Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement

Product Description

Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement was a commercial insulating cement manufactured by National Gypsum Company under the company’s well-known Gold Bond product line. National Gypsum operated as one of the largest building materials manufacturers in the United States throughout much of the twentieth century, producing a broad range of construction and industrial products sold under the Gold Bond brand name. The No. 340 designation identified this particular formulation as an insulating cement intended for high-temperature industrial applications, where controlling heat transfer and protecting equipment surfaces were critical operational requirements.

Insulating cements of this type were workable, trowel-applied materials designed to be applied over pipes, boilers, vessels, tanks, and other industrial equipment operating at elevated temperatures. Once applied and cured, the material formed a hard, thermally resistant covering capable of withstanding the mechanical stresses and thermal cycling common in heavy industrial environments. Gold Bond No. 340 was marketed to industrial facilities including power generation plants, petrochemical refineries, shipyards, manufacturing plants, and similar installations where large-scale thermal insulation work was routinely performed. The product was distributed through industrial supply channels and applied by insulation workers, pipefitters, and general industrial laborers across a range of worksites throughout the mid-twentieth century.

National Gypsum Company’s Gold Bond line was widely recognized in the construction and industrial materials trades. The company’s extensive distribution network meant that Gold Bond products, including insulating cements such as No. 340, reached worksites across the country. The precise years of production for Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement have not been uniformly established in publicly available documentation, but the product is associated with the period during which asbestos-containing insulation materials were in widespread industrial use.

Asbestos Content

Litigation records document that Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement contained asbestos as a functional ingredient in its formulation. Plaintiffs alleged that asbestos fibers were incorporated into the cement mixture to enhance its thermal resistance, structural integrity after curing, and overall performance under the high-temperature conditions for which the product was intended. Asbestos was a common additive in insulating cements of this era because of its well-documented heat-resistant properties and its ability to bind with other materials to produce a durable, fire-retardant coating.

The specific asbestos fiber type or types present in Gold Bond No. 340 have been addressed in litigation proceedings, where plaintiffs alleged that the asbestos content was a defining characteristic of the product’s composition during the relevant period of manufacture. Insulating cements in this product category generally contained asbestos at concentrations sufficient to create significant airborne fiber release during mixing, application, and disturbance. No. 340, as a cement-type product requiring on-site preparation and manual application, would have been subject to these same conditions of use.

National Gypsum Company has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation in connection with multiple Gold Bond product lines, including insulating materials. Plaintiffs alleged that the company knew or should have known about the health hazards associated with asbestos-containing products and failed to provide adequate warnings to workers who regularly used them.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers who mixed, applied, or disturbed Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement were at risk of inhaling airborne asbestos fibers released during normal product use. Litigation records document that exposure occurred across several stages of the product’s application and maintenance lifecycle.

Mixing and preparation presented one of the highest exposure opportunities. Insulating cements were typically supplied in dry or semi-dry form and required workers to blend the material with water before application. Pouring, scooping, and agitating the dry cement released asbestos-containing dust directly into the breathing zone of workers performing these tasks, often without adequate respiratory protection.

Trowel application over pipe systems, boilers, and industrial equipment brought workers into sustained close contact with the wet cement mixture. As the material was spread and worked into place by hand or tool, fiber release continued, particularly if the cement was overmixed or applied in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces common in shipboard or industrial facility environments.

Cutting, shaping, and finishing the cured product during installation or repair work generated additional dust. Workers who trimmed hardened insulating cement to fit around fittings, valves, or irregular equipment surfaces created concentrated releases of airborne fibers.

Maintenance and removal activities posed ongoing exposure risks long after original installation. Industrial workers performing repairs, equipment upgrades, or demolition on previously insulated systems could disturb existing Gold Bond No. 340 coatings, releasing fibers that had been locked into the hardened cement. These disturbance exposures were often unrecognized at the time as hazardous.

Litigation records document that industrial workers generally — including those employed in power plants, refineries, manufacturing facilities, and shipyards — were among the populations most frequently exposed to Gold Bond No. 340 and comparable insulating cement products. Bystander workers who were present in areas where insulating cement was being mixed or applied but were not directly involved in the work were also potentially exposed to elevated airborne fiber concentrations.

OSHA’s current permissible exposure limit (PEL) for asbestos is 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter of air as an eight-hour time-weighted average. Work practices common during the period when Gold Bond No. 340 was in widespread use typically did not include the engineering controls, respiratory protection, or housekeeping standards now required under 29 C.F.R. § 1910.1001 and related regulations.

Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement is classified as a Tier 2 litigated product. No dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established specifically to compensate claimants for exposure to this product. National Gypsum Company has been involved in asbestos-related litigation, and plaintiffs alleging injury from Gold Bond No. 340 have pursued claims through the civil court system.

Individuals who were exposed to Gold Bond No. 340 Insulating Cement and subsequently diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease — including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease — may have legal options available to them. These options can include:

  • Civil litigation against National Gypsum Company or other potentially responsible parties in the product’s distribution and use chain
  • Claims against asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by other manufacturers whose products were used alongside Gold Bond No. 340 at the same worksites or in the same trades
  • Workers’ compensation claims, depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances of employment

Because industrial worksites typically involved multiple asbestos-containing products used simultaneously or in overlapping trades, claimants may have viable claims against several manufacturers. An attorney experienced in asbestos litigation can evaluate the specific exposure history, worksite records, product identification evidence, and medical documentation necessary to pursue available remedies.

Statutes of limitations for asbestos claims vary by state and typically begin running from the date of diagnosis rather than the date of exposure. Individuals with potential claims are encouraged to consult qualified legal counsel promptly to preserve their rights.