Asbestos was commonly utilized for adhesives, bondings and sealers for nearly a century. Though today these products may be made with a variety of materials, like silicone and various plastics, the heavy past use of asbestos in these materials remains in thousands of buildings today, putting workers and the general public at risk of exposure.
Adhesives, Bondings, Sealers and Asbestos
Because the naturally occurring mineral is so durable, and also offers resistance to high temperatures, the mineral became a rather standard ingredient for many of these products. Researchers estimate asbestos was used in adhesives and similar products from the late 1880s until the mid 1980s.
Asbestos was used in adhesives, sealers and bondings like black mastic, mortar, spackle, putty and joint compound tape. With such a wide variety of uses, these bonding products were used for floor tile and floor covering, wall panels, ceilings, fixtures, roofs, pipes, furnaces and more. When added to these adhesives for any use, asbestos helped strengthen them and give them a longer life expectancy, which is why many of these products can still be found in older commercial buildings and homes.
Adhesive Products Containing Asbestos
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
3M Adhesive |
1935
|
1986
|
3M Wet Adhesives |
1935
|
1986
|
A.P. Green Insulation Adhesive |
1947
|
1972
|
Armstrong S-89 Adhesive |
1965
|
1983
|
Armstrong S-90 Adhesive |
1934
|
1983
|
Celotex Carey Fibrous Adhesive |
1906
|
1984
|
Celotex Careytemp Adhesive |
1961
|
1968
|
Combustion Engineering Fibrous Adhesive |
1964
|
1965
|
Georgia-Pacific Drywall Adhesive |
1972
|
|
H.B. Fuller Adhesives |
|
|
Johns Manville Asbestogard Adhesive |
|
|
Mobil Oil Armorcote Adhesive |
1964
|
1973
|
Mobil Oil Dum-Dum Adhesive |
1964
|
1973
|
Mobil Oil Dum-Dum Masonic Adhesive |
1964
|
1973
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Adhesive |
1953
|
1956
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Laminating Adhesive A |
1970
|
1974
|
Uniroyal B.F. Goodrich Adhesives |
1960
|
1963
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
3M Caulk |
1935
|
1986
|
3M Sticky Tar Caulking |
1935
|
1940
|
H.B. Fuller Gray Caulking Compound 95-08 |
|
|
Johns Manville Asbestos Caulking Putty |
|
|
Johns Manville Industrial Vent Caulking |
|
|
Mobil Oil Dum-Dum Caulk |
1964
|
1973
|
National Gypsum All Weather Caulking Compound |
1953
|
1974
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
Celotex Carey Fibrous Adhesive |
|
|
Combustion Engineering Fibrous Adhesive |
1964
|
1965
|
Empire Ace Fibrous Adhesives |
1959
|
1984
|
H.B. Fuller Fibrous Adhesive |
1942
|
|
Johns Manville Fibrous Adhesive Cement |
|
1981
|
M.H. Detrick Fibrous Adhesive |
1958
|
1964
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
Bondex “Premium Joint Compound” |
|
|
Bondex GSA Joint Compound |
|
|
Bondex Joint Compound |
|
|
CertainTeed Joint Treating Compound |
1937
|
1956
|
Flintkote Flintrock Joint Compound |
|
|
Flintkote Joint Treatment Compound |
|
|
Georgia-Pacific All Purpose Joint Compound |
1967
|
1977
|
Georgia-Pacific Dry Mixed Joint Compound |
1956
|
1977
|
Georgia-Pacific Joint Compound |
1956
|
1977
|
Georgia-Pacific Ready Mix Joint Compound |
1963
|
1977
|
Georgia-Pacific Speed Set Joint Compound |
1962
|
1974
|
Georgia-Pacific Triple Duty Joint Compound |
1956
|
1977
|
Kaiser Gypsum Dual Purpose Joint Compound |
|
|
Kaiser Gypsum Joint Compound |
1953
|
1975
|
Kaiser Gypsum One-Day Joint Compound |
1953
|
1975
|
Kelly-Moore Paco All-Purpose Joint Compound |
1960
|
1978
|
Kelly-Moore Paco Joint Compound |
1960
|
1978
|
Kelly-Moore Paco Quik-Set Joint Compound |
1963
|
1978
|
Kelly-Moore Paco Ready Mix Joint Compound |
1960
|
1978
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond All Purpose Joint Compound |
|
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Joint Compound |
|
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Quik-Treat Joint Compound |
|
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Ready Mixed Joint Compound |
|
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Tri-Treatment Joint Compound |
|
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Two-in-One Joint Compound |
|
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Velvet Joint Compound |
|
|
National Gypsum Wesco Joint Treatment |
|
|
Synkoloid Synko Triple Duty Joint Compound |
1950
|
1975
|
United States Gypsum Durabond 90 Joint Compound |
1970
|
1976
|
United States Gypsum Durabond Joint Compound |
1960
|
1975
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
Armstrong Mastics |
1939
|
1957
|
Bondex Bondek Black Mastic |
|
|
Flintkote BFC Cork-Filled Mastic 60-24 |
1959
|
|
Flintkote Hydrostatic Mastic |
1973
|
1982
|
Flintkote Semi-Mastic #214 |
|
|
Flintkote Trowell Mastic |
1961
|
1981
|
Flintkote Unimastic 150 |
|
|
Flintkote Unimastic 152 |
|
|
H.B. Fuller Climastic Mastic, Airless Spray 30-09 |
|
|
H.B. Fuller Climastic Mastic, Airless Spray 30-20 |
|
|
H.B. Fuller Fire Resistive Mastic (60-35), Aluminum |
1949
|
|
H.B. Fuller Fire Resistive Mastic (60-65), Aluminum |
1953
|
|
H.B. Fuller Fire Resistive Mastic 60-30 |
1952
|
|
H.B. Fuller Fire Resistive Mastic 60-30H |
1959
|
|
H.B. Fuller Fire Resistive Mastic 60-60 |
1956
|
|
H.B. Fuller Fire Resistive Mastic 60-60N |
1959
|
|
H.B. Fuller Sealfas G-P-M Mastic (35-00) |
1968
|
|
Owens-Corning Fiberglass Type II Mastic |
|
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
H.K. Porter Bonding Mortar Ho. 20 |
1958
|
1974
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Mortar Mix |
1954
|
1978
|
United States Gypsum Pyrobar Mortar Mix |
1969
|
1972
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
Bondex Penncraft Water Putty |
|
|
Bondex Reardon’s Water Putty |
|
|
Bondex Wards Wood Putty |
|
|
Bondex Water Putty (Wood Putty) |
|
|
Hercules Sta-Put Stainless Putty |
|
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
3M Sealers |
1935
|
1986
|
Armstrong CC Navy Sealer |
1942
|
1962
|
Armstrong LT Sealer |
1942
|
1962
|
Armstrong Sealers |
1939
|
1957
|
Celotex Carey Insulation Seal |
|
|
Combustion Engineering WeatherKote Protective Duriseal |
1964
|
1973
|
Fibreboard Pabco Hydroseal |
1941
|
1971
|
Flintkote No. 260 Export Box Sealer |
1951
|
1960
|
Flintkote No. 338 Windshield Sealer |
1950
|
1960
|
H.B. Fuller Adhesive Sealer 32-21 |
|
|
H.B. Fuller Adhesive Sealer 82-22 |
|
|
H.B. Fuller Asphalt Seam Sealer 30-14 |
1965
|
|
H.B. Fuller Duct Sealer 32-04 |
|
|
H.B. Fuller Fire Resistive Insulation Sealer 30-72 |
|
|
H.B. Fuller Flexible Joint Sealer 60-02 |
|
|
Johns Manville Body Sealer |
1954
|
1975
|
Johns Manville Duxseal |
1934
|
1982
|
Quigley Damit Joint Sealant |
1940
|
1970
|
Union Carbide Prestone Sealer Stop Leak |
|
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
Georgia-Pacific Spackling Compound |
1956
|
1971
|
National Gypsum Gold Bond Spackling Paste |
|
|
Synkoloid Synko Spackling Powder |
|
|
Product Name |
Start Year |
End Year |
Fibreboard Taping Compound |
|
|
Garlock Asbestos Tape |
1907
|
1980
|
Garlock Insulation Tape |
1907
|
1980
|
Garlock Spiral Pasti-Thread Seal Tape |
1907
|
1980
|
H.K. Porter Tape |
|
|
Kelly-Moore Paco Taping Compound |
1970
|
1977
|
National Gypsum Asbestos Stripping Tape |
|
|
Pittsburgh Corning Insutape |
|
|
Raymark Allbestos Tape |
|
|
Raymark Gatortape |
|
|
Raymark Glassbestos (Tape) |
1948
|
1982
|
Raymark Pyrotex (Tape) |
|
|
Raymark Tape |
|
|
Unarco Super Insulation Tape |
|
|
Unarco Super Insultape |
|
|
United States Gypsum Imperial Tape |
1962
|
1968
|
United States Gypsum Perf-A-Tape Compound |
1945
|
1975
|
United States Gypsum Perf-A-Tape Joint System |
1945
|
1975
|
Depending on what the adhesive or sealer was used for, these products could contain anywhere from 1% to 25% of asbestos. Many of these products, particularly fibrous adhesives and mastic adhesives, were first created by dumping loose asbestos fibers into the solvent to create the solution. Workers mixing these products would create a cloud of asbestos dust, making it dangerous for anyone in the area.
The need for sealers and bondings continued to increase with the efforts of World War II, as these asbestos products were used heavily on naval vessels to seal the walls, fill any cracks and help insulate the interior. Veterans, particularly Navy veterans, make up about one-third of mesothelioma diagnoses today because asbestos was so widely used on ships and throughout the military branches.
Adhesives and Asbestos Exposure Concerns
In addition to putting workers who made these solutions with raw asbestos at great risk of exposure, various occupations are still at risk today because the products were long-lasting and remain in thousands of buildings and homes today. Homeowners can also be at risk of exposure if they own a home built before 1980. Any crumbling or cracking joints and seals from old age, as well as any asbestos materials disturbed during any home renovations, could pose a concern for exposure.
Though asbestos adhesives, sealers and bondings pose a threat for many, there are several occupations that face a particularly high risk, including:
- Construction workers
- Drywall tapers
- Demolition crews
- Masons
- Bricklayers
- Painters
- Shipyard workers
- Plumbers
- Welders
- HVAC workers
If these asbestos materials are in good condition and undisturbed, they are technically safe and do not pose an immediate threat. There are regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies in place that help protect workers from potential exposure, as well as laws that state how asbestos can be handled. Asbestos abatement should only be done by certified asbestos professionals to ensure all asbestos-containing materials that pose a health hazard are properly and completely removed.
Sources
Environmental Protection Agency. U.S. Federal Bans on Asbestos.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Asbestos Construction.
Paustenbach DJ, Sage A, et al. Occupational exposure to airborne asbestos from coatings, mastics, and adhesives. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology. May 2004;14(3):234-44.