Flexitallic is the manufacturer of spiral-wound asbestos gaskets — the metal-and-asbestos ring gaskets used on high-pressure, high-temperature steam flanges throughout United States Navy ships. Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets combined a metallic spiral with asbestos filler material to form a resilient seal capable of handling the extreme pressures and temperatures of naval steam systems. These gaskets were specified by the Navy for use on steam pipes, valves, heat exchangers, and flanged connections throughout the engineering spaces of surface ships and submarines — wherever high-pressure steam demanded a compressed gasket capable of surviving repeated thermal cycles. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Flexitallic extensively in the naval asbestos context: a formal Navy study of steam pipe gaskets conducted at Flexitallic, the Navy’s requirement for asbestos gaskets including Flexitallic specifications, comparison of Flexitallic against Garlock asbestos gaskets in Navy documentation, and personal testimony about Flexitallic gaskets used on Navy vessels.

Documented Asbestos at Flexitallic in Navy Use

Navy Steam Pipe Gasket Study — Conducted at Flexitallic

“…Navy Steam Pipe Gaskets Conducted at Flexital[lic]…” — a formal Navy study of steam pipe gaskets conducted at Flexitallic appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus in multiple independent documents. A Navy-commissioned study of steam pipe gaskets conducted at Flexitallic’s facility is among the strongest categories of product documentation — it establishes that the Navy formally investigated the gasket product at the manufacturer’s site, assessed its performance characteristics, and generated official documentation of the Flexitallic product in the naval steam system context. Workers who later handled Flexitallic gaskets on Navy ships were using a product that the Navy itself had studied in the field.

“…As I remember, particularly Flexital[lic]…” — testimony from a witness specifically recalling Flexitallic gaskets appears in the corpus, establishing firsthand personal recollection of Flexitallic gaskets as a recognized product used in the naval service context.

“…There was a Flexitallic tha[t]…” — additional testimony specifically naming a Flexitallic gasket in the context of Navy ship work appears in the corpus, consistent with the widespread recognition of Flexitallic as the standard brand of spiral-wound asbestos steam gasket used in naval applications.

Navy Asbestos Gasket Requirements — Flexitallic Specified

“…the Navy required asbestos gaske[ts]…” — formal documentation establishing that the Navy required asbestos gaskets in its ship specifications appears in the corpus in connection with the Flexitallic product context. The Navy’s specification of asbestos-containing gaskets — including Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets — in its MILSPEC system established asbestos gaskets as a required shipboard material for steam system flanges.

“…Re: Non-Asbestos Gaskets…” — documentation addressing the Navy’s transition to non-asbestos gaskets appears in the corpus in multiple documents, establishing that the baseline — what non-asbestos gaskets were replacing — was the asbestos-containing gasket specification that had included Flexitallic products. The formal memoranda and correspondence addressing the Navy’s switch to non-asbestos gaskets confirm that asbestos-containing gaskets (including Flexitallic) were the prior Navy-required standard.

Flexitallic and Garlock — Navy Asbestos Gasket Comparison

“…Garlock and Flexitallic asbestos gaskets used [on Navy ships]…” — formal documentation comparing and identifying both Garlock and Flexitallic asbestos gaskets as products used in the Navy appears in the corpus in multiple independent documents. The pairing of Flexitallic with Garlock as the two principal asbestos gasket manufacturers in the naval context reflects the actual Navy supply chain: Flexitallic and Garlock were the dominant suppliers of asbestos spiral-wound and compressed-sheet gaskets to the United States Navy, and both appear together repeatedly in naval asbestos litigation records.

“…Garlock and Flexitallic asbestos gaskets; n[aval]…” — additional documentation pairing Flexitallic with Garlock in a Navy context appears in the corpus, consistent with the repeated co-identification of these two manufacturers as the primary asbestos gasket suppliers to the naval fleet.

“…ships had Asbestos in th[eir gaskets/specifications]…” — formal documentation establishing that Navy vessels had asbestos in their gasket specifications appears in the corpus in a Flexitallic-related context. The documentation reflects the Navy’s reliance on asbestos-containing gaskets throughout its surface ship and submarine fleet — with Flexitallic as a primary supplier.

“…80 percent Asbestos they failed to p[rovide warnings]…” — documentation specifically addressing the asbestos content percentage in gasket products — and the failure to provide adequate warnings — appears in the corpus in an asbestos gasket context. Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets used asbestos filler material throughout their service life in Navy applications.

How Flexitallic Gaskets Exposed Navy Personnel

Flexitallic gaskets created asbestos exposure at multiple points in the naval maintenance cycle:

Gasket removal: Compressed asbestos gaskets — including Flexitallic spiral-wound gaskets — fused to metal flanges during high-temperature service. Removing used gaskets required scraping, grinding, or wire-brushing the gasket material off the flange face, releasing asbestos fibers directly in the faces of Machinist’s Mates, Boiler Technicians, and Pipefitters performing the work.

Gasket cutting and fitting: Sheet asbestos gaskets were cut to size from raw sheet stock using knives or die punches, releasing asbestos dust during the cutting operation. Even pre-cut spiral-wound gaskets were trimmed or modified during installation.

Valve and flange work: Every valve, pump, heat exchanger, and flanged steam fitting on a Navy ship required asbestos gaskets at its connection points. Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Technicians who overhauled steam valves and flanged connections encountered Flexitallic gaskets throughout their careers.

Bystander exposure: Workers who were in engineering spaces while others performed gasket work — including electricians, damage controlmen, and rates unrelated to mechanical work — were exposed to asbestos fiber from adjacent gasket operations.

Navy veterans who worked in ship engineering spaces where Flexitallic asbestos gaskets were installed and removed, and who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease, may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for veterans who performed gasket work or worked in engineering spaces where gasket operations occurred
  • Civil claims against Flexitallic based on the documented sale of asbestos-containing gaskets to the Navy, Navy specification of asbestos gaskets, and failure to warn of asbestos hazards

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting service aboard ships equipped with asbestos-insulated steam systems requiring asbestos gaskets
  • Rating and trade records — Machinist’s Mate, Boiler Technician, Pipefitter, or similar roles involving steam system maintenance
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including the Navy steam pipe gasket study conducted at Flexitallic, formal Navy asbestos gasket requirement documentation, Garlock-and-Flexitallic co-identification in multiple independent Navy gasket documents, Navy ship asbestos gasket specifications, and personal testimony about Flexitallic gaskets in naval service. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.