Spiral-Wound Asbestos Gaskets — Flexitallic

Product Description

Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets are among the most widely recognized sealing components in American industrial history. Produced under the Flexitallic brand — a name that became virtually synonymous with the spiral-wound gasket category itself — these products were engineered to create pressure-tight seals at pipe flanges, valve connections, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and other high-stress mechanical joints throughout industrial facilities.

The spiral-wound gasket design consists of a thin metal strip wound in alternating layers with a softer filler material, creating a resilient, compressible seal capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and pressures. This design made Flexitallic gaskets particularly valuable in refineries, chemical processing plants, power generation facilities, paper mills, steel mills, and shipyards — anywhere that high-temperature, high-pressure fluid or gas systems required dependable containment.

Flexitallic developed the spiral-wound gasket in the early twentieth century, and for decades the company’s products were considered the industry standard for demanding flange applications. The Flexitallic name appeared in engineering specifications, procurement catalogs, and maintenance manuals across virtually every major industrial sector in the United States and internationally. As a result, Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets were installed throughout industrial infrastructure during the mid-twentieth century, the period of heaviest asbestos use in American industry.

The gaskets were sold in a wide range of standard and custom sizes, pressure ratings, and flange configurations to match American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and other specification standards. Their widespread use across so many industrial sectors meant that the workforce potentially exposed to these products was exceptionally broad.

Asbestos Content

The filler material wound between the metal strips in Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets was, for much of the product’s history, composed of asbestos fiber — most commonly chrysotile asbestos, though other fiber types were used in certain applications and formulations. Asbestos was selected as the filler material because of the same properties that made it attractive throughout industrial manufacturing: it was heat-resistant, chemically stable, compressible under load, and inexpensive.

The asbestos filler in spiral-wound gaskets served a critical functional role. When a flanged joint was bolted down, the metal windings compressed the asbestos filler, causing it to flow slightly and conform to surface irregularities on the flange faces. This created an effective seal. The asbestos also provided thermal insulation within the gasket itself, protecting the metallic windings from the full temperature of process fluids.

Litigation records document that Flexitallic manufactured spiral-wound gaskets with asbestos-containing filler materials for a substantial period during the twentieth century. The transition away from asbestos filler toward substitute materials — including flexible graphite and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) — occurred over time, particularly following regulatory developments in the 1970s and 1980s, but asbestos-containing versions were present in facilities and supply inventories well beyond initial manufacture dates.

How Workers Were Exposed

The nature of gasket use in industrial settings created multiple pathways for asbestos fiber release and worker exposure. Spiral-wound gaskets, including those manufactured by Flexitallic, were not permanently installed components — they were maintenance items that required periodic removal and replacement as part of routine equipment servicing.

Installation and removal. Workers who cut, trimmed, or fitted gaskets during installation handled asbestos-containing material directly. More significantly, workers removing old gaskets from flanges — pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance mechanics — often found that the compressed asbestos filler had bonded to flange faces over time. Scraping, wire-brushing, or grinding these flange surfaces to prepare them for new gaskets generated asbestos-laden dust in concentrated form.

Bystander exposure. In the dense working environments typical of refineries, power plants, and shipyards, workers in adjacent areas could be exposed to asbestos dust generated during nearby gasket removal and flange preparation work, even if they had no direct involvement in the task.

Storage and handling. Workers who handled gasket inventory — stockroom personnel, supply runners, and tradespeople retrieving materials — had contact with asbestos-containing gaskets prior to installation.

Inadequate controls. Litigation records document plaintiffs’ allegations that for much of the period during which asbestos gaskets were in widespread use, workers were not provided with adequate respiratory protection, were not warned of the hazards associated with asbestos fiber inhalation, and were not given instructions for safe handling procedures that would have minimized dust generation.

Plaintiffs have alleged that the inhalation of asbestos fibers released during gasket maintenance work contributed to the development of serious asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease. These conditions typically have latency periods of twenty to fifty years between initial exposure and clinical diagnosis, meaning workers exposed during the mid-twentieth century industrial boom are still receiving diagnoses today.

The trades most consistently documented in litigation involving Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets include pipefitters, boilermakers, insulators, steamfitters, refinery workers, power plant workers, shipyard workers, and industrial maintenance workers generally. However, because these gaskets were ubiquitous in so many industrial environments, the range of potentially affected workers is broad.

This article is provided for informational and reference purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Individuals with asbestos-related diagnoses should consult a qualified asbestos litigation attorney to evaluate their specific circumstances.