Anti-Erode Refractory Coating by NARCO

Product Description

Anti-Erode was a refractory coating manufactured by North American Refractories Company (NARCO) and produced during the period spanning 1963 through 1977. NARCO was a major supplier of refractory materials to heavy industry throughout the twentieth century, providing products designed to withstand extreme heat, chemical exposure, and mechanical wear in industrial furnaces, kilns, boilers, and high-temperature processing equipment.

Refractory coatings such as Anti-Erode were formulated to protect the interior surfaces of furnaces and other high-temperature vessels from the erosive effects of hot gases, molten materials, and thermal cycling. These coatings were applied directly to refractory brick, castable linings, and structural surfaces to extend service life and maintain the integrity of industrial heating equipment. Anti-Erode, as its name suggests, was specifically marketed for its resistance to erosion under demanding operating conditions, making it a product of choice across a range of industrial settings including steel mills, foundries, chemical processing plants, power generation facilities, and manufacturing operations that relied on high-temperature equipment.

NARCO operated as a significant force in the refractories industry during the mid-twentieth century, when asbestos-containing materials were widely accepted as effective components in products requiring thermal stability and durability. The company supplied products to some of the largest industrial operations in the United States during the production years of Anti-Erode.

Asbestos Content

Anti-Erode refractory coating contained asbestos as a component of its formulation during its years of manufacture. Asbestos was incorporated into refractory coatings and similar products during this era because of its well-documented resistance to heat and fire, its ability to bind with other materials, and its capacity to reinforce the structural integrity of coatings applied at or near extreme temperatures.

The North American Refractories Company Asbestos PI Trust, which was established to compensate individuals harmed by asbestos-containing products manufactured or distributed by NARCO, identifies Anti-Erode among the products eligible for claims consideration. Trust documentation confirms the asbestos-containing nature of this product and its manufacture by NARCO within the 1963–1977 timeframe.

Asbestos fibers used in industrial refractory products during this period were typically of the chrysotile or amphibole variety. Regardless of fiber type, all forms of asbestos have been classified as known human carcinogens by regulatory and health authorities including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers who handled, applied, mixed, or worked in proximity to Anti-Erode refractory coating during its manufacture and use between 1963 and 1977 faced potential asbestos exposure through several documented pathways.

Mixing and Preparation: Refractory coatings were frequently supplied in dry or semi-dry form and required mixing with water or other binders before application. Workers who mixed Anti-Erode by hand or with mechanical equipment could disturb asbestos-containing material, releasing respirable fibers into the breathing zone. Dry mixing in particular was known to generate significant airborne fiber concentrations.

Application Activities: Workers who brushed, troweled, sprayed, or otherwise applied Anti-Erode to furnace interiors, kiln linings, and other refractory surfaces were at risk of inhaling fibers released during the application process. Spray application methods were especially hazardous, as they could aerosolize fine asbestos-containing particles across a broad area.

Maintenance and Repair Work: After Anti-Erode had been applied and cured, subsequent maintenance activities posed additional exposure risks. Workers who chipped, ground, scraped, or otherwise disturbed cured refractory coatings during furnace repairs, relining operations, or equipment overhauls could release previously bound asbestos fibers. This secondary exposure pathway affected not only workers who had originally applied the coating but also maintenance crews who worked on equipment over subsequent years.

Bystander and Co-Worker Exposure: Industrial settings where Anti-Erode was in use often involved multiple trades working simultaneously or in adjacent areas. Workers who did not directly handle the product but who were present in the same workspace during mixing, application, or demolition activities could nonetheless inhale asbestos fibers carried by air currents through the facility.

Lack of Protective Measures: During the 1963–1977 production period, OSHA’s permissible exposure limits for asbestos were not established in their current protective form, and many industrial workplaces did not provide adequate respiratory protection, industrial hygiene monitoring, or hazard communication to workers exposed to asbestos-containing products. Workers often had no knowledge that the products they were using contained asbestos or that asbestos posed serious health risks.

Diseases associated with occupational asbestos exposure and documented in industrial workers include mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related conditions. These diseases typically have latency periods of ten to fifty years, meaning workers exposed to Anti-Erode during its production years may be receiving diagnoses today.

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.

Corporate context: Formed in 1929 through the merger of several refractory companies including Queen’s Run, Crescent, and Eltra, among others. Owned by Eltra until 1979, then by Allied Signal (Allied) from 1979 to 1986, after which ownership transferred to banks and investors. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Brand identification: Narco

Industries served: steel, iron.

North American Refractories Company (Narco) manufactured refractory materials used primarily in high-temperature industrial applications such as steel and iron processing. The company operated approximately eleven manufacturing facilities and a research center in Curwensville, Pennsylvania.