J-M Production Engineering Report on Equipment for Thermobestos Pipe Covering and Thermoflex Felts (1949)

An 11-page Johns-Manville production engineering report of October 3, 1949, prepared by R. W. Dobson at A. Cromwell's request, asking for $56,344 (Manville Appropriation 931-E-212) to make Thermobestos, an Amosite pipe covering, and Thermoflex insulating blankets at the Manville plant. The Sales Department contended that because J-M had nothing to match Unibestos, the pipe covering of Union Asbestos & Rubber, it had lost applied insulation contracts in 1948 worth more than $2,255,000. The report describes Thermobestos as a "sodium silicate bonded amosite-perlite covering" and forecasts sales of 100,000 sections a year, using 900,000 pounds of amosite.

What it shows

The report says the need for an amosite pipe covering "was apparent over ten years ago" and that J-M's Research department had been developing one since, with pilot equipment installed in 1946. A May 18, 1949, memo from D. D. Crews (Enclosure C) lists the contracts lost in 1948, nearly all at refineries and chemical plants: Citcon at Lake Charles, Louisiana; Standard Oil of Ohio at Lima; Continental Oil at Denver; Crown Petroleum and three Shell Oil jobs at Houston; Lion Oil at El Dorado; and Humble Oil at Baytown, Texas. The budget includes dust control for the forming and finishing equipment, which the report calls "necessary to protect the safety and health of employees." The perlite in the product had been the subject of a dust warning that spring (Jackson's memo on perlite).

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

J-M's Sales Department contends that, because of J-M's inability to furnish insulation comparable and competitive with Union Asbestos ("Unibestos"), J-M lost applied insulation contracts in 1948 in excess of $2,255,000. The need for an amosite pipe covering was apparent over 10 years ago, and research has had a product under active development since then. The sodium silicate bonded amosite-perlite covering ("Thermobestos") is now competitive with Unibestos. Manville Plant Appropriation #931E-212 presents the necessary data and estimates to permit financial appraisal of the proposed production equipment expenditure for Thermobestos (and Thermoflex Insulating Blankets).