Bondex (Bondek) Black Plastic Roof Cement

Product Description

Bondex Black Plastic Roof Cement was a bituminous roofing compound manufactured and marketed under the Bondex brand name — also appearing in documentation as “Bondek” — during the period spanning approximately 1968 through 1981. Products in this category were formulated as heavy-bodied, trowel-grade mastics designed for sealing, patching, and waterproofing applications on flat and low-slope roofing systems. Plastic roof cements of this type were widely used in commercial, industrial, and residential construction to seal flashings, repair splits and cracks in built-up roof membranes, and secure roofing felt around penetrations such as vents, pipes, and drains.

The product was sold in cans and bulk containers and was applied by hand trowel, putty knife, or gloved hand directly to roofing surfaces. Its thick, paste-like consistency was a defining characteristic of the product class, making it well-suited for gap-filling and waterproof sealing tasks. Bondex as a brand was associated with a range of patching and bonding compounds across the construction trades during this era, and the Black Plastic Roof Cement occupied the lower end of the roofing maintenance product line. The product was distributed through building supply retailers and industrial procurement channels, placing it in the hands of workers across a variety of industries that maintained their own roofing infrastructure.

Asbestos Content

Bondex Black Plastic Roof Cement has been identified in litigation records as containing chrysotile asbestos as a functional ingredient. Chrysotile, the most commercially prevalent form of asbestos during the twentieth century, was routinely incorporated into bituminous roof cements and mastics during this period as a reinforcing and thickening agent. Its fibrous structure gave the cement body and resistance to slump, helping the material maintain its position on vertical or angled surfaces after application. Chrysotile also contributed to the product’s thermal stability, an important performance characteristic for materials exposed to direct sunlight and temperature cycling on rooftop surfaces.

The use of chrysotile in plastic roof cements was an industry-wide practice during the 1960s and 1970s. The mineral was blended into the asphalt or bituminous base during manufacturing, producing a homogeneous mastic in which asbestos fibers were distributed throughout the material. Products of this formulation were in common use before regulatory actions under AHERA and EPA guidelines prompted manufacturers to reformulate or discontinue asbestos-containing building compounds. Bondex Black Plastic Roof Cement remained on the market in its asbestos-containing formulation through approximately 1981.

How Workers Were Exposed

Litigation records document that industrial workers and general laborers who used or worked in proximity to Bondex Black Plastic Roof Cement during its years of production faced potential exposure to airborne chrysotile asbestos fibers. Exposure occurred primarily through the handling and application of the product in the course of roofing maintenance and repair work.

Opening cans or containers of the cement, particularly when product had partially dried or crusted at the surface, could disturb asbestos-laden material and release fibers. Troweling and spreading the cement across roofing surfaces agitated the product mechanically, and in conditions where the material had dried or partially cured — such as when repairing older patches — scraping, cutting, or abrading the hardened cement generated friable debris with the potential to release respirable asbestos fibers.

Plaintiffs alleged in litigation proceedings that workers engaged in routine roofing maintenance at industrial facilities — including factories, warehouses, processing plants, and similar structures — were exposed repeatedly over the course of their employment through regular use of products including Bondex Black Plastic Roof Cement. Because industrial facilities often employed maintenance crews responsible for ongoing roofing upkeep, exposure could be cumulative across years or decades of work rather than limited to a single application event.

Plaintiffs further alleged that warning labels adequate to convey the hazards of asbestos inhalation were absent from the product during its period of manufacture and sale, and that workers were not provided with the respiratory protective equipment that documented asbestos hazards warranted. The scientific and medical understanding of asbestos-related disease — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer — was available in occupational health literature well before the product’s discontinuation, and plaintiffs alleged that this known risk was not adequately communicated to end users.

Industrial workers generally represent the primary exposed population documented in connection with this product. This group encompasses maintenance mechanics, building engineers, laborers, and general facility workers employed in industries that owned and maintained large roofed structures and relied on off-the-shelf roofing compounds for upkeep.

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.