Insulag — Quigley Company Refractory and Spray Fireproofing Product

Product Description

Insulag was a spray-applied refractory fireproofing product manufactured by the Quigley Company, a New York-based specialty products firm that supplied the industrial and construction markets with high-temperature insulation and refractory materials throughout much of the twentieth century. Designed for use in high-heat industrial environments, Insulag was formulated as a wet-mix compound that could be sprayed directly onto furnace walls, roofs, and other refractory surfaces where thermal protection was required.

The product was marketed and sold to heavy industry sectors that routinely operated equipment at extreme temperatures, including steel production facilities, aluminum smelting plants, and glass manufacturing operations. Its spray-applied format made it particularly practical for lining large interior surfaces quickly and uniformly, allowing industrial operators to coat furnace chambers and similar structures with a continuous, heat-resistant layer. Insulag remained in production from at least the 1940s through approximately 1975, a period during which asbestos was a standard ingredient in many industrial fireproofing and refractory formulations.

Quigley Company was eventually acquired by Pfizer Inc., a corporate relationship that would later become significant in asbestos litigation and trust fund proceedings. Following decades of product liability claims tied to Quigley’s asbestos-containing product lines, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2004. The resulting reorganization established the Quigley Company Asbestos PI Trust to resolve pending and future asbestos personal injury claims associated with Quigley products, including Insulag.

Asbestos Content

Insulag contained chrysotile asbestos, the most commercially prevalent form of asbestos, incorporated into the product’s wet-mix refractory compound. Chrysotile fibers were used in refractory and fireproofing products of this era because of their thermal resistance, tensile strength, and ability to bind with other materials in a spray-applied matrix.

In a wet-mix spray application like Insulag, chrysotile fibers were blended with binders, refractory aggregates, and water to create a sprayable slurry. Once applied and dried, the asbestos fibers were embedded within the hardened refractory layer. However, the application process itself, as well as subsequent cutting, patching, demolition, or disturbance of the cured material during maintenance and repair cycles, created conditions under which asbestos fibers could be released into the surrounding air.

Chrysotile asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and is regulated under OSHA’s asbestos standards at 29 CFR 1910.1001 (general industry) and 29 CFR 1926.1101 (construction). AHERA regulations further govern the identification and management of asbestos-containing materials in certain building types. While chrysotile is sometimes described in industry literature as less potent than amphibole asbestos varieties, regulatory and medical consensus holds that no established safe level of occupational exposure exists for any form of asbestos.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers in multiple trades and industrial settings faced potential asbestos exposure through contact with Insulag across its decades of production and use.

Refractory Workers were among those most directly at risk. Refractory specialists applied, repaired, and removed insulating materials inside furnaces and high-temperature vessels as a core part of their work. Spraying Insulag onto furnace walls and ceilings generated airborne wet-mix particulate containing chrysotile fibers. After application, the dried refractory lining required periodic chipping, grinding, or breaking during repair and relining operations, releasing previously bound fibers back into the air.

Steel Furnace Workers encountered Insulag in the facilities where the product was most commonly applied. Blast furnaces, electric arc furnaces, and other steelmaking equipment were lined with refractory materials as a matter of routine maintenance. Workers who operated, monitored, or maintained these furnaces during or after Insulag application could inhale airborne fibers generated by spray application, routine furnace operations, or demolition of worn linings.

Aluminum Plant Workers faced similar exposure pathways. The aluminum smelting process depends heavily on high-temperature vessels and holding furnaces that require consistent refractory protection. Insulag’s use in these facilities placed both application crews and ongoing plant personnel in proximity to the material throughout its installed life.

Glass Plant Maintenance Workers were also documented among the trades exposed to Insulag. Glass manufacturing furnaces operate at sustained high temperatures and require regular maintenance, relining, and repair. Workers performing that maintenance, including those who broke out old refractory linings before applying new material, were subject to significant dust generation in enclosed or semi-enclosed furnace environments where asbestos fiber concentrations could reach elevated levels.

Across all these settings, exposure was not limited to the workers directly handling Insulag. Bystander exposure was a recognized hazard in industrial environments where spray application was in progress or where refractory demolition occurred in shared work areas. Ventilation in furnace interiors and industrial facilities during this era was often insufficient to adequately dilute or remove airborne fibers.

Individuals diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases who worked with or around Insulag may be eligible to file a claim with the Quigley Company Asbestos PI Trust, the dedicated compensation fund established through Quigley Company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. The trust was created specifically to compensate individuals harmed by asbestos-containing products manufactured and sold by the Quigley Company, including Insulag.

Filing Eligibility: Claimants must demonstrate a qualifying asbestos-related diagnosis and establish exposure to a Quigley Company product. Named product exposure to Insulag, combined with documentation of work in industries and trades consistent with its use, supports eligibility under the trust’s criteria. Medical records, employment history, co-worker affidavits, and union records are among the types of evidence typically used to support trust claims.

Qualifying Disease Categories recognized under asbestos personal injury trusts generally include:

  • Mesothelioma (malignant, including pleural and peritoneal forms)
  • Lung cancer (with documented asbestos exposure history)
  • Asbestosis (fibrotic lung disease confirmed by imaging and clinical criteria)
  • Other asbestos-related conditions including pleural plaques, pleural thickening, and diffuse pleural disease

How to File: Claims against the Quigley Company Asbestos PI Trust are processed through the trust’s claims facility. Claimants are typically represented by asbestos plaintiff attorneys who specialize in trust submissions. An attorney experienced in asbestos trust claims can evaluate whether Insulag exposure qualifies a claimant for the Quigley trust and identify whether exposure to other manufacturers’ products may support additional claims with other active trusts.

Workers and family members who believe they were exposed to Insulag during its production years of the 1940s through 1975 should consult a qualified asbestos attorney. Statutes of limitations apply to asbestos claims and vary by state and by claim type. Early legal consultation helps preserve evidentiary records and ensures timely filing within applicable deadlines.