Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement

Product Description

Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement was an industrial insulating and refractory product manufactured by National Gypsum Company. Produced from approximately 1941 through 1957, the product was formulated for use in high-temperature industrial settings where thermal insulation and fire resistance were essential operational requirements. National Gypsum marketed the Gold Bond product line broadly across industrial sectors during this era, and the No. 340 Insulating Cement was positioned as a solution for applications demanding both structural integrity and heat-resistant performance.

Insulating cements of this type were commonly applied to boilers, furnaces, kilns, pipe systems, and other equipment operating at elevated temperatures. The product was typically supplied in dry or pre-mixed form and applied by workers using trowels, brushes, or by hand, depending on the surface and configuration being insulated. Once cured, the cement formed a rigid or semi-rigid coating intended to reduce heat transfer and protect underlying equipment from thermal damage.

National Gypsum Company was a major manufacturer of gypsum-based building and industrial products throughout the twentieth century. The Gold Bond brand represented a wide range of the company’s product offerings, spanning wallboard, plaster, and specialty industrial materials including refractory and insulating products such as the No. 340 Insulating Cement.

Asbestos Content

Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement contained chrysotile asbestos as a component of its formulation. Chrysotile, sometimes referred to as white asbestos, is the most commercially prevalent form of asbestos and belongs to the serpentine mineral family. It was widely incorporated into insulating and refractory cement products during the mid-twentieth century because of its heat resistance, tensile strength, and capacity to bind with other materials during mixing and curing.

In insulating cement applications, asbestos fibers served a functional role in reinforcing the cured material and enhancing its resistance to cracking under thermal stress. The inclusion of chrysotile in products like No. 340 was consistent with widespread industry practice during the period of manufacture. Chrysotile asbestos, despite its distinct fiber morphology from amphibole varieties, is recognized by OSHA and the EPA as a human carcinogen, and no safe level of occupational exposure to any form of asbestos has been established by regulatory authorities.

The years of production for Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement—1941 through 1957—fall within the period most heavily scrutinized in asbestos litigation, as worker protections were minimal or absent, and awareness of asbestos-related disease risks was seldom communicated to those handling such materials.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers were the primary population exposed to Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement during its production years. Exposure pathways associated with insulating cement products are well documented across occupational health literature and litigation records and typically arose through several distinct work activities.

Mixing and Preparation: Workers tasked with mixing dry insulating cement created airborne dust containing asbestos fibers. The act of combining dry material with water, or simply transferring dry cement from containers to mixing vessels, could release fiber concentrations into the breathing zone of workers in the immediate area.

Application: Applying the cement to boilers, pipes, furnaces, kilns, and related equipment required workers to handle the material directly and spread it across surfaces, sometimes in confined or poorly ventilated industrial spaces. Troweling, patting, and smoothing operations disturbed the material and could generate airborne fibers, particularly when the cement had partially dried or when corrections were made to applied sections.

Finishing and Surface Work: Once applied, insulating cement surfaces were sometimes scraped, sanded, or shaped to meet specifications. These dry finishing operations are recognized as particularly high-exposure activities because they act upon already-dried material, which releases bound fibers back into the air more readily than wet application.

Repair and Removal: Insulating cement applied during earlier installation frequently required repair, patching, or complete removal as equipment aged or was retooled. Workers involved in breaking out, chipping, or scraping old cement coatings were exposed to the full asbestos content of the aged material, often in quantities greater than those encountered during original application.

Bystander Exposure: Workers performing other industrial tasks in proximity to cement mixing, application, or removal operations could be exposed to airborne fibers without directly handling the product themselves. Industrial facilities of the era often lacked the ventilation, respiratory protection, or containment practices that later OSHA standards would require.

Diseases associated with occupational asbestos exposure include mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related conditions. These diseases are characterized by long latency periods, often manifesting decades after the initial exposure.

National Gypsum Company has no active asbestos bankruptcy trust fund available for claims related to Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement. National Gypsum did file for bankruptcy protection, but claims related to its products are addressed through civil litigation rather than through an established trust fund mechanism in the current legal environment. Individuals seeking compensation for asbestos-related illness attributed to this product must pursue their claims through the court system.

Litigation records document that plaintiffs have brought claims against National Gypsum and related defendants in connection with Gold Bond brand insulating and refractory products. Plaintiffs alleged exposure to asbestos-containing materials manufactured and sold under the Gold Bond name and further alleged that the company knew or should have known of the health hazards associated with asbestos exposure during the years the products were marketed and sold. Litigation records document claims asserting failure to warn workers of asbestos-related risks and failure to provide adequate safety instructions accompanying asbestos-containing products.

Individuals who worked in industrial settings where Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement was mixed, applied, repaired, or removed during the product’s manufacturing years—and who have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or related conditions—may have grounds for legal action. Family members of deceased workers who developed asbestos-related disease may also have standing to pursue wrongful death claims depending on the jurisdiction.

Consulting an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation is the appropriate step for affected individuals or their families. Asbestos cases involve statutes of limitations that vary by state and by the type of claim being brought, and timely consultation is important to preserving legal rights. An experienced asbestos attorney can evaluate the specific exposure history, identify all potentially liable parties beyond the primary manufacturer, and determine the most appropriate legal avenue given the absence of a trust fund for this product.