Thermalite was an 85% magnesia pipe covering and block insulation that later came under Keene.1,2 Keene's report published by the EPA in 1990 calls it "85% Magnesia (Thermalite) Pipe and Block Covering" and says it was produced from 1904 to 1964 by Ehret and Baldwin-Ehret-Hill, companies that came before Keene.1 It describes a molded insulation for hot surfaces up to 600 °F, made in cylindrical sections and curved segments and also in blocks.1
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Who made and listed it
The Navy's qualified products list, QPL-2781, listed "EHRET THERMALITE" under the Ehret Magnesia Manufacturing Company, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, with its plant there, in its December 1951 edition.3 By September 1959 the list carried Thermalite under Baldwin-Ehret-Hill, Inc., of Trenton, New Jersey, with the plant still at Valley Forge.3 From 1963 the Baldwin-Ehret-Hill entry also prints "Cincinnati 15, Ohio" under the Valley Forge plant line, and the layout does not make clear whether that was a second plant.3 The last edition read that lists Thermalite is dated September 1968.3
An insurance company's 1981 list of asbestos products, compiled from other companies' answers in lawsuits, lists Thermalite pipecover, block and cement under Keene as made from 1900 to 1963, with Baldwin-Ehret-Hill in its note column and 15 in the column read as percent asbestos.2
How much asbestos it contained
Keene's report gives its best estimate that Thermalite was composed primarily of magnesium carbonate (85%).1 It says "the best information" is that up until World War II it contained 10 to 15% asbestos fiber, primarily amosite with a small amount of chrysotile, and that thereafter it contained 10 to 15% amosite.1 Keene notes "diverse testimony" on the product.1 It also says the remnants from molding and shaping were sold as 85% Magnesia Cement or Thermalite Cement, for sealing joints between the block and pipe covering.1
Also see: Philip Carey's Thermalite.
What each document says
Every statement about Thermalite (Keene) in the documents, in each document's own words.
Asbestos; Publication of Identifying Information (1990)
- Made from: “produced 1904 to 1964 by Ehret and BEH”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
- Made until: “produced 1904 to 1964 by Ehret and BEH”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
- Asbestos content: “up until World War II it contained 10 to 15% asbestos fiber ... Thereafter, it contained 10 to 15% amosite”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
- Asbestos fiber: “composed primarily of amosite ... Thereafter, it contained 10 to 15% amosite”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
- Ingredient: “composed primarily of magnesium carbonate (85%)”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
- Description: “remnants ... were sold as 85% Magnesia Cement or Thermalite Cement”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
- Form: “cylindrical sections and in curved segments ... also made in the form of blocks”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
- Asbestos fiber: “a small amount of chrysotile”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
- Temperature limit: “for use on hot surfaces having temperatures up to 600 °F”, said by Keene Corporation, as recorded by U.S. EPA, Federal Register 55 FR (Feb. 13, 1990), p. 111
The Travelers Insurance Company's Product Information Booklet for Its Asbestos Seminar (1980–1981)
Military Qualified Products List (1951–1995)
- Made at: “Plant: Valley Forge, Pa.” (as of 1951-12-03) (the plant: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania), p. 13
- Description: “qualified under QPL-2781 as EHRET THERMALITE, Grade I, Classes a, b (QPL-2781-1)” (as of 1951-12-03), p. 13
- Description: “qualified under QPL-2781 as Thermalite, Grade I, Class b, listed under Baldwin-Ehret-Hill, Inc. (QPL-2781-20)” (as of 1959-09-16), p. 573
- Made at: “Plant: Valley Forge, Pa. Cincinnati 15, Ohio” (as of 1963-09-09), p. 813
- Description: “qualified under QPL-2781 as Thermalite, Grade I, Class b (QPL-2781-35)” (as of 1968-09-25), p. 1023
Kind of product
We list Thermalite (Keene) with pipe covering and block insulation and insulating cement and coatings, from how the documents describe its form. Those pages explain how such products exposed workers.
Trades that worked with products like it: Insulators and Insulation Workers, Pipefitters and Plumbers, Boilermakers.
Other pipe covering and block insulation by Keene (4)
Thermasil · Mono-block · Enduro · Alba-cel
Pipe covering and block insulation by other makers (272)
Thermobestos · Superex (Johns-Manville) · Careytemp (Philip Carey) · Kaylo (Owens-Corning) · Unibestos (Union Asbestos & Rubber Co.) · Superex-1900 (Johns-Manville) · Superex-m (Johns-Manville) · Superex-sg (Johns-Manville) · Temp-check (Philip Carey) · Tempcheck (Philip Carey) · Therm-o-bestos (Johns-Manville) · Therm-O-Flake (Illinois Clay Products) · Thermalite 85% Magnesia (Baldwin-Ehret-Hill) · Thermalite 85% Magnesia (Ehret Magnesia Manufacturing Co.) · Thermasil (Baldwin-Ehret-Hill) · Thermasil (Ehret Magnesia Manufacturing Co.) · Thermo Fire Felt (Johns-Manville) · Thermobestos pipe covering · Thermowrap (Johns-Manville) · Train Pipe Covering (Johns-Manville) · and 252 more: all pipe covering and block insulation
Other insulating cement and coatings by Keene (6)
Thermasil · Enduro · Number One Plus · Powerhouse · Super Powerhouse · MW50
Insulating cement and coatings by other makers (318)
Thermobestos · Superex (Johns-Manville) · Asbestile (Johns-Manville) · 85 Magnesia (Johns-Manville) · Prasco (Fibreboard) · Superex Cement for Navy (Johns-Manville) · Superex-m (Johns-Manville) · Swetcheck (Eagle-Picher) · T-60 (Combustion Engineering) · Temp-Sure I-c 250 (Insul-Coustic) · Tempcheck (Philip Carey) · Thermalcoat (M. H. Detrick) · Thermalite 85% Magnesia (Baldwin-Ehret-Hill) · Thermalkote (Flintkote) · Thermobestos Cement (Johns-Manville) · Thermokote (Ryden Industries) · Thermomix 700 (Johns-Manville) · Thermomix 720 (Johns-Manville) · Thermomix 770 (Johns-Manville) · Thermomix 810 (Johns-Manville) · and 298 more: all insulating cement and coatings
See also
- Keene: the company's history, documents, people, products and plants
- Keene on our products page: what the documents say about the company's asbestos products, with sources
References
- Asbestos; Publication of Identifying Information (February 13, 1990), p. 11.
- The Travelers Insurance Company's Product Information Booklet for Its Asbestos Seminar (1980–1981) (April 30, 1981), p. 8.
- Military Qualified Products List (1951–1995) (December 3, 1951), pp. 1, 57, 81, 102.
Mentioned on this site
Cite this page
“Thermalite (Keene).” AsbestosClaims.Law Library. https://asbestosclaims.law/library/products/keene-thermalite.
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