Foster Wheeler Corporation, headquartered in Livingston, New Jersey, was one of the two dominant marine boiler manufacturers for the US Navy — competing with Babcock & Wilcox for the bulk of Navy propulsion boiler contracts throughout WWII and the Cold War. Foster Wheeler’s marine boiler designs — particularly the D-type marine boiler — were used in destroyers, cruisers, carriers, and auxiliary ships throughout the fleet, making Foster Wheeler one of the most common boiler manufacturers in the Navy’s steam-powered surface ship inventory. Foster Wheeler boilers used asbestos insulation on their casings and associated steam system components throughout the WWII and Cold War eras.

Foster Wheeler D-Type Marine Boiler

The Foster Wheeler D-type marine boiler was a high-pressure, high-temperature water tube boiler that served as the standard propulsion boiler in a wide range of Navy surface ships:

  • Boiler casing insulation — Foster Wheeler D-type boilers used asbestos block insulation on the boiler casing exterior, with asbestos-containing insulation applied in multiple layers on the boiler casing surfaces to reduce heat radiation and surface temperature in the fireroom. Boiler maintenance requiring access to the casing interior required removal of asbestos casing insulation, releasing asbestos fiber during the removal process
  • Steam drum insulation — the steam drum and mud drum exterior insulation on Foster Wheeler boilers used asbestos block and blanket insulation consistent with the 1940s-1950s era of boiler construction practice
  • Superheater header insulation — asbestos insulation on the superheater header assembly and associated steam piping within the boiler setting
  • Boiler uptake and breeching insulation — asbestos insulation on the boiler uptake and breeching directing combustion gases from the boiler to the stack

Boiler Setting and Refractory

The boiler setting — the refractory and insulating brick structure surrounding the furnace — used asbestos-containing materials:

  • Furnace floor and wall refractory — asbestos-containing refractory materials in the furnace floor and wall construction in some Foster Wheeler boiler designs
  • Baffle materials — asbestos board and block used as gas flow baffles in the boiler gas path in some boiler configurations

Fleet-Wide Distribution

Foster Wheeler boilers powered destroyers and destroyer escorts (many Gearing, Forrest Sherman, and Knox class ships used Foster Wheeler boilers), cruisers, and auxiliary vessels throughout the fleet. The Navy-wide distribution of Foster Wheeler propulsion boilers meant that Boiler Technicians throughout the fleet regularly performed boiler maintenance on Foster Wheeler equipment.

VA Claims for Foster Wheeler Boiler Exposure

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Boiler Technicians and Machinist’s Mates who performed maintenance on Foster Wheeler and other marine boilers with asbestos-containing casing insulation and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.