Iowa & Illinois — Phenolic Resin & Plastics Manufacturing

Phenolic resin (Bakelite-type thermoset plastic) manufacturing is a distinct asbestos exposure pathway that differs fundamentally from the pipe-insulation story. At phenolic molding plants, asbestos was not insulation applied around pipes — it was blended directly into every batch of molding compound as a reinforcing filler at up to 5–10% by weight. Workers who loaded compound into press hoppers, trimmed flash from finished parts, and operated tumbling machines inhaled asbestos fibers from the compound itself throughout every production run. Military specification MIL-M-14 mandated asbestos-filled phenolic compounds for defense procurement through the mid-1970s. The principal defendants in these cases are the compound manufacturers — Union Carbide/Bakelite, Durez/Hooker Chemical, Monsanto Resinox, Rogers Corporation — in addition to the facility operator. Click any site to read its full exposure history.

Map shows 71 documented asbestos exposure sites. Click any marker to visit the site's full report. Click any marker to visit the site's full report.

The following compound formulations have been identified in asbestos litigation records as containing asbestos — often at concentrations of 10 to 55 percent of compound weight. This cross-reference table allows workers and attorneys to match a specific compound product to the manufacturer responsible. Exposure reconstruction begins with identifying which compound a facility used.

Red-highlighted entries indicate crocidolite (blue asbestos) or anthophyllite — amphibole fiber types most strongly associated with pleural mesothelioma in epidemiological literature. All entries are based on litigation records, deposition testimony, MSDS documentation, or compound analysis results. This table is for informational and legal research purposes only.