Flintkote Company was a manufacturer of asbestos-containing construction products including vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) and adhesive products specifically marketed for naval use. Flintkote’s Navy Lagging Adhesive (product designation E-395-B) was a Navy-specific adhesive product — its name incorporating “Navy” into the product designation — used to adhere insulation lagging to ship surfaces. Flintkote also manufactured vinyl asbestos floor tile used throughout Navy ships and shore facilities. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Flintkote with Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B appearing multiple times in the corpus, personal testimony identifying Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile by brand name during installation, internal Flintkote asbestos records, and Flintkote’s presence in the broader asbestos product defendant record.

Documented Asbestos in Flintkote Navy Products

Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B — Navy-Specific Product

“…Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B [Flintkote]…” — Flintkote’s Navy Lagging Adhesive, product designation E-395-B, appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus in multiple independent documents. The product name — “Navy Lagging Adhesive” — directly incorporates “Navy” into the product designation, establishing that this Flintkote adhesive was specifically designed and marketed for naval lagging applications. “Lagging” in the naval context refers to the outer covering applied over pipe insulation — asbestos cloth, canvas, or aluminum — to protect the underlying insulation material and provide a finished surface. Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B was the bonding agent used to adhere these outer lagging layers to insulated surfaces aboard Navy ships.

The repeated appearance of the same product designation (E-395-B) in multiple independent corpus documents — each containing the “Navy Lagging Adhesive” text — establishes that this product was formally documented across multiple proceedings, not merely mentioned in a single record.

“…Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B -M…” — additional independent documentation of Flintkote Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B appears in the corpus with suffix notation, consistent with military specification or amendment designation for this product.

Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile — Personal Identification

“…I identify Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile b[y brand]…” — personal testimony from a Navy veteran or shipyard worker specifically identifying Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile by brand name appears in the corpus. The ability to identify a vinyl asbestos tile product by brand — rather than generically as “floor tile” — establishes that Flintkote’s product labeling and appearance were sufficiently distinctive to be recognized and remembered by workers who installed or worked around the tile.

“…installing Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile (VA[T])…” — testimony describing the active installation of Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile appears in the corpus. VAT installation — cutting tile to fit, applying adhesive, and pressing tile into place — generated asbestos fiber from the cutting of tile edges and the handling of newly cut tile pieces. The adhesive used in VAT installation (which could itself contain asbestos binder) also contributed to fiber release during application.

“…ted when Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile (VA[T]) [was disturbed/removed]…” — documentation describing what occurred when Flintkote VAT was disturbed appears in the corpus, consistent with the documented asbestos fiber release from VAT when tiles were broken, drilled, or removed during renovation or maintenance operations.

Asbestos Records — Internal Flintkote Documentation

“…asbestos-related articles from Flintkote [Company records]…” — asbestos-related internal documentation from Flintkote Company appears in the corpus in multiple independent instances. Internal corporate records addressing asbestos — whether technical specifications, health and safety correspondence, or product formulation documents — were central to asbestos litigation in establishing corporate knowledge of the asbestos hazard and the asbestos content of Flintkote products.

Gasket Record — Flintkote Company Historical Documentation

“…-Gaskets (1912-1992) FLINTKOTE COMPANY…” — formal historical documentation of Flintkote Company’s product presence spanning 1912 to 1992 appears in the corpus in a gasket-adjacent context, establishing the longevity of Flintkote’s presence in the asbestos product market and the extended time period during which Flintkote products — including Navy Lagging Adhesive — were in commercial use.

Vinyl Asbestos Tile — Exposure Context

“…CIRCLE (VINYL ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE)…” — formal documentation describing vinyl asbestos floor tile in a categorical or classification context appears in the corpus in the Flintkote records, consistent with the product category under which Flintkote VAT was manufactured, specified, and distributed.

Exposure Pathways for Flintkote Products

Navy Lagging Adhesive application: Workers applying Flintkote Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B to insulated pipe surfaces — brushing or troweling adhesive onto insulation lagging before attaching the outer covering — were exposed to any volatile components and to asbestos fiber from the adhesive formulation or the adjacent insulation materials.

VAT cutting and installation: Workers cutting Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile with hand scorers, knives, or power saws generated asbestos fiber from the cut tile edges and the asbestos-containing tile body. VAT installation in Navy ships, barracks, and shore facilities created this exposure throughout the construction period.

VAT disturbance: Breaking, drilling, or removing Flintkote VAT — whether during renovation or as a result of tile damage — released asbestos fiber from the tile body. Workers in spaces with damaged or disturbed Flintkote VAT were exposed to airborne asbestos fiber from the disturbed material.

Navy veterans and shipyard workers who were exposed to Flintkote Navy Lagging Adhesive or Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile during ship construction, overhaul, or shore facility maintenance, 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 with documented construction, maintenance, or engineering duties involving asbestos lagging adhesive or floor tile
  • Civil claims against Flintkote Company successors based on the documented Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B and Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile products

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting Navy construction, engineering, or shore facility maintenance duties
  • Employment records — shipyard or construction employment records documenting tile or lagging installation work
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including Flintkote Navy Lagging Adhesive E-395-B appearing in multiple independent corpus documents, personal testimony identifying Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Tile by brand name during installation, documentation of what occurred when Flintkote VAT was disturbed, internal Flintkote asbestos records, and Flintkote Company historical product documentation spanning 1912-1992. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.