Duriron Company (later Durco International, a division of Met-Pro Corporation), headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, manufactured corrosion-resistant pumps, valves, and fittings in special alloy and lined materials for chemical, seawater, and corrosive fluid service applications. Duriron/Durco products served US Navy applications where corrosion-resistant materials were required — seawater service cooling system pumps and valves, chemical cleaning solution service, and corrosive fluid handling applications in Navy engineering plants and auxiliary systems.

Asbestos in Duriron/Durco Equipment

Duriron pumps and valves used asbestos-containing gaskets and packing consistent with corrosive service equipment construction practice:

  • Pump casing gaskets — Duriron corrosion-resistant centrifugal pumps used asbestos-containing gaskets in the pump volute casing and at cover joints, selected for their chemical resistance in addition to thermal sealing performance. Pump maintenance involving casing opening — for impeller inspection, wear ring replacement, and bearing maintenance — disturbed asbestos pump casing gaskets at each maintenance interval
  • Valve stem packing — Durco corrosion-resistant valves in seawater and chemical service used asbestos stem packing in valve stuffing boxes for seawater-resistant stem sealing. The seawater resistance of asbestos braided packing made it a commonly specified sealing material for seawater service valve applications in the era of full asbestos use
  • Flanged connection gaskets — asbestos-containing flange gaskets at all flanged connections in Duriron/Durco corrosion-resistant piping systems

Seawater Service Applications

Duriron/Durco corrosion-resistant products were particularly associated with seawater service:

  • Seawater cooling pumps — the seawater cooling system pumping seawater for main condenser cooling, lube oil cooler cooling, and auxiliary equipment cooling on surface ships used corrosion-resistant centrifugal pumps with asbestos-containing pump casing gaskets in seawater-wetted components
  • Seawater service valves — sea suction valves, sea chest valves, and overboard discharge valves in corrosion-resistant alloy construction used asbestos stem packing in the valve stuffing boxes

VA Claims

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from pump and valve maintenance in Navy seawater and chemical service systems. Engineering ratings who performed maintenance on Duriron/Durco and other corrosion-resistant pump and valve products with asbestos-containing gaskets and packing and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.