Narcocrete Trowel | Narco Refractory Product

Product Description

The Narcocrete Trowel was a refractory castable product manufactured by North American Refractories Company, commonly known as Narco, and produced from approximately 1963 through 1977. Refractory castables of this type were engineered specifically for high-temperature industrial applications where standard construction materials would fail. The Narcocrete Trowel was designed as a trowelable refractory mixture — a dense, workable compound that could be applied by hand or tool to furnace linings, boiler walls, kilns, incinerators, and other heat-intensive industrial equipment.

As a trowelable product, it was particularly valued for patching and repair work, allowing industrial workers and maintenance personnel to fill cracks, seal joints, and resurface deteriorating refractory linings without full equipment shutdowns. Its consistency and workability made it a practical choice for facilities that needed to maintain continuous operations or perform rapid maintenance cycles. Narco was a significant supplier to heavy industry throughout the mid-twentieth century, and its refractory product line, including the Narcocrete Trowel, was widely distributed across steel mills, foundries, chemical plants, cement facilities, and other industrial sites throughout the United States.

Asbestos Content

Like many refractory castables and trowelable products manufactured during this era, the Narcocrete Trowel contained asbestos as a functional component of its formulation. Asbestos was a standard additive in refractory products during the 1960s and 1970s because of its exceptional heat resistance, tensile reinforcement properties, and ability to improve the workability and bonding characteristics of dense castable mixtures.

In trowelable refractory formulations, asbestos fibers served multiple roles: they reinforced the material against thermal cracking, improved adhesion to vertical and overhead surfaces during application, and helped the product retain structural integrity through repeated heating and cooling cycles. These properties made asbestos-containing refractory castables the industry standard for high-temperature maintenance applications during this period.

The presence of asbestos in products such as the Narcocrete Trowel has since been documented through product liability litigation and through the claims review process administered by the North American Refractories Company Asbestos PI Trust, which was established to compensate individuals harmed by exposure to Narco’s asbestos-containing product line.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers who handled, applied, or worked in proximity to the Narcocrete Trowel faced meaningful risk of asbestos fiber release at multiple stages of the product’s use. Industrial workers generally — including furnace installers, maintenance mechanics, boilermakers, kiln operators, and general laborers employed at heavy industrial facilities — represent the primary exposed population documented in connection with this product.

During mixing and preparation, the Narcocrete Trowel compound required wetting and working before application. Dry or semi-dry refractory castables of this type produced visible dust when opened, poured, and mixed, releasing asbestos fibers into the breathing zone of workers performing these tasks. Enclosed or poorly ventilated industrial spaces amplified fiber concentrations during these preparatory steps.

During application, workers troweled the material directly onto furnace walls, boiler interiors, ladle linings, and other surfaces by hand or with hand tools. The physical manipulation of the product — spreading, pressing, and smoothing the compound — could disturb and release fibers, particularly when workers applied the material overhead or in confined spaces such as furnace interiors.

During repair and removal of existing installations, previously applied Narcocrete Trowel material that had been subjected to high heat could become brittle and friable. Workers chipping away old refractory linings to prepare surfaces for fresh material encountered deteriorated asbestos-containing product, releasing concentrated fiber clouds in enclosed furnace chambers. This activity — often performed by the same workers who applied the original material — carried some of the highest exposure potential associated with refractory castable products.

Bystander and adjacent trade exposure was also common in heavy industrial settings, where workers performing other maintenance tasks nearby could inhale airborne asbestos fibers generated by refractory installation and repair work without directly handling the product themselves.

The period of the Narcocrete Trowel’s production, 1963 through 1977, corresponds with an era in which industrial hygiene standards for asbestos were either absent or inadequately enforced, and respiratory protection for workers in these environments was inconsistently provided. OSHA’s first permissible exposure limit for asbestos was not established until 1971, and many industrial facilities did not immediately implement compliant practices. Workers in the refractory trades and adjacent industrial occupations during this period routinely performed their work without the protective equipment now understood to be necessary when handling asbestos-containing materials.

The North American Refractories Company Asbestos PI Trust was established through the bankruptcy reorganization of North American Refractories Company to provide compensation to individuals who suffered asbestos-related harm from exposure to Narco’s product line, including the Narcocrete Trowel. This is a Tier 1 legal remedy, meaning a dedicated trust fund exists specifically to compensate eligible claimants without the need to proceed through active civil litigation against the original manufacturer.

Trust Name: North American Refractories Company Asbestos PI Trust

Product and Manufacturer: The Narcocrete Trowel, manufactured by North American Refractories Company (Narco), is a recognized product for purposes of trust claim submissions. Claimants establishing exposure to this specific product in connection with Narco’s manufacturing operations may qualify for review under the trust’s claim evaluation process.

Eligible Claim Categories typically include disease categories consistent with asbestos-related illness, such as:

  • Mesothelioma — the malignant cancer of the pleura or peritoneum most closely associated with asbestos exposure, generally qualifying for expedited or enhanced review
  • Lung cancer — with documented asbestos exposure history and qualifying occupational background
  • Asbestosis — a fibrotic lung disease resulting from prolonged asbestos fiber inhalation
  • Other asbestos-related conditions — including pleural plaques and pleural thickening, subject to trust-specific eligibility criteria

Filing Eligibility is generally based on demonstrating a qualifying diagnosis, documented occupational exposure to the Narcocrete Trowel or other covered Narco products, and a sufficient exposure history connecting the claimant to products within the trust’s scope. Trust claim forms, medical documentation requirements, and exposure affidavit procedures are administered through the trust’s claims facility.

Individuals who worked directly with the Narcocrete Trowel, as well as those who worked in proximity to its installation or removal, may have grounds to file. Family members of deceased workers who handled this product and subsequently died from an asbestos-related disease may also be eligible to pursue wrongful death or survivor claims through the trust.

Given the complexity of trust fund claims — including requirements for medical evidence, work history documentation, and product identification — individuals seeking compensation are strongly advised to consult an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation and trust fund claims before submitting.