Asbestos Uses as an Insulator
Numerous industries require extensive use of insulation that go beyond its use in walls to keep in heat or cold and that also extend to heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, ducts, generators, boilers, and pipes.
Common uses for asbestos insulation included:
- Furnace insulation
- Oil furnaces
- Coal furnaces
- Door gaskets
- Insulating pipes with asbestos material, asbestos blankets, or asbestos tape
In the 1920s, General Electric made an electrical wire product called Deltabeston that insulated wires with felted asbestos that could withstand high temperatures and rigorous conditions. Plumbers and electricians frequently came in contact with asbestos insulation prior to the 1980s.
Asbestos use in homes
The construction industry frequently used asbestos insulation in homes.
Vermiculite, a type of clay, became a replacement material for asbestos because of its fireproof properties. Insulation and plaster often contain vermiculite. W.R. Grace Corporation, the largest manufacturer of vermiculate, mined vermiculite in Libby, Montana. The company ran into problems when it discovered that large amounts of its vermiculite were contaminated with asbestos fibers. Tremolite was the main asbestos contaminant, and the contaminated vermiculate was largely used in producing attic insulation products.