Was Sulzer Brothers — Axial compressor asbestos documented in litigation?

Sulzer Brothers — Axial compressor is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to Sulzer Brothers — Axial compressor asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Sulzer Brothers — Axial compressor products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Gaskets

Sulzer Brothers axial-flow compressor compressed asbestos sheet flange gaskets and braided asbestos gland packing

⚖ Litigation Record1940s-1980sCompressed asbestos sheet gaskets allegedly installed at Sulzer axial-flow compressor casing split flanges, inlet and discharge nozzles, inter-stage bleed flanges, and diaphragm split lines; braided asbestos packing allegedly installed at shaft gland seals. Millwrights, industrial mechanics, and pipefitters allegedly scraped, cut, and re-fitted these gaskets and repacked the glands during scheduled compressor outages at refineries, chemical plants, air-separation plants, and steel mills.

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Read the video transcript

Did you work with Sulzer Brothers axial-flow compressor compressed asbestos sheet flange gaskets and braided asbestos gland packing? According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, it allegedly contained asbestos. Here is what it was, who was exposed, and who is responsible. Sulzer Brothers axial-flow compressor compressed asbestos sheet flange gaskets and braided asbestos gland packing, sold from the 1940s until the 1980s. Sulzer Brothers axial-flow process and air-separation compressors allegedly used compressed asbestos sheet gaskets at casing splits, inlet/discharge nozzles, and diaphragm joints, and braided asbestos gland packing at shaft seals across heavy process industry. Compressed asbestos sheet gaskets allegedly installed at Sulzer axial-flow compressor casing split flanges, inlet and discharge nozzles, inter-stage bleed flanges, and diaphragm split lines; braided asbestos packing allegedly installed at shaft gland seals. Millwrights, industrial mechanics, and pipefitters allegedly scraped, cut, and re-fitted these gaskets and repacked the glands during scheduled compressor outages at refineries, chemical plants, air-separation plants, and steel mills. Workers allegedly exposed around this product included Millwrights, Industrial Mechanics, Pipefitters, and Machinists. Asbestos claims are brought against the companies that made the products. If you worked with or around Sulzer Brothers axial-flow compressor compressed asbestos sheet flange gaskets and braided asbestos gland packing and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the manufacturer. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.

Product Description

Sulzer Brothers (Sulzer Bros. Ltd. / Sulzer AG) allegedly supplied axial-flow and centrifugal process compressors, blast-furnace blowers, and air-separation main-air compressors to U.S. refineries, petrochemical complexes, air-separation plants, and integrated steel mills from the 1940s through the 1980s. Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Sulzer axial-flow compressors were assembled with compressed asbestos sheet gaskets at every horizontal casing split, vertical diaphragm joint, inlet nozzle, discharge nozzle, and inter-stage bleed flange, and with braided asbestos rope packing at the shaft gland seals.

Every internal inspection or diaphragm/rotor renewal allegedly required the casing to be split, the old asbestos gaskets to be scraped from the mating surfaces with knives and wire brushes, and fresh asbestos-loaded gaskets to be cut and installed. Gland renewals required the packing to be pulled and re-driven with new asbestos rope rings. Both operations released dry chrysotile fibers into the compressor building air.

Workers Exposed

Millwrights rigging Sulzer axial-flow casings, rotors, and diaphragms during major process-compressor overhauls.
Industrial mechanics performing scheduled gasket and gland-packing renewals on Sulzer units.
Pipefitters (UA) breaking inlet, discharge, and cooling-water piping into Sulzer compressor nozzles.
Machinists rebuilding Sulzer rotors, seals, and bearings at shop and field.
Instrument fitters working control tubing and gauge lines through Sulzer casing bosses during outages.

Bystanders in the compressor building could be exposed to airborne fibers released by casing-split gasket scraping and packing removal.

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If You Worked at Sulzer Brothers

If you or a family member worked at Sulzer Brothers and were exposed to asbestos-containing materials at this facility — and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease — you may have a legal claim. Time-sensitive filing deadlines apply.

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Product Facts

Trade NameSulzer Brothers axial-flow compressor compressed asbestos sheet flange gaskets and braided asbestos gland packing

Years Produced1940s-1980s

Asbestos ContentCompressed asbestos sheet gaskets allegedly installed at Sulzer axial-flow compressor casing split flanges, inlet and discharge nozzles, inter-stage bleed flanges, and diaphragm split lines; braided asbestos packing allegedly installed at shaft gland seals. Millwrights, industrial mechanics, and pipefitters allegedly scraped, cut, and re-fitted these gaskets and repacked the glands during scheduled compressor outages at refineries, chemical plants, air-separation plants, and steel mills.

CategoryGaskets Gaskets-Packing

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

MillwrightsIndustrial MechanicsPipefittersMachinistsInstrument Fitters

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Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may have a legal claim. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

Living with a diagnosis?

If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, a filing deadline may already be running. You may have a legal claim now — and claims can often be pursued even if the company is out of business.

Lost a loved one to mesothelioma?

Surviving spouses and children may pursue a wrongful-death claim and asbestos-trust recovery on a loved one's behalf — a separate deadline that can run from the date of passing.

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No attorney fee unless the case resolves in your favor
Personal-injury and wrongful-death claims both evaluated
Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
Trust fund claims, civil lawsuits, and VA benefits can be pursued simultaneously

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