Flexitallic Gaskets

Product Description

Flexitallic gaskets were manufactured by Flexitallic, a company that operated under the Federal-Mogul corporate umbrella and became one of the most widely recognized names in industrial sealing technology throughout the twentieth century. The company began producing gaskets in 1912 and continued manufacturing asbestos-containing versions of its products through 1992, an eight-decade span that placed Flexitallic sealing products in refineries, chemical processing plants, power generation facilities, shipyards, and heavy industrial operations across the United States and internationally.

The Flexitallic brand became particularly associated with spiral wound gaskets, a design that combined a metallic winding strip with a filler material to create a sealing component capable of withstanding high temperatures, elevated pressures, and chemically aggressive environments. These performance characteristics made Flexitallic gaskets a preferred choice in industries where pipeline connections, flange joints, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and valve assemblies required reliable, long-term sealing under demanding conditions. The product line also included sheet gaskets, ring gaskets, and other configurations suited to a broad range of industrial sealing applications.

Flexitallic gaskets were distributed through industrial supply chains and were specified by engineers and maintenance planners at major industrial facilities. Their widespread adoption meant that workers in petrochemical refining, paper and pulp manufacturing, steel production, maritime industries, and utility operations encountered these products routinely over the course of their careers.

Asbestos Content

Flexitallic gaskets produced during the company’s manufacturing period incorporated chrysotile asbestos as a primary filler and sealing material. Chrysotile, sometimes referred to as white asbestos, was valued in industrial gasket manufacturing because of its thermal resistance, compressibility, and chemical stability. In spiral wound gaskets, chrysotile asbestos was used as the winding filler between metallic layers, allowing the gasket to conform to flange surfaces and maintain a seal under fluctuating temperature and pressure cycles.

Sheet gaskets in the Flexitallic line were also manufactured using compressed asbestos fiber formulations, which bound chrysotile fibers together with rubber binders and other materials to produce flat sealing sheets that could be cut to custom dimensions or supplied in standard configurations. These compressed asbestos fiber sheets were used extensively wherever flange connections required a conformable, heat-resistant seal.

Asbestos remained integral to Flexitallic gasket products because alternative materials capable of matching the thermal and chemical performance of chrysotile were not widely available or cost-competitive until later decades. The company transitioned away from asbestos-containing formulations as regulatory pressure intensified and substitute materials became more viable, with asbestos-free versions entering the product line before the 1992 cutoff date. However, asbestos-containing Flexitallic gaskets remained in active service at industrial facilities well beyond their date of manufacture, meaning worker exposures continued for years after production ceased.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers encountered asbestos-containing Flexitallic gaskets at multiple points during the product lifecycle. Exposure occurred during initial installation, routine maintenance, scheduled turnarounds, and emergency repairs at industrial facilities.

Installation workers handled new asbestos-containing gaskets when assembling flanged connections and pipe joints. Fitting a gasket to a flange sometimes required trimming or cutting the material to achieve a proper fit, generating fine asbestos-containing dust in the process. In confined spaces such as vessel interiors, trenches, and equipment pits, airborne fiber concentrations could accumulate quickly.

Maintenance and repair workers faced significant exposures when removing aged or failed gaskets from flanged connections. Over time, compressed asbestos fiber gaskets adhered tightly to metal flange faces and required mechanical removal using wire brushes, scrapers, grinding wheels, or rotary tools. These removal methods fragmented the gasket material and released chrysotile fibers into the breathing zone of the worker performing the task and those working nearby. Pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and general industrial maintenance personnel were among the trades most frequently involved in this type of work.

Workers in the surrounding area also experienced bystander exposures. Gasket removal and installation work was often performed in the presence of other trades engaged in parallel maintenance activities. Asbestos fibers released during gasket work are microscopic and remain airborne for extended periods, meaning workers who were not directly handling gaskets could inhale significant quantities of fiber.

Facilities with large flange inventories — refineries with thousands of pipe connections, power plants with extensive steam systems, and chemical plants with complex process piping — required continuous gasket maintenance work. Workers employed at these facilities over the course of careers spanning decades accumulated repeated exposures that, in aggregate, represented substantial cumulative fiber doses.

Chrysotile asbestos, when inhaled, can penetrate deep lung tissue and has been documented as a cause of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Workers who developed these conditions after regular contact with asbestos-containing gasket products, including Flexitallic gaskets, have pursued legal action against product manufacturers and distributors.

Flexitallic asbestos-containing gaskets fall under Tier 2 litigation, meaning claims arising from exposure to these products are pursued through the civil court system rather than through an established asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. As of the time of publication, no dedicated asbestos trust fund exists specifically for Flexitallic gasket claims.

Litigation records document that plaintiffs diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis have named Flexitallic and related corporate entities as defendants in asbestos personal injury actions. Plaintiffs alleged that Flexitallic gaskets were defective and unreasonably dangerous because they contained asbestos fibers capable of causing serious disease, and that the company failed to provide adequate warnings to workers who would foreseeably be exposed during the installation, use, and removal of its products. Plaintiffs further alleged that the company had knowledge of the hazards associated with asbestos exposure and did not take timely or adequate steps to warn end users or reformulate its products.

Eligible claimants may include:

  • Industrial workers who installed, maintained, or removed Flexitallic asbestos-containing gaskets during their occupational careers
  • Workers employed in refineries, chemical plants, power generation facilities, shipyards, steel mills, or paper mills where these gaskets were in routine use
  • Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or other asbestos-related diseases with documented occupational history involving Flexitallic products
  • Family members of deceased workers who died from asbestos-related disease (wrongful death claims)

Recommended steps for individuals who believe they were exposed to Flexitallic asbestos-containing gaskets include consulting with an asbestos litigation attorney experienced in industrial product cases, gathering employment and medical records, and documenting specific worksites, job titles, and time periods of exposure. Because statutes of limitations vary by state and begin running from the date of diagnosis or discovery of disease, timely legal consultation is important.

Asbestos litigation involving industrial gasket manufacturers has produced both settlements and jury verdicts, and litigation records document that courts have recognized the validity of claims arising from industrial gasket exposures. An experienced asbestos attorney can evaluate the specifics of an individual’s exposure history and diagnosis to determine the most appropriate legal strategy.