Union Carbide, 'History of BAKELITE' (Asbestos-Filled Phenolic Molding Compounds, Bound Brook) with Attached Bradley Letter, Data Sheets, Memos and Handbook Pages (1957-1974)

A 65-page Union Carbide exhibit stamped 'Business Confidential'. It opens with an undated narrative, 'History of BAKELITE', about asbestos-filled phenolic molding compounds made at Bound Brook, NJ, covering health and safety measures, asbestos-level surveys, development of an asbestos-free product and the corporate chronology. Behind it are a 1972 consultant letter, 1972-1974 internal memos, 1974 data sheets, a 1957 Bakelite preprint and upside-down Handbook of Plastics pages. Pages 41-60 were not provided.

What the document holds

• Pages 1-15: Union Carbide 'History of BAKELITE': undated narrative with table of contents, health and safety measures, asbestos level control, asbestos-free product development, acquisition chronology and appendix on product nomenclature
• Pages 16-17: Letter from William R. Bradley and Associates (environmental health consultants), Nov. 28, 1972, on an asbestos consultation at the Bound Brook plant, with a 14.1 fibers/cc breathing-zone sample and recommendations
• Page 18: Union Carbide internal correspondence, Oct. 17, 1974, to Bonding & Elastomer Materials Division salesmen on the asbestos-free BMMA-5440, with handwritten annotations
• Pages 19-20: Two Bakelite data sheets for BMMA-5440 Black 25 D.C.: the asbestos-free version dated Oct. 1, 1974, and a 'New Product' data sheet for the standard version, undated
• Pages 21-22: Bound Brook memo, May 1973, on the molding material meeting; covers Calidria SG-210 asbestos/CaCO3 substitution trials, an asbestos warning label on new bags and removing asbestos from products
• Pages 23-37: Bakelite Company preprint 'Phenolic Resins and Molding Materials' by R. K. Louis, presented to the Society of Plastics Engineers, Milwaukee, May 14, 1957
• Pages 38-39: Boston Sales Office memo, Oct. 5, 1972, to P. B. Potter on General Electric eliminating asbestos-filled molding materials because of OSHA requirements
• Page 40: Bound Brook memo, Feb. 29, 1972, from F. W. Ducca transmitting final manufacturing instructions for BMMA-5440/5441/5138 BK-25 DC
• Pages 41-60: Not provided for cataloging
• Pages 61-65: Pages from a 'Handbook of Plastics' on phenolic and vinyl resin molding compounds, scanned upside down; OCR unreadable

People and organizations

• Union Carbide Corporation (its organization)
• Asbestos Corporation Limited (named)
• Boston Sales Office (named)
• Bound Brook Plant (named)
• Carey-Canadian Mines, Ltd (named)
• Controls Corporation (named)
• General Electric (named)
• Johns-Manville (named)
• OSHA (named)
• Ruberoid Co (named)
• Society of Plastics Engineers (named)
• Square D (named)
• Westinghouse (named)

Related pages

Pages on our site about what this document covers: Asbestos-Reinforced Plastics: Circuit Breakers, Switchgear, and Resin Pipe · Calidria · Fiber Counting · Johns-Manville · New Jersey Asbestos Exposure Sites: Worksites, Industries, and Trust Coverage · OSHA.

About this copy

This is document UC-162 of the Union Carbide documents, documents produced and used as evidence in asbestos lawsuits against Union Carbide, 65 pages. Production numbers A10819 to A10820.