc. reorganized under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, and as part of that reorganization, the Combustion Engineering 524(g) Asbestos PI Trust was established pursuant to Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code. This statutory framework was specifically designed to ensure that current and future asbestos personal injury claimants retain access to compensation even after a manufacturer’s insolvency.

The Combustion Engineering 524(g) Asbestos PI Trust is an active trust that processes claims from individuals diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases who can demonstrate exposure to Combustion Engineering asbestos-containing products, including industrial boilers and their components.

Eligible disease categories typically recognized by asbestos personal injury trusts of this type include:

• Mesothelioma (malignant mesothelioma of the pleura, peritoneum, or pericardium)
• Lung cancer (with qualifying asbestos exposure history)
• Other cancers associated with asbestos exposure, as defined in the trust’s distribution procedures
• Asbestosis and other non-malignant asbestos-related conditions meeting diagnostic and exposure criteria

Filing eligibility is generally determined by the trust’s Trust Distribution Procedures (TDP), which specify the documentation required to establish product exposure, diagnosis, and the relationship between the two. Claimants or their legal representatives typically submit medical records confirming diagnosis, occupational history documenting work with or around Combustion Engineering products, and co-worker or site evidence where direct product identification records are unavailable.

Industrial workers who were employed in facilities using Combustion Engineering boiler systems, as well as marine workers who served aboard vessels equipped with Combustion Engineering marine boilers, may be eligible to file claims with the trust.

Individuals who develop asbestos-related diseases after exposure to Combustion Engineering industrial boilers, or the families of those who have died from such diseases, should consult an attorney experienced in asbestos trust fund claims. An attorney can evaluate exposure history, identify all potentially applicable trusts and litigation avenues, and assist in preparing a complete claim submission.