Bondex Block Filler and Primer (1961–1977)

Product Description

Bondex Block Filler and Primer was a surface preparation coating manufactured by Bondex International, marketed for use on concrete masonry units, cinder block, and other porous substrates. The product was designed to fill the open pores and irregular surface texture of concrete block walls before finish coats of paint or other wall coverings were applied. By sealing and leveling the substrate surface, the filler-primer reduced paint consumption and improved adhesion of subsequent coatings.

The product was widely used in commercial and industrial construction throughout the period of its manufacture, from approximately 1961 to 1977. Industrial facilities, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and institutional buildings constructed during these decades frequently incorporated concrete masonry unit walls that required surface treatment, making Bondex Block Filler and Primer a commonly encountered product on large-scale job sites. The formulation was sold under the Bondex brand, which was known during this era for a range of construction-related coatings and patching compounds that, litigation records document, contained asbestos-bearing ingredients as part of their manufactured composition.

Asbestos Content

Litigation records document that Bondex Block Filler and Primer manufactured between 1961 and 1977 contained chrysotile asbestos as a component of its formulation. Chrysotile, sometimes referred to as white asbestos, is a serpentine mineral fiber that was widely incorporated into construction products during the mid-twentieth century for its binding properties, its ability to reinforce thin-film coatings, and its resistance to cracking and shrinkage as products dried or cured.

In products of this category — thick, paste-like or semi-liquid coatings intended for application to rough masonry surfaces — chrysotile fibers served both functional and economic purposes. The fibrous structure of chrysotile helped suspend solids in the product during storage and application, contributed to the build characteristics of the coating, and improved the film’s durability after it dried. Plaintiffs alleged that these functional benefits led Bondex to incorporate chrysotile asbestos into the block filler formulation throughout the production period documented in litigation records.

Chrysotile asbestos is regulated as a known human carcinogen by federal health authorities. OSHA standards codified in 29 C.F.R. § 1910.1001 and 29 C.F.R. § 1926.1101 establish permissible exposure limits and action levels for airborne asbestos fibers and apply to workplaces and construction environments where asbestos-containing materials may be disturbed. AHERA regulations further address asbestos-containing materials in building environments. No safe level of occupational asbestos exposure has been established by health authorities.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers who mixed, applied, sanded, or otherwise disturbed Bondex Block Filler and Primer during the product’s years of manufacture and use faced the potential for chrysotile asbestos fiber release. The nature of the work associated with this product created several distinct exposure pathways that litigation records document in connection with occupational disease claims.

Mixing and thinning operations presented a significant exposure risk. Block filler products of this type were commonly delivered in a thick consistency that required mixing before use, either by hand or with a mechanical paddle mixer. Plaintiffs alleged that the mixing process agitated the product and released asbestos-containing dust and fiber into the breathing zone of workers performing or standing near mixing operations.

Application by brush, roller, or spray represented an additional exposure route. Workers applying thick masonry coatings by brush or roller to large block wall surfaces worked in sustained close proximity to the material. Spray application, used on larger industrial projects to cover expansive wall areas more efficiently, was documented in litigation records as a particularly significant source of airborne fiber release, as the spray process atomized the coating and could distribute asbestos-containing particles throughout the work area.

Sanding and surface preparation after the product dried created additional hazards. Block filler coatings were sometimes lightly abraded or sanded to smooth the surface before finish painting. Plaintiffs alleged that sanding dried Bondex Block Filler and Primer generated fine asbestos-containing dust that became airborne and could be inhaled by workers performing sanding or by others working in the same space.

Bystander and secondary exposure is also reflected in litigation records involving industrial settings. Workers performing adjacent tasks — other tradespeople on multi-trade construction projects or industrial maintenance personnel — who were present when block filler was being mixed, applied, or disturbed may have been exposed to asbestos fibers without directly handling the product themselves.

Industrial workers generally, including maintenance painters, construction workers engaged in commercial masonry finishing, and facility maintenance personnel who encountered previously applied Bondex Block Filler and Primer during renovation or repair work, are among the occupational categories documented in connection with asbestos exposure claims related to products of this type.

Diseases associated with occupational asbestos exposure include mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other asbestos-related conditions. These diseases typically have latency periods of ten to fifty years between exposure and diagnosis, meaning individuals exposed to asbestos-containing products during the 1960s and 1970s may be receiving diagnoses decades after their period of occupational contact with these materials.

Documented Product Identification

The following details are drawn from public asbestos litigation records, manufacturer catalog pages, technical manuals, and corporate history materials. Each item reflects the product as documented in those sources.

Documented asbestos-use period: 1961-1981

Corporate context: Also known as Reardon, RPM, and Republic Powdered Metals. Warning labels were added to packaging in 1972 or 1973.

Brand identification: Products sold under multiple brand names including Bondex, Reardon’s, Trax, Montgomery Ward, Penncraft, Hi & Dri, NPD, Cook’s Lifeline, Brod Dirgan, F.O. Pierce, and Metro

Documented asbestos components: chrysotile.

Industries served: residential construction, commercial construction, mobile home manufacturing, drywall installation.

Documented product lines:

  • Dramex Interior Finish (1961-1977). Interior texture paint containing 7.3% chrysotile asbestos. — asbestos components: chrysotile.
  • Dramax Exterior Finish (1961-1977). Exterior paint containing 7.2% chrysotile asbestos. — asbestos components: chrysotile.
  • Water Putty (1961-1977). Interior patching compound containing 6.5% chrysotile asbestos. — asbestos components: chrysotile.
  • Handy Patch All Purpose Patcher (1961-1977). Interior patching compound containing 7.5% chrysotile asbestos. — asbestos components: chrysotile.
  • SX Joint Cement (1961-1977). Drywall joint treatment material containing 14.8% chrysotile asbestos. — asbestos components: chrysotile.
  • All Purpose Joint Cement (1961-1977). Drywall joint treatment material containing 5% chrysotile asbestos. — asbestos components: chrysotile.
  • Ready-Mixed Joint Cement (1961-1977). Drywall joint treatment material containing 3.8% chrysotile asbestos. — asbestos components: chrysotile.
  • Block Filler & Primer (1961-1977). Cite block filler and primer containing 9.1% chrysotile asbestos. — asbestos components: chrysotile.

All Bondex asbestos-containing products used chrysotile asbestos. Products were sold under numerous private label and store brand names through retailers including Montgomery Ward. Sanding of dried joint compounds was a documented application method.