De Laval Turbine Company, based in Trenton, New Jersey, manufactured steam turbines and turbine-driven auxiliary equipment used extensively in the US Navy fleet. De Laval equipment appeared in destroyer, cruiser, and auxiliary vessel engineering spaces in the postwar decades. Machinists and engineers who operated and maintained De Laval turbines worked in close proximity to asbestos-insulated casings and steam lines throughout the service lives of these vessels.

De Laval Turbines in Navy Applications

De Laval manufactured both main propulsion turbines and turbine-driven auxiliaries — including pumps, blowers, and generators — that were installed across multiple vessel classes. Navy engineering spaces on vessels fitted with De Laval equipment contained asbestos in multiple forms:

  • Turbine casing insulation applied over the turbine outer casing using asbestos block and cement insulation to retain heat and reduce heat loss to the surrounding machinery space
  • Steam inlet and exhaust piping connected to De Laval turbines carried asbestos block insulation and molded covering over the full pipe runs from the boiler plant through the machinery space
  • Turbine-driven pump and blower units used asbestos packing in valve stems and stuffing boxes on the steam admission side of the equipment
  • Reduction gear enclosures associated with De Laval propulsion units used asbestos cloth and tape in the enclosure lining in fireproofing applications

Engineering Watch and Maintenance Exposure

Machinist’s Mates and Enginemen assigned to engineering watch on vessels with De Laval equipment stood watch in machinery spaces where radiant heat from turbine casings caused asbestos insulation to deteriorate over time. Routine maintenance — valve repacking, insulation repair after equipment work, and turbine inspection — disturbed asbestos-containing materials and released fiber into the enclosed machinery space. Publicly filed litigation records from Navy asbestos cases include testimony from engineering personnel who worked specifically on De Laval turbine equipment during overhaul and underway operations.

Overhaul and Repair Exposure

Shipyard overhaul work on De Laval turbine equipment required removal of the asbestos casing insulation before internal inspection and repair could proceed. At Navy shipyards and private repair facilities, insulators stripped and replaced asbestos insulation from De Laval turbine casings during drydock and availability periods. Naval engineers and ship’s force personnel who supervised or worked adjacent to this insulation removal were in the vicinity when asbestos fiber was released from disturbed insulation during lagging removal.

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to De Laval Equipment

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy vessels and at Navy facilities. Veterans who served in engineering billets on vessels equipped with De Laval turbines or worked in Navy shipyards where De Laval turbine overhaul occurred before the early 1980s and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.