ASARCO No. 660 Cement

Product Description

ASARCO No. 660 Cement was an industrial cement product manufactured by the American Smelting and Refining Company, commonly known as ASARCO. ASARCO was a major mining, smelting, and refining conglomerate with a broad industrial footprint across the United States and internationally. The company produced a range of specialty materials for industrial applications in addition to its core metals and minerals operations.

No. 660 Cement falls within a category of products used across several industrial sectors, including cement-pipe applications, pipe insulation, refractory construction, and spray fireproofing. Products of this type were widely specified in heavy industrial settings — including smelting facilities, refineries, power generation plants, and manufacturing operations — where high-temperature resistance, durability, and fire protection were critical performance requirements. Refractory cements and pipe insulation products of this era were commonly formulated with mineral additives chosen for their thermal and structural properties, and asbestos was frequently among those additives given its heat resistance, tensile strength, and low cost.

ASARCO itself operated facilities where asbestos-containing materials were used extensively, both in the company’s own manufacturing processes and in products sold to industrial customers. The company’s involvement in asbestos-related litigation reflects both its role as a manufacturer of products containing asbestos and as an employer of workers in environments where asbestos exposure occurred routinely.

Asbestos Content

The precise asbestos formulation of ASARCO No. 660 Cement has not been independently verified through publicly available product specification sheets or regulatory filings in the sources reviewed for this article. However, litigation records document that No. 660 Cement has been identified as an asbestos-containing product in the context of personal injury and wrongful death claims brought against ASARCO.

Asbestos was a standard component in many industrial cements of the type represented by this product category. In refractory cements and pipe insulation compounds, chrysotile (white asbestos) was the most commonly used fiber, though amosite and other amphibole varieties were also present in some formulations depending on application requirements. Spray fireproofing materials of this era similarly relied on asbestos fibers to achieve the necessary fire-resistance ratings required by building codes and industrial safety standards in effect at the time.

The inclusion of asbestos in products such as No. 660 Cement was consistent with industry-wide practice during the mid-twentieth century. Manufacturers across multiple sectors routinely added asbestos to cement compounds, insulation materials, and refractory products without warning users of the associated health hazards — hazards that medical and industrial hygiene literature had begun to document as early as the 1930s.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers represent the primary exposure population documented in connection with ASARCO No. 660 Cement. The nature of the product’s applications across pipe insulation, refractory construction, spray fireproofing, and cement-pipe work placed it in the hands of workers performing physically demanding tasks that routinely generated airborne dust.

Workers who mixed, applied, cut, sanded, or otherwise disturbed asbestos-containing cement products were at the greatest risk of inhaling respirable asbestos fibers. Mixing dry cement compounds — a common step in preparing refractory and insulating materials for application — could release substantial concentrations of airborne fibers in enclosed or poorly ventilated workspaces. Spray application of fireproofing materials, in particular, was recognized by occupational health researchers as one of the highest-exposure activities associated with asbestos-containing products.

In pipe insulation applications, workers who applied, removed, or repaired insulation on industrial piping systems were exposed both during initial installation and during subsequent maintenance or demolition work. Pipe systems installed with asbestos-containing cements were common in smelting and refining facilities — the very industrial environments in which ASARCO operated — meaning that ASARCO’s own workforce and the workforces of its industrial customers could have encountered this product over extended periods.

Secondary exposure was also a documented concern. Bystander workers in proximity to cement mixing or spray fireproofing operations — even those not directly handling the product — could inhale fibers that remained suspended in workplace air. Workers who laundered contaminated clothing at home may also have exposed family members to asbestos fibers brought home from job sites.

Plaintiffs alleged in asbestos litigation involving ASARCO that the company knew or should have known of the health hazards associated with asbestos-containing products and failed to provide adequate warnings, safe handling instructions, or respiratory protective equipment to those who used or were exposed to its products.

This article is provided for informational reference purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Product information is drawn from litigation records, regulatory filings, and publicly available historical documentation.