Manufacturer: Cochrane Corporation Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Founded: Records indicate the Cochrane feed-water heater line traces to the 1860s Documented Asbestos Use: Through approximately the early 1980s (consistent with the industry-wide phase-out) Product Categories: Deaerating feed tanks, feedwater heaters, and boiler-feed deaerators Legal Status: Tier 2 — Named in asbestos litigation; no dedicated bankruptcy trust identified

Company History

The Cochrane Corporation was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, manufacturer long associated with feedwater heating, deaeration, and boiler-feed water conditioning equipment. Company heritage records indicate that the Cochrane feed-water heater line traces to the Harrison Safety Boiler Works of Philadelphia — the historical maker of the “Cochrane” heaters — whose boiler and feed-water products date to the 1860s. Over the following century the Cochrane name became closely identified with deaerating feed tanks (commonly called DA feed tanks), open and closed feedwater heaters, and degasification systems used in steam power plants, industrial facilities, marine vessels, and naval installations.

During the mid-twentieth century — roughly the 1940s through the early 1980s — asbestos was a standard material for high-temperature gasketing, packing, and insulation in boiler-feed and steam-plant equipment. Deaerators, feedwater heaters, and their associated piping operated at elevated temperatures and pressures, and manufacturers across the industry routinely relied on asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and thermal insulation because these materials were regarded at the time as reliable and industry-standard for such service. According to asbestos litigation records, workers who installed, operated, or maintained deaerating feed tanks and feedwater heaters of this era were potentially exposed to asbestos-containing components associated with such equipment.

The Cochrane line has continued in the water-treatment and boiler-feed industry through subsequent corporate ownership. This corporate history is relevant to individuals researching exposure history, because successor relationships can affect which legal entities may be named in asbestos-related claims.

Asbestos-Containing Products

The Cochrane Corporation did not manufacture asbestos as a raw material. According to asbestos litigation records, however, deaerating feed tanks and feedwater heaters of the mid-twentieth century commonly incorporated asbestos-containing components, and plaintiffs have alleged that equipment of this type was designed and sold with such materials.

Gaskets were among the components most frequently identified in litigation involving deaerators and feedwater heaters. Gaskets sealed the mating surfaces at manway covers, flanged connections, tray sections, and vessel joints operating under heat and pressure. During the relevant era, compressed asbestos fiber (CAF) gaskets were standard throughout the boiler-feed industry. Plaintiffs have alleged that equipment of this era was furnished with asbestos-containing gaskets and that replacement gaskets specified for such equipment were similarly composed of asbestos-containing materials.

Packing and thermal insulation used at valve and access points and on the external surfaces of deaerating feed tanks and feedwater heaters were also identified in court filings involving comparable equipment. Because deaerators operated at high temperature, external asbestos-containing insulation was commonly applied. According to court filings, the hazard associated with these components was not limited to initial installation: gaskets, packing, and insulation degrade over time and required periodic replacement, and each removal of a worn asbestos-containing gasket or section of insulation — typically involving scraping, wire-brushing, or cutting — could generate airborne asbestos fibers.

Documented Naval Service

According to U.S. Navy machinery and equipment records, deaerating feed tanks (DA feed tanks) and feedwater heaters manufactured by Cochrane were documented aboard United States Navy vessels, including the aircraft carriers USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Forrestal (CVA-59). This documentation identifies Cochrane as an original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) of shipboard boiler-feed and deaeration equipment. Naval deaerators and feedwater heaters of this era commonly incorporated asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and thermal insulation, and — according to asbestos litigation records — boiler technicians, machinist’s mates, and shipyard workers who installed, operated, or overhauled this equipment in fire rooms and machinery spaces may have encountered asbestos-containing components during service and maintenance.

Occupational Exposure

According to asbestos litigation records, exposure to asbestos-containing components associated with deaerating feed tanks and feedwater heaters of this type occurred across a range of industrial and maritime occupations. The following worker categories appear with regularity in asbestos claims involving comparable equipment:

Boilermakers and Boiler Technicians who assembled, repaired, and maintained deaerators and feedwater heaters frequently handled asbestos-containing gaskets and insulation as part of routine work on boiler-feed systems.

Pipefitters and Steamfitters who connected deaerating feed tanks and feedwater heaters to boiler-feed piping handled gaskets at flanged connections, cutting them to fit and breaking apart old joints to replace failed seals.

Navy Boiler Technicians, Machinist’s Mates, and Shipyard Workers who maintained shipboard deaerators and feedwater heaters in fire rooms and machinery spaces are documented in asbestos litigation records involving marine boiler-feed equipment.

Power Plant and Industrial Maintenance Workers who serviced deaerators and feedwater heaters in steam power plants and industrial facilities may have encountered asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and insulation during overhaul and repair.

Insulators and Bystander/Secondary Exposure — Insulation workers who applied or removed thermal insulation on deaerators, and workers in proximity to gasket and insulation work, could also be exposed, as fibers released during such work can travel through a work area.

The period of heaviest documented exposure corresponds approximately to the 1940s through the early 1980s, consistent with the broader industrial use of asbestos before regulatory action by OSHA and the EPA prompted a significant reduction in asbestos use. Use of asbestos-containing components in boiler-feed equipment of this class is understood to have been phased out industry-wide by approximately the early 1980s.

It should be noted that the latency period for asbestos-related diseases — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer — is typically between 20 and 50 years following initial exposure.

The Cochrane Corporation is classified as a Tier 2 manufacturer for purposes of this reference site. This designation means the company has been named in asbestos-related personal injury litigation, but no dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been identified for it. Accordingly, claims involving Cochrane deaerators and feedwater heaters would be pursued through direct civil litigation rather than a trust claims process.

Plaintiffs have alleged in asbestos cases that deaerating feed tanks and feedwater heaters of this type incorporated asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and insulation. Whether and to what degree the company or its successors have faced adverse judgments, settlements, or other litigation outcomes varies by case; this article does not represent any specific outcome as established legal fact.

Because the Cochrane line has passed through corporate ownership changes, individuals pursuing legal claims may need to account for corporate succession when identifying appropriate defendants. For individuals also exposed to asbestos-containing products from other manufacturers — a common circumstance in steam plants, shipyards, and aboard Navy ships — separate trust fund claims may be available through those manufacturers’ established asbestos trusts.

If you or a family member worked with or around Cochrane deaerating feed tanks or feedwater heaters during the 1940s through the early 1980s and has since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, legal options may be available.

Key points to understand:

  • Cochrane has been named in asbestos litigation but does not appear to operate a dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. Claims would be pursued through direct civil litigation.
  • Corporate succession involving the Cochrane line may be relevant to identifying proper defendants.
  • Workers exposed to multiple asbestos-containing products — as was common aboard Navy ships, in shipyards, and in steam power plants — may be eligible to file claims against multiple responsible parties, including manufacturers with established trust funds.
  • The long latency period for asbestos-related disease means that exposure from decades ago can give rise to claims today.
  • Documentation of your work history — including employers, ships or job sites, job titles, and any product names you can recall — is valuable when consulting with an attorney and should be preserved.

An attorney specializing in asbestos litigation can review your work history, identify relevant products and manufacturers, and advise on available legal remedies.

This reference article is provided for informational purposes to workers, families, and legal professionals researching asbestos exposure history. It does not constitute legal advice. Product identification and litigation history are drawn from publicly available records and reflect allegations, not findings of liability, which is determined case by case.