Haveg 41

Haveg 41 was the phenolic-resin grade of Haveg, the acid-resistant material of asbestos and resin that the Haveg Corporation of Delaware molded into pipe, tanks, ducts, towers and other equipment for chemical plants. A 1968 Union Carbide laboratory report found its filler to be amphibole asbestos mixed with talc. Chipping, cutting, drilling or repairing Haveg equipment released asbestos fibers into the air.

Origin

Haveg began in Germany: the trade magazine Asbestos reported in 1933 that a German company formed in 1922 had introduced Haveg in Europe in 1925, and that it had been made in the United States for only six months; by 1936 the magazine placed the Haveg Corporation in Newark, Delaware. A 1979 Union Carbide engineering memo names two grades, Haveg 41 (phenolic resin) and Haveg 61 (furan resin) (UC-2410). Union Carbide installed Haveg 41 trays and supports in a hydrogen cyanide stripping still in 1963 (UC-2407).

What was in it. A May 1968 Union Carbide research report on Haveg 41 from a leaking column at its Institute, West Virginia, plant said the material "reportedly is a phenolic resin impregnated with 60 to 70 per cent asbestos." X-ray diffraction found the filler to be a mixture of a long-fibered amphibole asbestos and talc, not chrysotile (UC-803). A 1953 Haveg bulletin described the material only as "acid digested asbestos" and synthetic resin. See Haveg Corporation for the company's history.

Significance in Asbestos Context

Identifying Haveg 41 in a workplace exposure history can be important because it ties a worker's disease to a specific named product and manufacturer, rather than to generic 'asbestos' on a job site. Workers who installed, machined, sawed, drilled, sanded, or removed Haveg piping, ducts, towers, fans, or tank linings (common tasks in chemical, pharmaceutical, and paper industries) were exposed to friable phenolic-asbestos dust. Because the asbestos was bound in a resin matrix, defendants sometimes argue the product was 'encapsulated' and not hazardous; fiber-release studies and worker testimony showing that drilling and cutting generated visible dust counter this. Product identification of Haveg 41 in occupational records, purchase orders, or coworker testimony can directly support a claim against the manufacturer's successor liabilities.

Example Sentence

His industrial hygiene expert reviewed plant records and confirmed that the acid-drain lines he cut and patched as a millwright were Haveg 41, a phenolic-asbestos piping made by Haveg Corporation.

Related Terms

Phenolic Resin, Encapsulated Asbestos, Product Identification, Friability, Chemical Plant Exposure, Chrysotile

Notes

• If you or your loved one worked in a chemical plant, refinery, pulp and paper mill, or pharmaceutical facility, ask family and former coworkers whether 'Haveg' piping, ducts, or tanks were present. The brand name was commonly spoken on the job.
• Preserve any plant drawings, equipment specifications, purchase orders, or maintenance logs that mention Haveg, Haveg 41, or phenolic piping; these documents are often decisive for product identification.
• Tasks most associated with exposure include sawing, drilling, grinding, sanding, gasket replacement, and demolition of Haveg components. Note these specifically in your occupational history for your legal team.
• Successor-company liability for Haveg products has been litigated; your attorney can identify which entity is the appropriate defendant based on the years of your exposure.