Anti-Erode by Keene Corporation

Product Description

Anti-Erode was an industrial product manufactured by Keene Corporation, a diversified manufacturing company that operated across multiple product lines throughout much of the twentieth century. The product was designed for protective and functional applications in demanding industrial environments, where resistance to mechanical wear, thermal stress, and chemical exposure was a primary concern.

Keene Corporation itself had a broad manufacturing footprint, producing or distributing materials used across a wide range of industrial sectors. The company’s products appeared in settings including industrial plants, power generation facilities, shipyards, refineries, and commercial construction sites. Anti-Erode was among the Keene product lines associated with heavy industrial use, and its application profile spanned several categories: floor tile, pipe insulation, refractory materials, spray fireproofing, and valves and steam traps.

The product’s name suggests its intended purpose — providing a durable barrier or coating capable of resisting erosion from abrasion, heat, or corrosive agents. Such properties were highly valued in mid-twentieth-century industrial manufacturing, where facilities routinely operated equipment and infrastructure under extreme conditions. The specific years of production for Anti-Erode have not been uniformly established in publicly available records, though Keene Corporation’s broader industrial manufacturing activities spanned several decades during the mid-to-late twentieth century.

Asbestos Content

Anti-Erode has been identified in asbestos litigation as a product alleged to have contained asbestos. The precise fiber type, percentage composition, and formulation details have not been uniformly disclosed in publicly available documentation, but litigation records associate the product with asbestos-containing materials consistent with Keene Corporation’s broader manufacturing practices during the relevant period.

Keene Corporation was a manufacturer and distributor with documented involvement in asbestos-containing products across multiple product lines. The company’s use of asbestos in industrial materials was consistent with widespread industry practice during much of the twentieth century, when asbestos was commonly incorporated into products requiring heat resistance, fireproofing, insulation, and structural durability.

For a product like Anti-Erode — applied across categories including refractory materials, spray fireproofing, and pipe insulation — asbestos would have served functional roles in providing thermal stability and fire resistance. In floor tile and valve or steam trap applications, asbestos was similarly used during this era as a binding or reinforcing agent. Plaintiffs in litigation alleged that Anti-Erode contained asbestos in concentrations sufficient to release respirable fibers during normal handling, installation, and maintenance activities.

How Workers Were Exposed

Exposure to asbestos-containing materials in industrial settings generally occurred through the disturbance of products that released airborne fibers. Workers using, installing, cutting, abrading, removing, or working in proximity to asbestos-containing products could inhale or ingest microscopic asbestos fibers without visible indication that exposure was occurring.

Anti-Erode’s documented application categories suggest that industrial workers encountered this product in a variety of occupational contexts:

• Pipe insulation applications would have involved pipefitters, insulators, and maintenance workers who cut, shaped, or removed insulation materials. These activities are well-documented as generating significant airborne fiber release.
• Spray fireproofing applications would have exposed workers to airborne asbestos during both the spraying process and any subsequent disturbance of applied material through finishing, sanding, or demolition.
• Refractory applications involved high-temperature environments where materials were shaped, installed, or repaired — tasks associated with the release of friable fiber-containing dust.
• Floor tile installation and removal has been documented as a source of asbestos exposure for flooring mechanics, tile setters, and demolition crews, particularly when tiles were cut, broken, or scraped during removal.
• Valves and steam trap applications brought pipefitters, millwrights, and maintenance personnel into contact with asbestos-containing gaskets, packing materials, and associated components during routine inspection, repair, and replacement work.

Litigation records document that industrial workers generally were among the populations alleged to have been exposed to Anti-Erode during the course of their employment. Keene Corporation’s industrial product lines were distributed and used across multiple industries, meaning that exposure could have occurred in power plants, chemical facilities, shipbuilding, and general manufacturing environments.

As established under OSHA’s asbestos standards and documented in occupational health literature, the diseases associated with asbestos inhalation — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer — may not manifest until decades after initial exposure. This latency period means that workers exposed to Anti-Erode during its years of distribution may only now be receiving diagnoses related to those past exposures.

This article is provided for informational and reference purposes only. It is based on litigation records, publicly available product documentation, and regulatory records. It does not constitute legal advice. Individuals seeking legal guidance should consult a licensed asbestos attorney in their jurisdiction.